The trip does >look< a little complicated but really isn't. At least once you get out of Italy. Swiss trains very much on schedule so connections are no trouble at all, and extremely reliable, with some published, legal connections as little as two minutes.

The changes in Brig and Spiez will be on the same platform in most cases, or just one platform away in others. The Interlaken Ost change may be a couple of tracks over, but quite easy to make. We routinely make three minute connections there with ease when coming down from Zuerich. (Some trips have no change at Brig.)

The walk in Lauterbrunnen is about 75 feet across the street and you'll find the short connection there quite easy to make ... hundreds do so every day.

A couple of tips. Make sure to get on the front half of the train in Interlaken Ost to get to Lauterbrunnen. The back half splits off half way along to go to Grindelwald. (They'll make a double check in Zweiluetschinen, though, to make sure people are reminded.) Better, also, to be in the rear half of the front half ... :-) ... since the little terminal for the trip up to Muerren is across the street from the back end of the train. To add to the >apparent< complexity, the trip from Lauterbrunnen to Muerren is really two legs, the first a 9 minute, scenic funicular to the top of the wall and a 15 minute narrow gauge train. The latter has even more spectacular views that ordinarily cause first time visitors to stand up and ooh and ahh while leaning out the windows.

On our two week visits to the area we usually do the roundtrip between Muerren and Interlaken 7 or 8 times. We've never missed a connection, and never been bored by the scenery.

I think Gretchen and others will agree ... staying in Interlaken is very poor substitute for staying in the mountains. Once you get there, you'll more fully realize what we mean.

Ed Rome.Switzerland.Bavaria.Colorado http://www.twenj.com