Interlaken · Backpacking
ON A BUDGET
Switzerland's adventure town — cheap to look at, expensive to do anything in.
Matten and Unterseen
The hostels sit in the villages either side of the centre, ten minutes' walk from both stations, with self-catering kitchens that pay for themselves.
What a day costs
Reckon CHF 90–140, roughly $100–160: dorm CHF 40–60, Coop and Migros food CHF 25–40, trains and lifts CHF 25–45.
Getting around cheap
Ask for the guest card at check-in — it covers local buses. A Half Fare card pays for itself in two mountain trips; book Supersaver train tickets early.
Free by day
The Höhematte meadow where the paragliders land, the turquoise Aare between the two lakes, and the shore paths to Lake Brienz and Lake Thun.
Where travellers meet
The big hostels run their own bars and organise the canyoning and paragliding bookings; in summer everyone ends up on the Lake Brienz shore.