The Mountains Are Calling - and we're going!
To Grindelwald and beyond!
“The mountains are calling and I must go.”
— John Muir
That’s exactly what my sister thought last week.
She reminded me of this quote we encountered on our hike down the Eiger Trail in Switzerland last year.
Written by the Scottish John Muir in 1873.
He was a mountaineer and an overall explorer of nature. In his books and other writings, he advocated for preserving nature because it’s so needed and beautiful.
It’s incredible to have hiked in a place where such an important person for environmentalism has done the same thing.
Therefore we must go again.
So we have booked a hotel in Bern for next August and will plan our next mountain hike. Of course not as adventurous as John, but still out there.
The Best Region in the Center of Europe
Central Switzerland is one of the most beautiful areas in Europe.
Especially the Interlaken region.
Last year we hiked down from the Eiger to Alpiglen, Grindelwald and it was incredible. We saw nature around us and how big and powerful it is.
When you realize that, you feel tiny.
Every step reminded us of why these people like John Muir did what they did. It’s amazing.
This year, we’re going full-hike.
There are plenty of mountainous villages you can start your hike from — you’ve got:
Lauterbrunnen
Grindelwald
Kandersteg
Alpiglen
Mürren
Wengen
And there are so many more.
Prepare for Your Trip
2 years ago, we went for the first time.
We just bought an Interrail pass for 7 days, booked some cheap hotels, and just hopped on the train to Switzerland.
Last minute I decided that a seat reservation would help.
Don’t forget that.
You have to plan these kinds of things, especially in the summer because trains in Germany, and in the whole of Europe are very crowded.
For us that was the connection between Amsterdam — and Frankfurt, it was completely booked and we were so happy to have seat reservations.
While many other people didn’t and therefore couldn’t sit.
If you want to sit, book your seats.
Meanwhile, the train from Interlaken Ost to Lauterbrunnen or Grindelwald doesn’t have reservations, so you must hope for the best.
One great thing though is that these connections are now included in Interrail.
Perfect!
That means you can just travel to the mountainous villages in that area without having to buy extra tickets if you’re on Interrail or Eurail.
Final Tips for Train Travel in Europe
As I mentioned before, book your seats, you’ll need them — especially in the summer when the trains get incredibly crowded.
I’ve seen trains to Berlin or Prague being extremely full with just people standing.
I'm not sure about you, but I’m not a fan of standing on a train for more than 4 hours straight!
Besides that, check your tickets and make sure they’re loaded onto your phones or you have them printed. You don’t want to stress about that either when you can enjoy the beautiful views from the train.
And if you happen to go to Switzerland and have a 1st class ticket — if possible — book the panoramic car! It’s so beautiful.
— Have a great summer!