Interlaken 2026: the Vignette Runs 14 Months, Not 12
Interlaken, Switzerland
Interlaken sits flat between Lakes Thun and Brienz, and the motorway approach needs the Swiss vignette: CHF 40, valid 1 December to 31 January of the following year, as a sticker or bought digitally. Park in town, take the mountain railways up - Wengen and Murren have no road at all.
Interlaken occupies the flat valley floor between Lake Thun and Lake Brienz, with the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau filling the skyline to the south — a road hub rather than a driving destination in itself. The one piece of paperwork is the motorway vignette: CHF 40, valid 1 December of the previous year to 31 January of the following one, which is 14 months rather than a calendar year, and since August 2023 available as a digital e-vignette tied to the plate instead of a sticker (astra.admin.ch). Park near one of the two stations and let the mountain railways reach Wengen and Mürren, which have no road at all; keep the car for the high summer passes.
Do You Need a Car?
For the town: no. Interlaken is flat, small, and the two train stations (West and Ost) connect to everything in the Jungfrau region.
A car is valuable for:
- Grimsel Pass and Susten Pass loop (summer only — one of Switzerland’s great alpine drives)
- Grindelwald village (18 km by car; trains also serve it, but a car adds flexibility)
- Lake Thun and Thun town (30 km west)
- Brienz and the Rothorn cogwheel railway (20 km east)
- Day trips to Bern (60 km), Lucerne (80 km), or beyond
Leave the car for:
- Wengen — no road, train only
- Mürren — no road, cable car from Stechelberg
- Jungfraujoch — cogwheel railway from Kleine Scheidegg; no road
- Grindelwald upper area after the P+R — cable car or foot
The Swiss Motorway Vignette
The A6 from Bern and the A8 from Brienz/Lucerne are Swiss motorways. If you arrive by either route, you need the CHF 40 annual vignette.
Key facts:
- CHF 40 — the only option; Switzerland sells no short-term vignette
- Valid 1 December of the previous year to 31 January of the following one, so a vignette bought in December covers 14 months
- Buy at the border, at petrol stations, post offices, or digitally against the plate at via.admin.ch
- Without it: CHF 200 plus the CHF 40 you should have paid
- The sticker version goes on the inside of the windscreen; the digital one needs nothing displayed
- Swiss rental cars already carry one
If you arrive on the cantonal road (old road through Spiez, no motorway sections) you can technically avoid the vignette — but it’s slower and winding. For any standard approach, the vignette is necessary.
Parking
Interlaken town:
- Parking West — near Interlaken West station, ~CHF 2/hour. Best for arriving from Bern/Thun direction.
- Parking Ost — near Interlaken Ost station (the main station for Jungfrau trains), ~CHF 2/hour
- Höheweg promenade — free 1-hour parking with disc. Convenient but heavily used; no realistic option for a full day.
Summer reality check: Both paid car parks fill by 09:00-09:30 on summer Saturdays. If you arrive at 10:00 in July, you’re hunting for a space. Options: arrive before 09:00, or accept overflow parking further from the centre and walk.
For the Jungfrau region:
- Grindelwald P+R — large car park at the Grindelwald valley entry, ~CHF 12/day. Drive here, park, then use trains and cable cars.
- Lauterbrunnen — if you’re heading to Wengen or Mürren, park in Lauterbrunnen (paid, modest rates) and take the train up
Getting to Interlaken
From Bern (60 km, ~1 hour): A6 to Spiez, then A8 into the Interlaken valley. Fast and easy. Bern is the natural staging point if you’re coming from western Switzerland or France.
From Zurich (120 km, ~1.5 hours): A1 to Bern, then A6/A8. Straightforward motorway driving with good signposting throughout.
From Geneva (160 km, ~2 hours): A1 east to Bern, then A6/A8. No significant complications.
From Lucerne (80 km, ~1 hour): Via the A8 through Brienz — the road climbs over the Brünig Pass (1,007 m, year-round) or hugs the lakeshore, depending on the exact route. Scenic and manageable.
From Basel (110 km, ~1.5 hours): A2 south to Bern, then A6/A8. Milan is 260 km via the Gotthard; the Interlaken detour adds 2+ hours but is worth it.
Mountain Passes by Car
This is the real reason to have a car in the Bernese Oberland. Two of Switzerland’s finest mountain passes are within an hour of Interlaken and can be combined into a single day loop.
Grimsel Pass (2,165 m):
- From Interlaken: follow the Haslital valley east via Meiringen, then climb south on the Grimselstrasse
- Road is well-maintained and paved throughout
- Reservoir lakes near the top have an otherworldly, industrial-alpine character (the Grimsel Hospiz dam is massive)
- Open approximately mid-June to October — check TCS.ch before going
- No toll
Susten Pass (2,224 m):
- East from Interlaken via Meiringen, then a separate climb up to the Susten
- Glacier views and high snowfields even in summer
- Descends into the Reuss valley toward Andermatt
- Open similar season to Grimsel
The Grimsel-Susten loop:
- Meiringen → Grimselpass → Innertkirchen → Sustenpass → back through Gadmen and Meiringen
- About 120 km, 3-4 hours with stops
- One of Switzerland’s most spectacular drives
Brünig Pass (1,007 m):
- North from Interlaken toward Lucerne
- Open year-round, no real drama — a mountain road rather than a high alpine pass
- The Rothorn cogwheel railway runs from Brienz at the base
Grosse Scheidegg:
- Closed to private cars entirely. Only postal buses and authorised vehicles.
Day Trips by Car
| Destination | Distance | Drive Time | Why Go |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grindelwald | 18 km | 30 min | Eiger north face views, cable cars, skiing, summer hiking |
| Thun | 30 km | 30 min | Lakeside town, Thun Castle, old town arcaded streets |
| Brienz | 20 km | 25 min | Wood-carving tradition, Rothorn cogwheel railway, turquoise lake |
| Bern | 60 km | 1h | Swiss capital, medieval arcades, Federal Palace, Einstein House |
| Grimsel + Susten loop | 120 km | 3-4h | High alpine passes, glacier views, reservoir lakes (summer only) |
Speed Limits
| Road Type | Limit |
|---|---|
| Urban (Interlaken) | 50 km/h |
| Rural roads | 80 km/h |
| Swiss motorways (A6, A8) | 120 km/h |
| Mountain pass roads | Follow posted limits (50-60 km/h typical) |
On mountain passes, ignore the nominal 80 km/h rural limit and drive to conditions. Hairpin bends, gravel at road edges, and oncoming coaches require patience and appropriate speed. Pass the time, not the bend.
Fuel
| Fuel | Official average price |
|---|---|
| Petrol | CHF 2.02/L · about $2.45 |
| Diesel | CHF 2.27/L · about $2.75 |
Figure dated 30 September 2026, from the Swiss Federal Statistical Office (BFS), average fuel prices (monthly average for September 2026). It is an average, so the board at a given pump can differ.
Fill up in Interlaken before heading to the mountain passes — there are no petrol stations on Grimsel or Susten. The station at Meiringen (junction before the pass road) is the last reliable option. In Interlaken: Agrola near the Ost station and Migrol are the main options.
Required Equipment
No mandatory equipment list for private cars in Switzerland. Recommended:
- Warning triangle (required after a breakdown to be placed behind the vehicle)
- Reflective vest (required when exiting the vehicle after a breakdown in a tunnel)
For mountain passes in early season: carry snow chains even if the pass is officially open. Conditions can change in hours and a late-spring snowfall at 2,200 m is not unheard of.
Emergency Numbers
| Service | Number |
|---|---|
| Emergency (all services) | 112 |
| Swiss Police | 117 |
| Ambulance | 144 |
| Fire | 118 |
| TCS Breakdown | 0800 140 140 |
Related Guides
- Complete Switzerland Driving Guide — vignette rules, speed fines, mountain driving
- Switzerland Tyre Laws — winter conditions, chain requirements
- Driving in Lucerne — Lake Lucerne loop, Pilatus, Zurich day trips
- Driving in Lugano — Swiss-Italian border, Ticino roads
- More City Driving Guides
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Frequently Asked Questions
Yes if you arrive on a Swiss motorway, which the A6 from Bern and the A8 from Lucerne both are. It costs CHF 40 and is valid from 1 December of the previous year to 31 January of the following one — 14 months, not a calendar year — and since 2023 you can buy it digitally against the number plate instead of sticking it to the screen. Driving without it costs CHF 200 plus the CHF 40.
You can drive to Grindelwald (18 km from Interlaken, 30 minutes). Park at the Grindelwald P+R car park (around CHF 12/day) and continue by cable car or cogwheel railway. Wengen and Mürren are car-free villages — you can't drive there at all. Trains and cable cars are the only access.
Parking West near Interlaken West station costs about CHF 2/hour. Parking Ost near Interlaken Ost (east) station is similar pricing. Free 1-hour parking is available on the Höheweg main promenade (limited to 1 hour, disc required). In summer both paid car parks fill before 09:30 on weekends.
Grimsel Pass (2,165 m) and Susten Pass (2,224 m) are both accessible from the Interlaken area in summer (roughly June to October). Brünig Pass (1,007 m) is open year-round and connects Interlaken to Lucerne. Grosse Scheidegg above Grindelwald is closed to private cars entirely.
Both are paved, well-maintained, and safe for standard cars in summer. They are single-carriageway mountain roads with passing places, steep gradients, and no barriers at every edge. Drive at your own pace, use the lay-bys for passing, and check conditions at TCS.ch before heading up. Both passes are spectacular and completely worth the drive.
60 km, about 1 hour via the A6 motorway. The motorway drops you on the valley floor and it's a short run into town. From Zurich it's 120 km, around 1.5 hours via A1 to A6. From Geneva it's 160 km, about 2 hours via A1 and A6.
Interlaken is flat and only a few kilometres across — the Höheweg promenade runs between the two stations. You can drive between Interlaken West and Interlaken Ost easily. For reaching the mountains (Grindelwald, Schilthorn, Jungfraujoch), park the car and use the trains and cable cars. They're faster and cover terrain no road touches.
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