Backpackers Villa Sonnenhof - A hostel for the whole family
Traveling to Switzerland is a great challenge, everything is so beautiful that you hardly know what to include in your itinerary. Well, I was dying to see the snowy peaks, and of course I wasn't going to leave Interlaken out, after all, that's where the Jungfrau is located, the highest mountain in Europe that you can reach by train. Okay, one of the stops chosen, but now where to sleep in Interlaken? Which hotel to choose? Everything is so expensive! Let's go for cheap accommodation in Switzerland this time.
We decided to use and abuse all the experiences during our 60-day train journey through Europe. Europe. We really went in search of breathtaking breathtaking scenery, and that's how Interlaken entered the itinerary. Switzerland is wonderful in all its places, and super fun in the snow with its incredible mountains! mountains! However...
Switzerland is a VERY expensive destination, but it doesn't have to be neglected, I'm going to show you that it can fit all budgets and I confess that finding a place to sleep in Interlaken wasn't that easy.
First of all, let's find out where to sleep in Interlaken and I discovered a hostel with a good location and perfect facilities for children.
Okay, I was afraid, was it really the right choice of where to sleep in Interlaken? Does a small child suit a hostel? Well, we opted to give it a try and visit our first hostel after becoming parents.
Backpackers Villa Sonnenhof
Of course we weren't going to choose just any hostel! First we searched for the best hostel in Interlaken, and soon we found Backpackers Villa Sonnenhof, and there couldn't have been a better answer! We saw that the hostel was still Kids Friendly, in other words, family-friendly!
And the more I researched, the more I was sure that it was the best option for where to sleep in Interlaken with a child.
Location
The Backpackers Villa Sonnenhof has a privileged location, it is superbly situated, close to both the Interlaken Ost train station and the Interlaken West station.
We even walked from Interlaken Ost to the Backpackers Villa Sonnenhof.
Another strong point is that it faces the town's main square, which is full of activities in both winter and summer.
There are many restaurants in the area, as well as markets and other things I'll talk about in a moment.
Benefits
Guests at Backpackers Villa Sonnenhof have all the benefits that a good hostel can offer.
Bed linen, towels, private lockers, use of the 24-hour kitchen, wi-fi, but there are many other things that are out of the ordinary too!
All guests at the Backpackers Villa Sonnenhof hostel in Interlaken get bus tickets valid throughout the city, as well as passes for the ice-skating rink in winter or tickets for the public swimming pool in summer, or even tickets for minigolf and tennis.
Do you understand why I chose Backpackers Villa Sonnenhof? For me it was the best option of where to sleep in Interlaken, even competing with the hotels in the area!
And I'm not just saying that because of these benefits, but also because the laundry is included.
I caught up on all our clothes, since I'd been traveling for a week and had almost 50 more days to go, lol.
Whenever you check in, ask about the facilities, there may be one you can't miss!
Look at that! The hostel works in conjunction with three restaurants within walking distance of Backpackers Villa.
Choose
between
a Swiss restaurant "Hirschen", an Italian "Tenne"
or a restaurant offering more international food "des
Alpes".
All
offer a
full meal for 19 Swiss francs per person, with drinks
are charged separately.
*values seen in 2019*
Breakfast
What's more, the breakfast is delicious and has Nutella, nhammm, and of course, it's also included in the rate.
In addition to the goodies, there's also cereal, yogurt, bread and cheese, all the usual items for a good breakfast.
I had a few hot chocolates to face the cold that was to come.
In the breakfast area there is a coffee and hot chocolate machine available 24 hours a day, however, you need to use a token that is provided at check-in.
This token is also for washing machines and dryers, so use them wisely, laughs.
I used it to wash two machines and there was still enough left over for hot chocolate, so you just have to know how to manage it.
Family room
We stayed in a family room, with a private bathroom and all the comforts a family needs.
There are some family room options, we stayed in the room with 3 bunk beds. There are other family room options, including double beds.
What I liked most about the room was the little table, as some of you know I end up using it to work while we're on our stays and it becomes something essential to make work easier when I'm looking for accommodation.
I turn on the computer and have it ready so that when I get home from my outings I can pass all the material on to him, laughs.
The bedroom also has separate closets, which makes it easy and gives you the freedom to share a family room with friends.
Bathroom
The bathroom is spacious, clean and has hot water. I found it interesting that even though there is a sink in the bathroom, there is also a sink in the bedroom, which makes it easier to brush your teeth or wash your face in the morning without disturbing those in the bathroom.
Kids area
I never imagined that a hostel would be child-friendly, let alone have a kids' area!
I was delighted, a whole room set up for them, with books, a sofa and lots of toys.
We spent a few hours in this space while it rained outside! It was a nice refreshment for the little one's energy and a delicious family moment.
Kitchen
This is undoubtedly one of the best benefits a hostel can provide, especially for those traveling with children.
Having the freedom to cook whatever we want at whatever time we want is great! Of course we also eat in local restaurants, but sometimes when we want something quick, the microwave turns out to be a great option as well as being a cheap meal!
But if you still want something more refined and even cheaper, you can use the kitchen.
We made a delicious pasta dish that cost us less than 5 euros, and we ate with 5 people, so less than one euro per person!
The kitchen is fully equipped, and guests often leave salt or other spices for common use! We forget the salt, and we're very grateful that there's one available on the shelf, laughs.
Dining room
There are tables with benches for meals, it's a communal lounge and if you're with a few people people, you may have to share a table. However, this is not a bad bad, it's a good way to make new friends!
What to do
There is no shortage of things to do in Interlaken, and I would have stayed at least two more nights to enjoy the city more.
Lake Brienz
As the name implies, it's a town between the lakes of Thun and Brienz, but unfortunately we only managed to go to Lake Brienz.
It's simply beautiful, with the frozen mountains in the background and its crystal-clear waters. We took advantage of Emmanuel's nap in the stroller to spend a little time with him, but he soon woke up and we were able to play and jump around the area. I suggest at least a whole afternoon at this location, there are a few options for walks around the lake, which should undoubtedly be amazing.
Ice Skating
Right in the central square, opposite the hostel, in winter there is a huge ice-skating rink.
Of course Emmanuel went crazy and skated for the first time in his life! The cool thing is that this activity is possible regardless of the child's age.
That's right, if your child can already walk, they can skate! The skates for them are different, almost like a shoe attached to the shoe itself, as well as having a penguin or bear helper, laughs.
I didn't know it, but there is an artifact for those who are learning, and Emmanuel can skate more smoothly.
It was a very fun and enjoyable evening.
Markets and restaurants
There's no shortage of markets in the area, with lots of chocolates and tasty things, or restaurants! We only went to one restaurant, and the rest of our meals we bought in the local markets.
Funky Chocolate Club
For me, this was the attraction around the hostel that most amused me! Imagine going to Switzerland and making a typical Swiss chocolate? When I passed Funky Chocolate, I went crazy and rushed to book our workshop!
The store is already a work of art, the aroma is out of this world and the chocolate delicacies are beautiful! One more detailed than the other, the store alone is worth a visit and that's what caught my attention. However, when I saw that there was the possibility of making our own chocolate and eating it all the time, I didn't think twice and booked it.
It was A LOT of fun, we learned about the history of chocolate, ate a lot and even got our noses dirty.
This is undoubtedly a very worthwhile experience in Switzerland, I can already say that I made Swiss chocolate in Switzerland!
Schilthorn
It's known as 007's mountain, it's where the movie 007 On Her Majesty's Secret Service was filmed in 1969, and as well as having an incredible museum, it has an even better view! And many attractions with entertainment options for all tastes.
From the most extreme, such as walking on a tightrope many meters above sea level, to simply answering the famous Bond's red phone or having lunch in the restaurant with a 360° view.
If you want to know more about this attraction, click here and see the full guide.
Are hostels with children worth it?
I confess that I had a certain prejudice against hostels when it came to family travel, but I was surprised in a way that you have no idea!
When would you expect a hostel to have a kids' area? I NEVER! Well, Backpackers Villa Sonnenhof has a fantastic kids' area, full of toys and books for the children to play with. Emmanuel loved it and we played in it a few times while we were there.
The laundry helped me a lot and I was able to catch up on all my laundry, but there was something that also caught my eye! In the laundry room itself, there's a shelf where belongings to be borrowed are kept, and if I'd seen it before, I would have gone to the Schilthorn with a beautiful sled for Emmanuel to play with! to play with! Keep an eye on this place, there are even snowshoes
2 Responses
Congratulations on the text and the video.
When was this trip? Was it winter?
Hello!
Thank you very much, sorry for the delay in replying.
This trip took place in the second half of January, so it was already winter =)