Zürich to Interlaken by Train
Interlaken is the launchpad for the Jungfrau region — Grindelwald, Lauterbrunnen and the train up to Jungfraujoch. From Zürich it's a comfortable two-hour ride.
The journey
Trains from Zürich HB to Interlaken Ost run about hourly and take roughly two hours, often direct (some involve an easy cross-platform change in Bern). The second half, along Lake Thun, is genuinely beautiful.
| Detail | |
|---|---|
| Duration | ≈ 2 h |
| Frequency | ~1 per hour |
| Changes | Direct, or one change in Bern |
| Departs | Zürich HB |
| Arrives | Interlaken Ost |
Why Interlaken Ost
Get out at Interlaken Ost (not West) — it’s the station where the mountain railways into the Jungfrau region connect: Lauterbrunnen, Grindelwald, and onward to Jungfraujoch, the highest railway station in Europe.
Tickets
This is exactly the kind of multi-leg mountain trip where a Swiss Travel Pass earns its keep: it covers the main-line train to Interlaken and discounts the steep Jungfrau mountain railways beyond it.
Plan it live
The mountain connections beyond Interlaken run less often than the main line. Use the Swiss Transport app to chain Zürich → Interlaken → your mountain stop so the connections actually line up.
Plan Zürich → Interlaken live
Free Swiss Transport app — live departures, platforms and every connection.