After the Luzern Marathon: Lucerne, Interlaken and Lauterbrunnen

The Route: Lucerne → Interlaken → Lauterbrunnen → Zürich Airport Logistics: One night in Lucerne, one rail move to Interlaken, a short valley train to Lauterbrunnen and back, then a train to Zürich Airport. Marathon Month: October Duration: 3 nights

Lucerne (1 night) ──(~2 hrs Luzern–Interlaken Express)──> Interlaken (2 nights)
                                                                │
                                                       (~20 mins train)
                                                                │
                                                          Lauterbrunnen
                                                                │
Zürich Airport (ZRH) ◄──(~2.5 hrs by train, changes likely)─────┘

The SwissCityMarathon finishes on a Sunday in late October, in a city that has more worth seeing than a Sunday afternoon allows. This route keeps the first night in Lucerne, where you will already have a bed, and moves once, by rail, to the Interlaken region. That avoids a daily change of hotel on tired legs. If rain or cloud hides the mountains, the plan still works, because the days are built around valleys and promenades.

October in the Bernese Oberland: the valleys are green and gold, the high peaks are often snow-covered and cloud can close in for days. Some lifts and trails close for maintenance or for the season in late October and November, and the Trümmelbach Falls usually close in early November, so check opening dates for each place. Mountain railways run reduced timetables in autumn.

Night One: Lucerne

Spend the Sunday night near the finish. The museum area offers an indoor Monday: the Swiss Museum of Transport has winter hours of 10:00 to 17:00 from the end of October, and the Rosengart Collection is open daily from 10:00 to 18:00 into the first days of November and is a three-minute walk from the station. The lakeshore promenade near the Schweizerhof is flat and paved. Hotel Schweizerhof and Grand Hotel Europe are both official marathon partners; compare current rates and cancellation terms. For dinner, Wirtshaus Taube on Burgerstrasse serves regional dishes, including rösti.

Nights Two and Three: Interlaken and Lauterbrunnen

Take the Luzern–Interlaken Express, a journey of around two hours over the Brünig pass. Check zentralbahn.ch for the timetable and luggage arrangements. Interlaken's Höheweg is a flat promenade of about a kilometre and a half between the two stations, and the Victoria-Jungfrau Grand Hotel & Spa and Hotel Interlaken both stand on it.

The Lauterbrunnen valley is a day trip of about 20 minutes by train from Interlaken Ost. The valley floor is a glacial trough with sheer walls on both sides, and the village sits on a flat road with about 70 waterfalls falling from the cliffs, according to local tourism. The best known, Staubbach Falls, drops almost 300 metres beside the village. A level path follows the valley floor from the village towards Trümmelbach and Stechelberg, with benches and views of the cliffs. Check whether the Trümmelbach Falls tunnel lift is open on your dates. Stay at valley level; the cableways to the villages above are better left until you can climb stairs without thinking about it.

Hotel Staubbach in Lauterbrunnen is a long-standing option if you prefer to sleep in the valley. Check availability and autumn opening dates, since some small hotels close in the shoulder season.

Getting to Zürich Airport (ZRH)

Trains from Interlaken to Zürich Airport usually change at Bern or at Lucerne, and take around two and a half hours. Check sbb.ch for the timetable and fare, and keep a margin of at least an hour for a morning flight. Large luggage is easier to handle if you leave the valley the evening before an early departure.