A day trip up to Jungfraujoch in Switzerland
The train trip to Jungfraujoch
On our first day of our holiday we did a day trip up to Jungfraujoch in Switzerland. This is the highest train station in Europe. It’s 11,500 feet high (3454 metres) and one of the ‘must dos’ when visiting this area of Switzerland.
Getting to the Jungfraujoch Railway
We were staying in an Airbnb very near Grindelwald Grund station (in the village below Grindelwald itself) so we walked the few minutes to the station to catch the 9.17am train to Kleine Scheidegg. I’d imagined it would be nice and quiet being relatively early in the morning but how wrong was I! The train was packed to the rafters, with some carriages entirely reserved for tour groups but we managed to get 4 seats with the help of the conductor.
The trip up to Kleine Scheidegg took 18 minutes and was really beautiful, quickly getting us up into the snowy mountains. It was late March and pretty mild but there was still plenty of snow around.
Upon arrival at Kleine Scheidegg it was an easy hop over to another platform to catch the Jungfrau Railway up to Jungfraujoch. This train was just as busy but again we found seats with ease and prepared for our trip to the top of Europe.
The Jungfraujoch Railway
The trip from Kleine Scheidegg to Jungfraujoch is 35 minutes long and extremely picturesque. You climb steeply up into the mountains passing through tunnels and along snowy mountain passes. Half way up the train stops at Eismeer Station where you can get out for 5 minutes to take photos – the station has great views but is only a taster of things to come.
What to do once you arrive at Jungfraujoch
Upon arrival at Jungfraujoch you arrive into an underground station and as you walk out into the light you are greeted by views of snowcapped mountains as far as the eye can see.
On a day trip up to Jungfraujoch in Switzerland there’s a whole complex of things to do and see, it’s not just the view (although that is the highlight!) This includes the Ice Palace where you walk through tunnels created in the 1930’s filled with ice sculptures from modern times. It’s cold at -3c but worth it.
There is also the alpine sensation, a trip through even more tunnels dug by the original miners back in 1912. The children enjoyed it but we were all quite short of breathe and puffed by the time we’d finished the walk due to the altitude (and carrying two children!)
The Sphinx Observatory
The piste de resistance however, on a day trip up to Jungfraujoch in Switzerland, is the Sphinx Observatory. This is where you see the view in all its glory. There is a lift that takes you the 108 metres in a mere 25 seconds and at the top you can step outside to admire the (cold) scenery. Some of this area was cordoned off, I assume due to ice, but there was plenty of space to walk around and get pictures. The girls didn’t last long out in the cold but we got nice photos and then went to explore elsewhere.
The journey back down
We stayed at Jungfraujoch for about 1.30 hrs choosing to head down the mountain for lunch in Grindelwald, having read that food up there wasn’t all that great. The trains back down were pretty much empty which was much more enjoyable and we had a great journey, taking in the scenery whilst the girls fell asleep.
Summary
The only sticking point for this trip is the price, it is anything but cheap. When we went for two adults it was £274. Fortunately the children were free (until 6 years old). Bearing this in mind I would strongly recommend only doing the trip in clear weather – to spend that money and only see clouds would be very disappointing. There is a weather update with live cameras from the summit on their website.
Overall we had a great day and it was well worth the money for a trip we’ll remember for many years to come. For more on this trip to Switzerland, Austria and Liechtenstein check out this blog post.
