No trip to the Swiss Alps could be complete without venturing to Jungfraujoch – a land of eternal snow accessed via a cogwheel railway that whisks you up to the highest train station in Europe. Undoubtedly an incredible experience but at an eye-watering £200.00 a pop, is it worth it? Read on for our tips on how to do it without breaking the bank.
Where is Jungfraujoch located?
Jungfraujoch is the connecting “saddle” between Mount Jungfrau and Mount Monch in the Jungfrau region of the Swiss Alps. Together with the Eiger, this mighty trio offer a spectacular backdrop to the Swiss plateau and can be seen as far as the Jura mountains. At 3,454 meters, the Jungfrau railway station is only a smidgen shorter than the Eiger at 3,967 metres.
How did the Jungfrau railway start?
The first ascents of these mountains in the 19th century sparked a surge of “mountain railway fever.” In 1893, the Swiss Entrepreneur, Adolf Guyer-Zeller, was inspired to build a train between Kleine Scheidegg and Jungfrau. Following Zeller’s death in 1899, the plans were revised due to financial reasons with the station diverted to Jungfraujoch and not the Jungfrau summit. Despite many challenges and a gruelling sixteen-year construction phase, the railway finally opened to the public in 1912.
How to get cheaper Jungfraujoch tickets
While tickets to Jungfraujoch can be booked in advance, we decided to take a chance and plan our trip around the best weather once we got there. Typically, this was the day after we arrived! We had bought the Swiss half price travel card in the UK with the specific aim of getting 50% off the Jungfraujoch excursion. However, on arrival, we found that if you book the Good Morning ticket – you pay half price, 95CHF round trip from the Grindelwald terminal. The Good Morning ticket is valid for the first three connections to Jungfraujoch only departing from the Eigergletscher terminus at 07:45 / 08:15 and 08:45. between 1 May and 3 November only. The timetable for other departure points to the Eigergletscher terminus can be found here.
For 10 CHF extra, you can opt to reserve your seat in advance to guarantee your chosen departure time. But bizarrely, this does not give you a numbered seat reservation. As we were on the earliest departure, we decided to make another cost saving here which fortunately paid off. This may not the be the case on later departures.
Time limitation on the Good Morning Ticket
The other stipulation is that you must leave by no later than the 1.17pm return train. This still gives you a full morning to explore which we felt was long enough. Another benefit of rising early is that Jungfraujoch is much less busy in the morning. By the time we left in the early afternoon it was heaving. Overcrowding is one of the most common complaints cited on TripAdvisor.
What to wear in Jungfraujoch?
Take plenty of layers as Jungfraujoch weather can change dramatically. One minute we were stripping off to T-shirts and the next bundling clothes back on. As a minimum, take hat, gloves, scarf and warm fleece with a t-shirt or long-sleeved shirt on below. You’ll also need reflective sunglasses to protect against glare and high protection sun factor. I wore factor 50 and still ended up with sunburn but I do have delicate, Scottish skin!
What’s so special about Jungfraujoch?
Spectacular mountain views, spine-tingling glaciers and a 45-minute hike through a frozen wilderness. Jungfraujoch has it all. Start with the public viewing deck beside the Sphinx Observatory – one of the world’s highest observatories. While the observatory isn’t open to the public, the viewing deck is the best point for taking panoramic views. Also not to be missed is the Glacier Plateau Viewing deck which offers views onto the Aletsch Glacier, the largest in the Swiss Alps. On a clear day, you can also see as far as the Black Forest and the Vosges mountains in France.
Visit the Ice Palace
Also worth a look is the Ice Palace. Here you enter an ice kingdom filled with bears and penguins, among other furry characters, chiselled out of ice with saws and pics. Beware, the walkways are particularly slippery here and not for those who suffer from claustrophobia.
Other things to do in Jungfraujoch
Chocoholics can indulge at the Lindt Chocolate shop – sadly Lindt’s more expensive than in the UK so no bargains to be had here. Once you’ve indulged, head to the Alpine Sensation – a 250- meter-long corridor dedicated to the miners who spent sixteen years building the Jungfraubahn. If you’re unlucky with the weather, you can still get amazing views watching the Jungfrau panorama film which provides a 360-degree panorama of the mountains. Once you’ve feasted on the cinematic views – those pining for winter sports can head to the Snow Fun Park, for a spot of skiing, sledding or ziplining. (Tickets must be booked separately and entry is only until mid-October, 10.00-4.30pm.)
Hike to the Monchsjochhutte
Skilfully avoiding the Lindt chocolate shop, we opted instead to hike to the Monchsjochhutte – the highest altitude-serviced hut in Switzerland. This was definitely the highlight of our visit and ended up being full of unexpected delights. The hike takes around 45 minutes and is not for the faint-hearted. Hiking shoes and a good level of fitness are essential. It’s also worth noting that the path can be closed at any time due to the very real risk of avalanches.
Sliding our way through a sparkling, white wilderness, we struggled to keep balance on frozen, compacted snow. It’s uphill most of the way and we were soon huffing and puffing due to the high altitude. But this is a hike you definitely won’t want to rush. The panoramic views are mesmerising as mountains mysteriously appear and disappear in the low cloud cover. Viewing the match-stick climbers dangling high above helped keep our struggles in perspective. It was more than a little surreal to be surrounded by brilliant blue skies and sparkling snow in the middle of June.
Finally approaching the Monchsjochhutte, the dramatic whirring of helicopter blades above had us suddenly diving for cover. Whipping up a snow storm all around us, the chopper delivered its fresh supplies ready for the lunchtime rush at the hut. All very James Bond and not something we’d ever encountered on a hike before or ever expect to do so again. We hadn’t realised before our adventure that you can eat at the hut which is open from March to October. Looking to save costs on what was already a costly trip, we opted for a home-made sandwich on the outdoor terrace to soak in the incredible views.
Just when we thought we’d had all our excitement for the day, our curiosity was piqued again by the haunting strains of an Alpine Horn ricocheting across the mountains. Picking up our pace, we stumbled across a charming Swiss couple who’d travelled here to play their horns against one of the country’s most spectacular backdrops. We couldn’t think of a more wholesome way to end our trip to Jungfraujoch.