Kandersteg Transportation

By train or by bus or by car depends where you wanna go to.
We went by car from Holland-Germany- Switserland and stayed overnight in Germany.
At Kandersteg we took a special train fto Wallis for cars, but u can also take a bus.

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Kandersteg is a local station on the BLS (Bern-Lötschberg-Simplon) Railway, one of the many private railways in Switzerland. (don't worry -- Eurail and Swisspass are valid!) Until recently, it was on the main line between Bern and Brig, with most long haul trains stopping here. Now, however, nearly all of the InterCity and EuroCity trains have been diverted through the new Lötschberg Basis-Tunnel from Spiez to Visp, bypassing Kandersteg entirely. To replace the long-haul trains, BLS now runs "Regio-Express" trains between Brig and Spiez (sometimes continuing to Bern), via Kandersteg and the old Lötschberg Tunnel. Here are the schedule highlights in a nutshell for 2011:

- The first train to Spiez and Bern departs Kandersteg at 5:53AM. Trains to Spiez then depart hourly at :12 past the hour from 07:12 until 21:12. The final train to Spiez departs at 22:43. Travel time to Spiez is just over 30 minutes.

- The first train to Brig departs at 6:42 AM. Trains for Brig depart hourly at :42 past the hour until 22:42. The last train departs at 00:42. Travel time to Brig is about 40 minutes.

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The BLS runs regular bus service between Kandersteg and Adelboden, with stops along the way in small villages such as Kandergrund and Mittholz (home of the Blausee), as well as the district's main town of Frutigen. The first bus for Adelboden departs at 6:00 AM, departing on the hour until 23:00. An additional early bus departs for Frutigen at 5:35 AM weekdays. Travel time is about 30 minutes to Frutigen, 1 hour 5 minutes to Adelboden. Swisspass and half-fare cards are valid on this route. Check at the train station, your hotel, or the tourist office for the latest fares. Also check the blue information placard on the traffic island in front of the Kandersteg train station for updates. NOTE: The BLS bus is not to be confused with the Sunnbuel bus, which is a slightly different shade of blue, runs in a different direction, and is not fully covered by Swisspass.

If you're not up to the 40-minute walk from Kandersteg to Eggenschwand and the Sunnbuel Gondola, you have the option to take a bus. This blue village bus with the "Sunnbuel" logo departs from several locations in Kandersteg, including the Kandersteg train station, to the Sunnbuel gondola station in Eggenschwand. Passage is free with Kandersteg Guest Card or a valid ski pass. Otherwise, fare is CHF 3 each way, CHF 2 with Swisspass or Swiss Card.

The bus departs hourly from the Kandersteg train station and the Sunnbuel cable car station, generally coinciding with train/cable car arrivals respectively. A few buses also depart from the Kandersteg train station to the Oeschinensee gondola valley station (check the website for details).

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This cable car departs from Eggenschwand and arrives at the Sunnbuel bergstation. At Sunnbuel, there's a cafe, a Swiss Alpine Club hut, and a number of walking trails. You can take a short panorama walk around the area, or set off towards the Gemmipass. Those who are part mountain goat can take a steeper hiking trail to the Ueschinengrat (not to be confused with the Oeschinensee) and back.

Through October 2011, adult fares are CHF 21 for a one-way journey, CHF 29 for a round trip. Children can ride for CHF 10.50 one-way, CHF 14.50 round trip. 50% discounts with Swisspass, Swiss Card, and Kandersteg Guest Card.

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The easy way to get to the Oeschinensee is to take the gondola. The gondola, which replaced the old chairlift (sesselbahn) in 2009, is a favorite for its lovely view of the Kandersteg area. Either take the village bus to the base station, or walk about 10 minutes down the path towards the Bluemlisalp, then follow the signs for the "seilbahn talstation."

The lift runs daily from 08:15 until 18:00 during summer, with shorter hours off-season. Last ride up is 10 minutes before closing.

The cost as of 2011 is CHF 16 per adult one-way, CHF 23 round-trip. 50% discount for Swisspass, "1/2 Abo" holders (e.g., Swiss Card), and Berner Oberland/Wallis Regional Pass. 25% discount with Kandersteg Guestcard.

The Lötschbergtunnel is quite the convenience for travelers between Berneroberland and the north. The tunnel passes right through the Bernese Alps in 15 minutes. Before it was built, travelers had to bypass the mountains, adding precious time to their journeys. The train goes between Kandersteg and Goppenstein, Valais. You can drive your car onto the train. It's quite an interesting site to see the cars piled up on board.

Getting to Kandersteg is relatively simple, there are trains from Bern that stop in Kandersteg, and the train station is a short hike from the center of town. Getting around the town is a different story. This city is so small that you're going to have to walk everywhere unless you have a car. Not that most people don't mind walking around here anyway, seeing as the majority of people here during the summer months are avid mountain climbers who can certainly handle the flat streets.