Skip to Content

Skiing in Wengen: What to Expect & Tips for Your Winter Visit

Skiing in Wengen: What to Expect & Tips for Your Winter Visit

Thinking of skiing in Wengen or are looking for some experience-based info and tips for the Grindelwald – Wengen ski area in Switzerland? This guide should answer all your questions and give you a good idea of what to expect when skiing in Wengen. Find out!

Wengen is a small car-free village in the Jungfrau Region in central Switzerland. The scenery in this area is jaw-dropping and this cozy town is a great base for various outdoor activities in the region, in any season.

Wengen is one of our favorite ski resorts in Switzerland and we also love this area in summer. We don’t often travel to the same place twice, but Wengen is one of those destinations that we gladly return to again and again.

But I also remember the first time we planned to visit Wengen in winter. Our youngest kids were just starting to learn to ski and I spent hours trying to find answers to all the questions we had about skiing in Wengen, more precisely, in the Grindelwald – Wengen ski area. In the end, we had a great ski holiday in Wengen and we went skiing in Wengen a few times after that.

But that first time, it was so overwhelming to find the information we were looking for. Also because it was a very warm winter and we were worried about snow certainty on the beginner slopes…

So if you are also considering going skiing in Wengen, but are not sure what to expect, then read on! In this article, we share our experience, favorite ski runs, and useful tips for your winter visit to Wengen. Find out!

READ ALSO: Jungfraujoch, Top of Europe

Our family skiing in Wengen
Our family on one of the skiing holidays in Wengen
 

Grindelwald – Wengen Ski Area

The Jungfrau ski region connects three ski resorts: Grindelwald-Wengen, Grindelwald-First, and Mürren-Schilthorn. And there’s also a ski area in Meiringen that’s located about an hour’s drive away.

In this article, we only focus on the Grindelwald-Wengen ski area (see also the map below). It’s the main and the biggest ski area in the region, and the one where we usually ski.

The Grindelwald-Wengen ski resort is easily accessible from both sides of the mountain. So no matter whether you stay in Wengen or in Grindelwald, the ski slopes are just as easy to reach. In both cases and snow permitting, you can also ski all the way back to town.

Grindelwald – Wengen Ski Area Overview:

  • Ski slopes: 103 km of runs for all difficulty levels
  • Number of lifts: 21 (this includes mountain railways, cable cars, aerial cableways, chair lifts, etc.)
  • Altitude: 1.034 m – 2.227 m
  • Ski season: End of November to mid April
  • What’s open: For up-to-date information on the ski area and to see which ski lifts and pistes are open, please consult the official website of the area.
Grindelwald Wengen ski area map
Grindelwald-Wengen ski area map. Click on the picture if you want to enlarge it.
 

Altitude & Snow Certainty

Grindelwald – Wengen ski area is spread out between 1.034m and 2.320m altitude.

The biggest part of the Grindelwald – Wengen ski area is high enough to guarantee snow certainty throughout the entire ski season. Most ski runs can be found around the Männlichen area at 2,227m and near Kleine Scheidegg at 2.061m. Some ski runs are even higher – the Eigergletscher is at 2.320 m altitude.

Wengen town is at 1.274m above sea level and Grindelwald – 1.034m, which means that very often, there’s little snow in these towns. However, usually, this doesn’t influence your ski experience much.

Snow permitting, you can ski all the way back to towns. And if there’s not enough snow, they usually use snow cannons to guarantee that the main valley runs remain open. And in the worst case, you can always get back to town by train or by gondola.

Wengen in March
Wengen in March. As you can see, there’s not much snow in town, but there was plenty of snow on the slopes and we could ski all the way to town. And it also snowed a few days later and the whole town was white again.
 

If you are a skier who (as a minimum) can handle long and wide ‘blue’ runs, then I wouldn’t worry about snow certainty in Wengen. We never experienced a lack of snow when skiing between Männlichen and Kleine Scheidegg. There are also several complete-beginner exercise areas at higher altitudes.

However, if you are not a complete beginner, but are not confident enough to do longer runs, the situation is somewhat different. If there’s enough snow, it’s usually not an issue as you can ski at the Wengernalp beginners’ area. But if there’s not enough snow here, then it’s not always ideal because all the other easy runs are much longer and might be too tiring at first.

That being said, our twins who just learned how to ski in Wengen at the age of 4, managed the long blue runs at Männlichen just fine. The advantage is that these slopes are so wide and so long that by the time you reach the end, you have had plenty of time to exercise.

Grindelwald Wengen ski area in Jungfrau Region in Switzerland
This picture on the slopes between Männlichen and Kleine Scheidegg was taken on the same day as the previous one. As you can see, there’s plenty of snow in the ski area.
 

Skiing in Wengen for Beginners

Both Grindelwald and Wengen are great for beginners. There are two beginner ski areas at the top of the ski area: one at Männlichen and one at Kleine Scheidegg. In addition, there’s a really nice beginners’ ski area in Wengen town center and also one in Grindelwald town.

There are also various ski schools in the region where you can book private or group lessons for kids and adults. You’ll find plenty of choices in Grindelwald and in Wengen ski area, but it’s better to book your lessons in advance!

TIP: If you are just visiting Switzerland for a few days, you can also book a Swiss ski experience day trip from Zurich or Lucerne. It’s mainly geared towards tourists who have never skied before and want to experience this in one of the best ski areas of Switzerland. This tour includes everything, not just ski passes at the Bodmi ski area in Grindelwald, but also ski lessons, equipment, and even clothing.

Here’s some additional information about the main beginner ski areas in Grindelwald – Wengen:

Männlichen Children’s Paradise

Männlichen Children’s Paradise is one of the nicest beginner ski areas for kids. There are a magic carpet and two ‘Pinocchio’ lifts here making it really easy for young kids to take their first steps on the skis.

Mannlichen cow at the Mannlichen Childrens Paradise beginner ski area
Männlichen Children’s Paradise beginner ski area
 

BodmiARENA in Grindelwald

BodmiARENA in Grindelwald town is also a great area for complete beginners. This is a very flat ski area with a moving carpet and a platter lift. However, there’s not always enough snow in town and it tends to be quite busy.

Beginners’ area Kleine Scheidegg

Kleine Scheidegg beginners area is more suitable for adults who are learning to ski or for somewhat older kids. It’s located a short walk from the train station.

Walk on the left side of the railway track in the direction of Grindelwald (the hotel should be on your right side), and you’ll soon see the covered moving carpet below. There’s a rope lift here too.

Ski area at Kleine Scheidegg in Switzerland
Beginner ski area at Kleine Scheidegg
 

Figeler in Wengen

This is a very nice beginner area in Wengen town. If there’s enough snow, it’s probably the best beginner area because it has several different levels.

Although rather small, the beginners’ area in Wengen has several parts. There’s a small kids’ section with a moving carpet where ski schools exercise with the youngest ones. In addition, there’s a very small flat hill that’s perfect for adults and older kids standing on skis for the very first time. And there’s a small, but steeper hill where you can get the feel of what Alpine skiing is really about before hitting the longer slopes.

There’s also a ‘Ski School House’ here where your kids can stay after their ski lessons.

The biggest challenge here is that you have to take platter lifts (surface lift) in order to get up the hill, which – to many beginners – is more challenging than skiing itself. Also, there’s not always enough snow in Wengen town.

Beginners ski area in Wengen town center
Kids ski area in Wengen town center
 

Wengernalp Bumps Lift

At Wengernalp train station, between Wengen and Kleine Scheidegg, there is a small beginners ski area as well. It has a t-bar ski lift (see ‘Bumps’ ski lift on the map) and a relatively short and easy ‘blue’ run.

This area is perfect for those who can already stand on the skis quite confidently but are not ready for the longer Alpine pistes yet.

Unfortunately, I have no picture of the Bumps lift area. So here is one more image from the beginner area in Wengen – the platter lift at the steepest hill of the beginner area in Wengen town center.

Platter lift at the beginner ski area in Wengen
Platter lift at the beginner ski area in Wengen town
 

Our Favorite Ski Slopes in Grindelwald – Wengen Ski Area

The big majority of ski slopes in Grindelwald – Wengen are medium (‘red’), but there are also plenty of easy (‘blue’) and challenging (black’) runs.

There are so many ski slopes here that you can ski the whole day without having to do the same run twice. And because the ski area is so well connected to both towns, you can start or end your day at different places.

Our personal favorite ski slopes are runs #2 (blue) and #3 (red) in Männlichen and the valley run #36 (blue) between Kleine Scheidegg and Wengen. Also, pretty much all the slopes between Männlichen and Kleine Scheidegg are really nice.

Skiing in Wengen
Blue ski piste #2 in Männlichen. As you can see, this run is extremely wide and is very easy for beginners. Our kids learned how to ski here when they were just 4 years old. The only issue is that it’s a very long run, so quite tiring if you are just starting to learn.
 

We usually start our day with a gondola ride from Wengen to Männlichen. We love skiing in Männlichen! When/if it gets busier here (ski schools also love these slopes), we ski all the way to Kleine Scheidegg using a series of connecting slopes and runs between the two places.

Kleine Scheidegg is a good (but busy) place for lunch. In addition, there are a few mountain huts nearby that are not as busy.

After lunch, you have plenty of runs to choose from in this area or you can make your way back to Männlichen again. We usually ski down to Wengen from Kleine Scheidegg at the end of the day. If you are staying in Grindelwald, you can ski all the way down to town or take a train.

Wengen valley run ski piste 36
Wengen valley run – ski piste 36. For a big part, it follows the railway line between Kleine Scheidegg and Wengen.
 

Lauberhorn Alpine Ski World Cup

Wengen is home to the world-famous Lauberhorn Alpine Ski World Cup. It takes place here every year on a weekend in mid-January and attracts big crowds from all over the world.

Near Kleine Scheidegg, you can go up to Lauberhorn mountain, the starting point of the Lauberhorn ski races.

Make sure to go through the mountain hut and to the starting point of the race and use the same start as racers do. Just standing there and looking down at the first section of the race is exhilarating! If this run is too advanced for you, you don’t have to do it all either. After checking out the start, you can also take an intermediate ‘red’ piste down.

The start of the Lauberhorn ski races in Wengen Switzerland
The start of the Lauberhorn ski races
 

Best Time for Ski Holiday in Wengen

The ski season in the Grindelwald-Wengen ski area usually starts the last weekend of November and lasts until mid April. If there’s enough snow, it might already start a bit earlier.

The best time to go skiing in Wengen is from December to March, but try to avoid the peak times at around Christmas and Swiss school holidays. They are different per region and this typically means that the entire month of February and the beginning of March is busier. Also, the weekend when the Ski World Cup Lauberhorn takes place (mid-January) is best avoided.

That being said, we ski with kids and thus aren’t flexible with the dates, and we never really experienced huge crowds when skiing in Wengen. See further for more details.

Empty ski slopes in Grindelwald Wengen ski area in March
Empty ski slopes in the Grindelwald-Wengen ski area in the first week of March
 

Crowds

You might be wondering how busy it is on the ski slopes near Wengen. Usually, it’s very busy in the morning at the main gondola that connects Wengen to Männlichen and also at Wengen train station and on the trains going to Kleine Scheidegg. But once you get to the top, the slopes themselves and the smaller ski lifts aren’t busy at all.

We always go skiing during the school holiday period, between mid-February to mid-March. Together with Christmas – New Year holiday, this is the peak ski season and it’s probably as busy as it ever gets on the slopes in Switzerland.

It’s usually noticeably busier on the weekends, especially if the weather is really nice. But we never had to wait longer than 15-20 minutes for the gondola at the bottom station in Wengen.

Once on the mountain in Männlichen or at Kleine Scheidegg, you can usually just ski directly to the chairlifts with hardly any wait at all. Usually, if we have to wait 5 minutes for a ski lift, it’s as busy as it gets.

Kids skiing near Mannlichen in the Grindelwald Wengen ski area in Switzerland
That’s how the ski slopes in Wengen usually look like, even during kids’ school holidays.
 

More Things to Do in Wengen in Winter

Wengen has so much more to offer in winter, not just skiing! Here are some of the best things to do in Wengen in winter:

READ ALSO: Things to Do in Jungfrau Region in Winter

Sledding in Wengen in winter
Sledding in Wengen – just as fun as skiing! This is the Fox Run between Kleine Scheidegg and Wengen.
Ice skating in Wengen in winter
Ice skating in Wengen
Ice tunnel at Jungfraujoch
Ice tunnel at Jungfraujoch, Topf of Europe. A visit here is a must when visiting the region, at any time of the year.
 

Ski Pass Price

There are several different ski passes in the Jungfrau Region. Unless you are planning to ski in all different areas, it’s cheaper to just get the ski pass for the one area where you are planning to visit. We always get the ski pass for the Grindelwald-Wengen ski area.

At the moment of the last update, a one-day ski pass for the Grindelwald – Wengen ski area costs 75 CHF for adults and 38 CHF for kids (age 6-15). Younger kids ski free of charge. A ski pass for 5 days costs 337 CHF for adults and 161 CHF for kids.

You can get ski passes for any duration from half a day to 30 days. Seasonal ski passes are also available. You can find all the information and current prices here.

Good to know: Kids ski free of charge on Saturdays. Up to three children (6 to 15 years) per paying adult get a complimentary ticket when you purchase a day pass or an afternoon pass for Saturday.

If you only have 1 day: It is also possible to just go skiing in Grindelwald – Wengen area for one day. In that case, you may look into this ski experience/lesson that includes everything, from ski equipment and ski passes to a local guide/ ski instructor. It’s much easier than trying to arrange it all by yourself and not lose the biggest part of your day due to practicalities.

Skiing in Jungfrau Region in Switzerland
Ski area at Kleine Scheidegg with the view on Eiger, Mönch, and Jungfrau mountain peaks
 

Getting to Wengen

Wengen is a car-free village that’s located on the mountain and can only be reached by train. You’ll first need to get to Lauterbrunnen and from there, take a train to Wengen.

Good to know: You can bring your own ski gear or you can rent in Wengen.

By train

If you are traveling to Wengen by train, you’ll first need to get to Interlaken Ost train station. Interlaken is a big town with direct train connections to all the main cities in Switzerland. From Interlaken, you’ll need to take a train to Lauterbrunnen; it takes about 20 minutes. In Lauterbrunnen, you’ll have to change the train one last time for a 12-minute ride to Wengen.

Trains are very reliable in Switzerland and the connections are smooth. There are plenty of trains, running at regular intervals, so you never have to wait long.

In winter, there’s usually one train per hour between Interlaken and Lauterbrunnen and one train every 30 minutes between Lauterbrunnen and Wengen. Here you can find train schedules for the region.

Train that connects Lauterbrunnen to Kleine Scheidegg via Wengen
The train that connects Lauterbrunnen to Kleine Scheidegg passes via Wengen
 

By car

If you are visiting Wengen by car, you’ll have to drive to Lauterbrunnen, leave your car at the parking garage there, and take a train to Wengen.

Lauterbrunnen town is located in Lauterbrunnen valley, about 10 km south of Interlaken. There are highways all the way up to Interlaken and the last part of the road is usually easily accessible, also in winter. From the highway, it’s a 10 km/15 min drive to Lauterbrunnen or 18 km/ 25 min drive to Grindelwald (the first part of the road is the same; it splits in Wilderwil).

There’s a big parking garage at the Lauterbrunnen railway station where you can leave your car for the entire duration of your holidays in Wengen. It’s best to book this car parking in advance, especially if you are skiing in Wengen in the peak season (more info here). At the parking garage, you’ll find luggage trolleys that you can use to bring your luggage and ski gear up to the train.

Most hotels in Wengen offer a shuttle service for you or your luggage. But if you’re staying at the hotels mentioned in our selection below, you can simply walk there with your bags.

Lauterbrunnen railway station in Switzerland
Lauterbrunnen railway station. From here, it’s just 12 minutes by train to Wengen.
 

Where to Stay

Staying in Grindelwald vs. Wengen

Grindelwald is a bigger town that has more apres-ski possibilities and a bigger choice of accommodation. It’s great for younger people and everyone looking for a more lively atmosphere. Whereas Wengen is a smaller car-free village where everything is within walking distance, but there’s little going on at night. It’s great for families and everyone looking for a quieter winter holiday.

Our experience: We always stay in Wengen so I cannot really comment on how it is in Grindelwald based on our first-hand experience. All I can say is that we absolutely love staying in Wengen! It’s such a cozy fairytale town! Also, everything is close by and you don’t have to drag your ski gear on your shoulders for half an hour every morning.

Below, you can find our suggestions for where to stay in Wengen. For Grindelwald, you can find an overview of hotels and accommodation here. Just remember that Grindelwald is quite a big town and has two ski areas on the different sides of town (Grindelwald-Wengen which we talk about in this article and the Grindelwald-First area that we only visited in the summer). So keep this in mind when deciding where to stay.

Historic hotel Regina in Wengen Switzerland
Historic hotel Regina in Wengen
 

Best Wengen hotels for skiing

Here are some of the best-located hotels in Wengen for skiing:

  • Hotel & Spa Silberhorn. A beautiful 4* hotel with a sauna and several outdoor hot tubs, right next to the train station, ski school, and the main gondola to the slopes. Big rooms for families and special kids’ buffets available.
  • Sunstar Hotel. A really nice 4* hotel right across the street from the Männlichen gondola. Indoor swimming pool and wellness facilities.
  • Hotel Maya Caprice. A 4* hotel at the foot of the ski slopes with an outdoor hot tub and spa facilities.
  • Hotel Regina. A historic 4* hotel just a bit uphill from the train station. There’s a spa area and a sauna.

One winter, we stayed at a Hotel Belvedere that’s just a bit outside of the town center. It’s a very nice historic hotel, about 5 minutes walk from the Männlichen gondola and about 8 minutes from the train station. It was ok because we didn’t have to carry our skis to/from the hotel every time (we used lockers next to the ski shop at that time). It’s also fine for adults or families with bigger kids. However, with younger kids, this short uphill walk with all the ski gear might be just a bit too much.

On the other hand, this (and other hotels that are located just a bit further away), is usually significantly cheaper than the hotels right in the town center.

From all the hotels we stayed at in Wengen, we loved Hotel Silberhorn the most. It’s located right between the train station and the Männlichen gondola – the best location for everything!

Nothing is really far in Wengen. So if you don’t mind carrying your skis for 5-10 minutes, then you have plenty of accommodation choices.

Good to know: There are also many self-catering apartments and chalets in Wengen, but many of them require at least 3 nights stay; some even more. There’s a small supermarket just next to the train station too and there are several nice restaurants in town. Here you can find an overview of Wengen accommodation.

The main street of Wengen in winter
The main street of Wengen with Schönegg hotel at the far end. If you walk a bit further uphill, you’ll find several other hotels including the Belvedere.
 

Kleine Scheidegg Hotel

It’s also possible to stay in the heart of the ski area, at Hotel Bellevue des Alpes at Kleine Scheidegg.

The location of this historic hotel is stunning, but the hotel and the train station with several restaurants is all there is to be found here at 2,061 m altitude. So once the trains stop running in the evening, it’s completely deserted.

It’s not the cheapest place to stay (400-600 CHF for a 2p. room per night), but rates include breakfast and dinner. However, there’s no TV, the internet connection is spotty (and the use of electronic devices in public areas is discouraged), and the rooms seem to be a hit or a miss.

For some, staying here it’s the ultimate Swiss experience. But if you’re looking for a better price/ quality ratio accommodation, then better stay in Wengen or Grindelwald – both just a short train ride away. You can also simply come to this hotel for lunch when skiing in the area.

Hotel Bellevue des Alpes in Kleine Scheidegg Switzerland
Hotel Bellevue des Alpes in Kleine Scheidegg
 

So, this is our guide to skiing in Wengen. I hope that it gives you a good idea of what to expect. If you have a question that hasn’t been covered in this article, feel free to leave a reply below, and we’ll try to help.

If you are still undecided about where to go skiing, you may want to take a look at our guide to affordable skiing in Switzerland.

Also, check out our guide to skiing in Engelberg (near Lucerne). It’s our other favorite Swiss region for the winter holidays. In recent years, when we go skiing in Switzerland, we usually go either to Wengen or to Engelberg. Both are excellent mountain resorts for a winter vacation in the Swiss Alps!

READ ALSO:
Jungfraujoch vs Mount Titlis
Top Things To Do in Zermatt

If you found this post helpful, don’t forget to bookmark it and share it with your friends. Are you on Pinterest? Pin these images!

All you need to know about skiing in Grindelwald Wengen ski area in Jungfrau Region in Switzerland
Complete guide to skiing in Wengen Switzerland
 

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Renan

Tuesday 19th of September 2023

It was a very wonderful blog. I am interested in having my son start young in sledding and maybe skiing in the future. Are there any easy sled tracks which is accessible using the Jungfrau Travel pass that we plan to book for December? You mentioned a sled course near the Kleine Scheideg train staion. Is it free to use that track?

Jurga

Thursday 21st of September 2023

Hi Renan, all the ski tracks/ sled runs are free to use; you just need the ticket for the trains/gondolas. There are several sled runs in the area, some shorter, some very long (like the 15km sled run in Grindelwald, which requires several hours). We usually sled from Kleine Scheidegg all the way down to Wengen. It's one of the easier runs and not as steep as the ones that go toward Grindelwald. You can also just do a part of it, to Wengernalp or so. Or - with very young kids - just sled a bit at the beginner ski slopes in Wengen village itself - it's probably more than enough for a very young child. That being said, it also depends on snow conditions in December. You can always ask at the local tourist office what they recommend based on the snow conditions at the time when you are visiting. Kleine Scheidegg is much higher than Wengen, so there is more snow certainty there.

Flo

Wednesday 17th of August 2022

Hi! Thanks for your useful blog! Can I just check if it makes any sense to stay in Lauterbrannen? Our first time skiing. Which slope or school would be advisable?

flo

Thursday 18th of August 2022

@Jurga, thank you so much. I have one more question on ski passes. If you have a travel pass at hand like the Swiss travel pass do you still need a ski pass?

Jurga

Thursday 18th of August 2022

Hi Flo, sure, you can just stay in Lauterbrunnen too and take the train up to the slopes. For ski schools, they are all similar. Slopes - if it’s your first time, take lessons and they’ll take you to the appropriate places. We also have some beginner info in the article. Enjoy your trip!

Janice

Tuesday 8th of March 2022

This is a really useful article, thanks, I wish I had found it sooner. We are going to Wengen 2nd April for 7 days skiing. We are a family of 4, kids are 12 and 14 and need lessons as they are beginners although they have skied a couple of times indoors on snow. Our plan is to book them lessons for the mornings and hope they pick it up quickly and with lots of blue options take them ourselves in afternoon . We are late in the season so were worried about snow but from what I have read it should be ok and there are beginner options up the slopes too. We are staying in Wengen. Where would you recommend booking lessons for the kids ? We have already booked our ski passes but still need to hire skis but looks like plenty options. Janice

Janice

Tuesday 8th of March 2022

@Jurga, thanks

Jurga

Tuesday 8th of March 2022

Hi Janice, it's always hard to say about snow conditions and definitely in April, but with so many runs at the higher altitudes, you should be able to find enough snow to enjoy your vacation. We're just back from Switzerland ourselves and the snow was ok, also at the places that had been closed in the previous years due to the weather. On the other hand, the weather has been amazing the last week and also now too, which means no new snow and quite warm, so a lot might change in a few weeks. Anyway, it's not something you can influence, so it makes no sense to worry about it. :) For the ski schools, you can find them online. Here are the 3 ski schools in Wengen that the official website suggests. I think it's best to contact a few of them (or simply check their websites) and see what they offer. In general, pretty much everywhere in Switzerland, you'll see groups of "Swiss Ski School" - they are the biggest in the country and you'll also find them in Wengen. Have a great vacation!

Mark

Thursday 6th of May 2021

Hi. Love this article! Lot's of great tips! A couple of questions: 1. To take the train from Grindelwald to Kleine Scheidegg and then on to Wengen, is that included as part of the ski pass? If not, or if someone is not skiing, how much does a ticket cost? Does this train run throughout the evening so if you wanted to have dinner in Wengen and then head back to your hotel in Grindelwald, would you be able to catch this train at 9 or 10pm? The article mentioned that the train was not necessarily running from Kleine Scheidegg in the evening. 2. Do you know if anyone has made suggestions on a circuit that would start in Grindelwald, stop somewhere for lunch and then on to Wengen and back to Grindelwald by the end of the day... or perhaps even heading further over to the Schilterhorn area? So, for example, take XX lift out of Grindelwald, ski slope # XX to ski slope XX and then take that to lift XX ...up lift XX and then take slope # XX down to lift XX... so as to make an interesting touring circuit of the resort. Have you ever hired a guide to ski with you for the day, suggesting the routes along the way?

Jurga

Friday 7th of May 2021

Hi Mark, if you get the ski pass for the Jungfrau Region, all the trains and cable cars are included, except the train to Jungfraujoch. That always requires an additional ticket, but if you have a ski pass or in summer a hiking pass, you get a discount for that train as well. For train schedules, normally, they run quite late between e.g. Wengen and Lauterbrunnen and the ones between Grindelwald and Interlaken also run quite late. However, the trains that go higher in the mountains, stop at around 8-9 PM in summer if I'm not mistaken, and I think even earlier in winter. I really don't know when the last trains between Wengen and Kleine Scheidegg and between Grindelwald and Kleine Scheidegg go and I can't check that for you since we threw away all the old timetables we had. And the ones online are - as you can imagine - not reflecting the 'normal' situation at the moment. Either way, when things get back to normal, you can check train schedules on the official website of the region. But I wouldn't count on being able to easily get from Wengen to Grindelwald that late in the evening in winter. As for skiing, there are so many options to make any tour you like. You can easily start in Grindelwald, ski around Mannlichen, make your way to Kleine Scheidegg, and from there ski down to Wengen. From Wengen, you can then take a train back to Kleine Scheidegg or a cable car to Mannlichen and make your way back to Grindelwald. You can also use the new cable car between Grindelwald and Eiger, ski there before heading down to Wengen, then back up to Mannlichen, and on to Grindelwald. There are so many ski runs and they are all very well connected, so you can make a nice tour without doing the same run twice and keep yourself busy the entire day. You don't need anyone to work out a tour for you - just take a look at the map and you'll see how easily all these lifts/slopes connect between each other. And once you get there, it's even more clear and there are maps and signs everywhere. I don't know if I'd recommend going to ski around Shilthorn unless you take a train from Grindelwald via Wilderswill (and even this will be quite a journey). If you do this via Kleine Scheidegg and Wengen, you'll first have to get to Kleine Scheigg from Grindelwald, then either ski down or take a train to Wengen. There, you'll need to take a train between Wengen and Lauterbrunnen (there are no ski runs for that part) and from Lauterbrunnen, you'll have to Mürren before going up to Schilthorn. It's a VERY long way to get there and a long way to get back without much skiing, but lots of time spent on the trains. There are so many nice runs in Grindelwald-First and Grindelwald-Wengen ski areas, so better just concentrate on those if you are staying in Grindelwald. And finally, yes, we once had a guide with us for a day and it was nice as he took us on a fun tour doing all kinds of different runs, not coming back to the same place twice. But it's really easy to do on your own too. I just checked and I couldn't find his info anymore, but if you are looking for a guide, simply contact the local tourism office (or check their website) and I'm sure they'll have plenty of suggestions for you. Hope this helps.

Lacy

Tuesday 23rd of March 2021

Hello There I am going on a river cruise in France April 21-28. 2022. I was wanting to do some skiing before. I’m a solo female and love quaint. Do you think it is a bad idea to book this .. this late in April so I would ski pre cruise for a few days. I downhill and cross country. I really want to enjoy the local village and the scenery on the slopes. What do you think?

Jurga

Tuesday 23rd of March 2021

Hi Lacy, I am not sure if you'll find many places still open for skiing at that time of the year. Most ski resorts (everywhere in Europe) stop for the season right after Easter and in 2022, Easter falls on April 17. So you'd have to check that first. Usually, there won't be enough snow for most places to stay open longer. Or you'd have to go to a place like Zermatt where you can ski on the glacier the whole year round. Otherwise, it's always a great idea to go skiing in Switzerland!

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.