Interlaken vs Lausanne

Interlaken

Interlaken town sits at 568 m in a valley with a relatively mild alpine climate, but the mountain destinations it serves range from 1,000 m (Grindelwald) to 3,454 m (Jungfraujoch). Temperature drops roughly 6°C per 1,000 m gain — a pleasant 22°C day in town means 0°C at the Jungfraujoch. Clouds are a serious consideration: the Jungfraujoch can be socked in for days at a time even when Interlaken is sunny, so building flexibility into your itinerary for high-elevation excursions is genuinely important. Check the Jungfrau webcam the evening before any planned ascent.

Lausanne

Lausanne sits at 372 m at the lake shore and climbs to 880 m on the upper hills, with a temperate climate moderated by Lake Geneva. The lake reduces winter cold and softens summer heat — Lausanne is consistently 1-2°C warmer than inland Bern in winter and 1-2°C cooler in summer. Snow in the city is rare and rarely accumulates. The Lavaux microclimate to the east is so favourable that wine grapes have grown on its terraces continuously since the 11th century. The city averages 1,930 hours of sunshine per year, comparable to Geneva.

Interlaken

Interlaken is a model of Swiss public transport connectivity. Two train stations — Interlaken West (trains to Bern and Thun) and Interlaken Ost (trains to Grindelwald, Lauterbrunnen, and the Jungfrau region) — sit at opposite ends of the Höheweg. The Swiss Travel Pass covers SBB intercity trains, most PostBus routes, the lake boats, and gives 25% off most mountain railways. It does NOT cover the Jungfraujoch surcharge (CHF 45 from the Eigergletscher junction). A car is unnecessary and often counterproductive — Grindelwald, Wengen, and Mürren have limited or no car access.

Walkability: Interlaken town itself is easily walkable — Interlaken West to Interlaken Ost along the Höheweg takes about 25 minutes on foot. The Höhematte meadow, main shops, restaurants, and the Aare river are all within a 10-15 minute walk of either station. Mountain villages like Grindelwald and Lauterbrunnen are reached entirely by rail and cable car from the valley.

Lausanne

Lausanne operates the only fully automatic metro in Switzerland (M2), supplemented by two metro/light rail lines, a comprehensive bus network through TL, and the historic LEB regional rail. The M2 line connecting Ouchy lakeside to the upper hills is itself essential for navigating the city's extreme gradients — the city climbs 339 m from lake to upper plateau. Hotels provide a free Lausanne Transport Card on check-in covering all TL services for the duration of your stay. The Swiss Travel Pass covers all TL and SBB services.

Walkability: Central Lausanne is walkable but extremely steep — climbing from Ouchy lakeside to the cathedral involves 339 m of vertical gain. The wooden Escaliers du Marché steps and the M2 metro both serve this climb. The flat Ouchy waterfront is easy walking; the medieval Old Town between Place de la Palud and the cathedral is compact but on a noticeable gradient. Use the M2 to minimise climbing if knees are an issue.