How To Get To Wengen Switzerland

Why visit Wengen?

Wengen in a picturesque Swiss village in the Bernese Highlands of the Alps. It’s traditional Swiss chalets and scenic mountain backdrop is the best place to experience the Swiss Alps and a great jumping off point for summer and winter outdoor activities. But it’s not the easiest place to get to.

Wengen in a picturesque Swiss village in the Bernese Oberland and Jungfrau region of the Alps. It’s traditional Swiss chalets and scenic mountain backdrop is the best place to experience the Swiss Alps and a great jumping off point for summer and winter outdoor activities. But it’s not the easiest place to get to.

Whether you are coming to Wengen for a ski holiday or just a day trip from Interlaken, it is important to know that you cannot drive to the village. Wengen is only accessible by a cog wheel train from Lauterbrunnen.

See the Lauterbrunnen to Wengen train timetable here.

Where Is Wengen?

The quaint village is the first and second stop on the mountain railway to the Top of Europe, as the train continues from Wengen to Jungfraujoch during the day. Wengen sits at 1200m above sea level and overlooks the Lauterbrunnen valley. It takes about 15 minutes to reach Wengen by train from Lauterbrunnen and costs CHF6.80 for a one way ticket, or you can hike up for free!

The view from Wengen overlooking the Lauterbrunnen Valley in Winter. Swiss chalets covered in snow with the mountains in the background. — The view from Wengen overlooking the Lauterbrunnen Valley in Winter

Zurich to Wengen

Reaching Wengen from Zurich (or Geneva or Basel or Bern) is very easy and can even be made into a day trip. Switzerland has great public transport as well as easy to read signage to help you get around.

How to get to Wengen by Car

It takes about 2 hours to travel by car from Zurich Airport to the Lauterbrunnen car park. After this point you will have to wait for the train, which leaves every half hour throughout the day. This is a good option if you are making a day trip so that you can be more flexible with timing, or have a lot of luggage.

How to get to Wengen by Train

You can also take the train all the way from Zurich Main Station, all the way to Wengen in 3 hours. You will have to transfer 3 times, each to smaller and smaller trains. After 1 hour from leaving Zurich, you transfer at Bern, and then an hour later you transfer in Interlaken (after which point Eurorail passes are no longer valid) and finally after 30 minutes, you transfer once again in Lauterbrunnen for the final uphill leg of the journey.

Be sure to board the front half of the train in Interlaken, as this train splits at Zweilutschinen with the front half going to Lauterbrunnen and the back half going to Grindelwald. But don’t worry there are lots of signs and announcements along the way.

Wengen Switzerland Summer — A view of Wengen in Summer

Wengen to Grindelwald

Wengen sits in between Grindelwald and Murren, and these villages are also included in the winter ski pass, so it is easy to make day trips or ski trips to these places. From Wengen, you can continue on the train that brought you up from Lauterbrunnen, and ride it to the end station of Kleine Scheidegg, where you can transfer to a train going back down the other side to Grindelwald. There is also a cable car going from Wengen to Maanlichen, where you can walk down in summer or ski down in winter to Grindelwald. There is also a cable car that goes to Grindelwald, just 100m away at the top of Maanlichen and go-karts in the summer if you are more adventurous.

Wengen to Murren

To get to Murren from Wengen, it is easiest to go back down to Lauterbrunnen on the train or by walking (it takes about an hour) and then transfer to the cable car to Murren / Grutschalp. Upon reaching the top of the cable car, there is a train that takes you across the top of the valley towards murren. In Murren, you can continue up to the Schilthorn via cable car for skiing or hiking. From Wengen to Murren it takes roughly 1 hour between all the trains and cable cars.

So whether you decide to get to Wengen by car or train, in winter or in summer, it is definitely worth a visit! And now you can plan the best way to get to Wengen from any major city in Switzerland.