Jungfraujoch, The Top of Europe

Switzerland, the land of cheese, chocolate, and prices that make you reconsider all your life choices.

If you’re a budget traveller, Switzerland is basically the final boss battle. And if you’re really feeling reckless with your bank account, let me introduce you to Jungfrau — aka the “Top of Europe” and the bottom of your savings account.

Pretending You Can Afford This

Jungfrau is one of those places that travel blogs will tell you is a must-see. “The views! The snow-capped peaks! The experience!” they say. What they don’t tell you is that getting up there will cost more than your rent.

To be clear: I love a good mountain. I love a good train ride. But when I saw the ticket price, I nearly choked on my budget supermarket croissant.

🚆 Train from Interlaken to Jungfraujoch: ~ $250 per person.
🚷 Other options? HAHAHA. No. Unless you’re ready to hike for six hours uphill with the stamina of a mountain goat, you’re taking the train.

Justifying Your Financial Ruin

Once you’ve sold a kidney to afford the train ticket, you board what is essentially a luxury-priced cattle car full of tourists in expensive puffer jackets.

But I have to admit, this train is not your average sweaty commuter ride where someone is blasting TikToks on full volume.

This thing is an engineering masterpiece.

First, let’s talk altitude. The Jungfrau Railway takes you all the way up to Jungfraujoch, which sits at 3,454 meters (11,332 feet) above sea level. That’s the highest railway station in Europe, which is basically Switzerland flexing on the rest of the continent.

Now, how do you get a train up that high? With some serious tunnel-digging sorcery. The railway cuts straight through the Eiger and Mönch mountains, meaning that for a good chunk of the journey, you're inside a mountain, wondering if you're on your way to Narnia.

The Swiss started blasting this tunnel in 1896. They had no modern machinery, just a lot of determination, pickaxes, and probably some questionable life choices. It took 16 years to finish — so the next time you’re whining about your delayed train, just remember that people spent over a decade carving this one out of solid rock.

And because the Swiss love a good scenic moment, they strategically placed panoramic windows inside the tunnel. So midway through your journey, the train stops inside the Eiger, and you get to step out, look through a window, and go, “Wow, I am literally inside a mountain right now.”

When you finally reach Jungfraujoch, you're standing on a platform that took over a century to perfect. The station itself is buried under the glacier (because why not), with tunnels leading to an observation deck, restaurants, an ice palace, and (because Switzerland never misses a branding opportunity) the highest Lindt chocolate shop in the world.

Long story short: The Jungfrau Railway is an expensive magic trick. One minute, you’re chilling in Interlaken at 500 meters, and the next, you’re inhaling thin air and wondering if the altitude is making you lightheaded or if it’s just the realisation that you spent $250 on a train ride.

The Views Are Good, But Are They $250 Good?

Jungfraujoch is high. 3,454 meters high. Which means you will feel lightheaded, partly from altitude, mostly from knowing you spent half your travel budget to be here.

The views? Absolutely stunning. Snow-covered peaks, glaciers, the kind of scenery that makes you say, “Okay, fine, take my money, Switzerland.”

There’s also an ice palace, which is essentially a fancy freezer with sculptures, and a snow park where you can do overpriced activities like sledding (because spending more money is exactly what you need at this point).

Oh, and like I mentioned, the highest Lindt chocolate shop in the world. Because nothing screams "luxury" like buying overpriced chocolate at 3,500 meters. Just in case you didn’t spend enough on your train ticket, you can now drop another $10 on a single truffle, because altitude chocolate is apparently worth more than normal chocolate.

The Descent Back to Reality (And Financial Stability)

Once you’ve taken 4,000 photos to prove to yourself that this was totally worth it, it’s time to head back down. The return journey is spent silently reflecting on your life choices while sipping an overpriced coffee in the train station because at this point, what's another $8?

Should You Do It?

If you’re a budget traveller, Jungfrau is a financial crime against yourself. But if you’re willing to blow a chunk of your budget for one truly insane experience, it’s a breath taking place that almost makes you forget the price tag.

Was it worth it? Well, it’s not every day you get to ride a train through a mountain and end up on top of Europe.

Would I have appreciated it more if the ticket price didn’t give me heart palpitations? Absolutely.

Would I do it again? No. Would I recommend it? Yes, but only if you’ve made peace with financial ruin.

For the same price, you could:
✔ Stay in Southeast Asia for a week.
✔ Take five budget flights around Europe.
✔ Eat 125 kebabs in Albania
✔ Buy enough Lindt chocolate to last a lifetime… at sea level.

But hey, at least we have a cool blog post.

And isn’t that what really matters? 🤷‍♂️