Getting to Murren
The nearest airports to Mürren are Bern Belp, Zurich and Basel, which are all within 1 to 2 hours’ drive of Lauterbrunnen, from where a cable car ride and electric train take you into the car-free resort. You can get from the airport to Lauterbrunnen by train, but a transfer by road is quicker. And remember Mürren appears as both ‘Murren’ and ‘Muerren’ in English directions, so look out for both versions.
The ski resort of Murren is perched on top of a cliff at 1650m above sea level and is car-free. There is no road into Murren so unless you charter a helicopter, the last part of the journey to Murren involves a cable car ride from Lauterbrunnen then a 15 minute electric train journey from the top of the cable car at Grutschalp to the outskirts of the village. (Alternatively you can drive or take the bus from Lauterbrunnen to Stechelberg, then take two cable cars from there, changing at Gummelwald but this is usually a longer journey.) Most of the accommodation in Murren is within a 10 minute walk of both the train and cable car stations but electric taxis are available to help you complete the journey.
Nearest airports to Murren
The nearest airport to Murren is Bern Belp but it has very few international flights. Therefore the main gateway airport is Zurich airport, which is under 2 hours drive away from the cable car station at Lauterbrunnen. Basel Airport (or “EuroAirport Basel Mulhouse Freiburg” to give it is full name), is also within 2 hours’ drive of Lauterbrunnen and has more international flights than Bern but fewer than Zurich. Geneva is slightly further away.
Distances from Swiss airports to Lauterbrunnen and approximate drive times:
- Bern Belp airport 60km / 50 minutes
- Zurich airport 144km / 1 hour 45 minutes
- Basel airport 162km / 1 hour 55 minutes
- Geneva airport 234km / 2 hours 30 minutes
Getting from the airport to Murren
Transfers by car and rail to the cable car station at Lauterbrunnen are both possible – by car is quicker. Generally using a specialist transfer company (see below) makes more sense than hiring a car and driving yourself because you can’t use your car in the resort and will have to pay for parking at Lauterbrunnen.
Airport Transfers to Murren
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Ski-Lifts transfers to Murren via Lauterbrunnen from the airport
Each year Ski-Lifts helps more than 100,000 skiers and boarders get to their accommodation in ski resorts, including Murren (look for “Muerren” in their menu), from Zurich and Basel Airports, and other locations. It offers a range of hassle-free, transfer options to the cable car at Lauterbrunnen with 24/7 assistance when its needed. Get an immediate quote and book online>
Airport transfers by train to Murren / Lauterbrunnen
There are train terminals in the airports at Zurich airport and Geneva Airport with fast intercity rail services to Bern where you need to change trains and catch the special train service to Interlaken Ost then change again for the regional train service to Lauterbrunnen. It’s a scenic journey. The Murren BLM cable car departs from opposite the railway station in Lauterbrunnen and has an escalator to help get you and your luggage to the departure point on the first floor.
There’s no rail terminal at Bern-Belp Airport or Basel-Mulhouse Airport, so if flying into these you must first take the bus or a taxi to the railway station at Bern or Basel. Trains services run hourly throughout the day and approximate travel times by rail to Lauterbrunnen are as follows:
- Bern City Centre – Lauterbrunnen / about 1 hour 30 minutes
- Zurich airport – Lauterbrunnen / about 2 hours 45 minutes
- Basel City Centre – lauterbrunnen / about 3 hours
- Geneva airport – Lauterbrunnen / about 3 hours 30 minutes
To check train timetables go to www.sbb.ch/en
Hiring a car and driving from the airport to Murren / Lauterbrunnen
Airport Car Hire / Car Rental for Murren
Murren cannot be reached by road so if arriving by car you must leave your car at the multi-storey car park in Lauterbrunnen near the train station then take the cable car, which is about a 5 minute walk away. To reserve a parking space at Lauterbrunnen’s multi-storey car park tel: +41 (0) 33 828 74 00. Alternatively you can drive to the Stechelberg-Gimmelwald cable car which is out of town and has its own parking.
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Driving from the airports is relatively easy with fast motorway toll roads from Zurich – Luzern – Interlaken and from Geneva – Bern – Interlaken. From Interlaken to Lauterbrunnen is a short 12km drive which takes about 15 minutes.
Getting from the train and cable car stations to your hotel
Unless staying at the Eiger Swiss Hotel or the Eiger Guesthouse (both are located opposite Murren BLM station) most hotels in Murren are a 5-10 minute uphill walk from the station. Ask your hotel if they can send an electric taxi to meet you on arrival at the station, otherwise you could end up having to carry your luggage several hundred metres to your hotel, and wheelie bags don’t work well on snow!
Driving to Murren from the UK and other European Countries
Distances and drive times from major cities to Lauterbrunnen are approximately as follows:
- Amsterdam 900km / 9 hours
- Brussels 708km / 7 hours 40 minutes
- Frankfurt 489km / 4 hours 35 minutes
- London 1,096km miles / 12 hours
- Milan 272km / 3 hours 25 minutes
- Paris 657km / 7 hours 40 minutes
Motorways in Switzerland are also toll roads and permits can be purchased at the border, at petrol stations and at post offices.