Chamonix or Interlaken?

Neither town is a place for beach life, but Interlaken gives you more chances to swim. Chamonix has the municipal pool in town and Lac de Passy further down the valley, and Lake Annecy is over an hour's drive away.

Interlaken lies between two lakes. In July and August you can swim from the lidos and shingle beaches of Lake Thun at Neuhaus or towards Spiez, or brave the colder turquoise water of Lake Brienz at Bönigen. Both are a short trip from town rather than a day out.

Chamonix eats noticeably better. Its Savoyard cooking is built on Reblochon, Beaufort and Abondance from the surrounding pastures, served with diots sausages and Savoie wines. Mountain restaurants and refuges on the trails add to it, and a few serious kitchens in the old grand hotels raise the level, even if menus in town tend to look alike.

Interlaken's restaurants are reliable but forgettable: fondue, rösti and veal in cream sauce for visitors, plus Indian and Asian places for the international crowd. Its best meals are out in the region, at a hut terrace above Grindelwald or with a bottle of Lake Thun white wine.

Neither town is a place for museums, but Chamonix has a real story to tell. Alpinism began here with the first ascent of Mont Blanc in 1786. The Musée Alpin, the Espace Tairraz, the guides' quarter and the climbers' cemetery fill a good half day.

Interlaken has less of its own: the hotel row and Kursaal on the Höheweg, a few timber houses in Unterseen and a small local museum. Anyone wanting more heads by train to Bern.

Chamonix goes out properly for a mountain town. Après-ski starts in the late afternoon, then moves to a run of pubs on a narrow old town lane, and two or three small clubs stay open into the early hours on busy nights. The crowd is young, loud and mostly English-speaking, and things quieten in summer.

Interlaken's evenings end early because people are up for trains and paragliding. There are a few backpacker bars, a couple of basement clubs and the casino in the Kursaal, but most nights are a drink after dinner on the Höheweg.

These are two of the great Alpine bases, and they differ in style rather than scale. Chamonix is the more raw, high-mountain place. Lifts carry you to the Aiguille du Midi at 3,842m, the Vallée Blanche and the Tour du Mont Blanc start from the valley, and mountaineering with the oldest guiding company in the world is the defining experience. Its skiing is steep and serious.

Interlaken spreads its scenery over a wider, more accessible area. The Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau, the waterfalls of Lauterbrunnen and the railway to the Jungfraujoch are all reached by train. It adds two lakes for kayaking and paddling, plus rafting and canyoning. In both towns, low cloud can hide the peaks for days.

Interlaken is the better base for days away. The Swiss rail network puts arcaded Bern within an hour and Thun's castle half an hour along the lake. Paddle steamers call at Spiez and Oberhofen, and Lucerne is a scenic ride over the Brünig Pass, with Ballenberg and Brienz woodcarving close at hand.

Chamonix's strength is its position near three countries. Through the Mont Blanc Tunnel lie Courmayeur and the Roman town of Aosta, and Annecy and Geneva are each about an hour's drive. Once you have seen those, mountain roads and nearby resorts limit what else you can do.

Both work for outdoor families, but Interlaken is easier. The trains, gondolas and steamers are an adventure for children in themselves. Summit stations have playgrounds and toboggan runs, and the St Beatus caves and Ballenberg's farm animals give reliable extra days.

Chamonix has nursery slopes, a summer luge, the red train to the Mer de Glace and the Merlet animal park with its ibex and marmots. Much of its high terrain is better for teenagers, though. In both places, the highest lifts are a concern for small children and wet days are hard to fill.

Both towns are small and flat enough to walk. The difference is in reaching the wider region. In Interlaken, mainline trains, Bernese Oberland railways, cog lines, gondolas and lake steamers connect smoothly, so you can explore the whole Jungfrau area without a car, though the popular trains get crowded in summer.

Chamonix relies on valley buses and the Mont Blanc Express, which are free with the guest card. In winter the ski buses are packed, and evening services thin out. A car helps for trips over the border.

Neither is a shopping destination, but Chamonix has a clear speciality. Its pedestrian streets are full of climbing and ski shops, some run for generations, and serious mountaineers save their big gear purchases for a visit. Savoyard cheese, génépi and rock crystals make good gifts.

Interlaken's Höheweg mainly serves tour groups, with watch and jewellery stores, army knives, cuckoo clocks and chocolate. Brienz woodcarving is the one local craft worth looking for.

Both are expensive, but Interlaken is harder on the wallet. Swiss hotel and restaurant prices are high, and the mountain railways that make the trip, especially the Jungfraujoch, cost more than most visitors expect. Hostels and passes help only a little.

Chamonix is costly too, with lift passes, guides and peak-week chalets adding up. Still, free valley transport, easy self-catering and cheaper shoulder seasons give you more room to save.

Both towns have thin performing arts calendars that come alive in summer. Chamonix's highlight is a jazz festival with some sets played high in the mountains. Interlaken's is the open-air William Tell, staged by local amateurs in the woods, plus folklore evenings with yodelling and alphorns.

For a real theatre or orchestra, Interlaken has Bern within an hour by train. From Chamonix, you would go to Geneva.

Chamonix is the better place to recover after effort. Its large day spa in the Italian thermal style has hot outdoor pools facing the glaciers, and the old spring baths of Saint-Gervais are about 25 minutes down the valley.

Interlaken has no thermal tradition of its own and relies on the spas of its grand hotels and a public wellness area. It does have quieter pleasures, such as slow steamer crossings and lakeshore mornings. In both towns, the busy centres send those wanting real calm to outlying villages.