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Voykit pocket guide · Switzerland
Bern
Give Bern one full day and one night: the arcaded old town, Zytglogge and the Aare are walkable in half a day; add a second night only for museums or the Gurten.
Bern is Switzerland's federal city and a UNESCO-listed old town on a river peninsula: 6.4 km of arcaded walkways, fountains and clock towers, all inside a 20-minute walk. Most travellers see it as a stop between Zurich, Interlaken and Geneva rather than a base. One night covers the old town, the bear park and the river; two nights let you add the Kunstmuseum, Zentrum Paul Klee and the Gurten.
- Country
- Switzerland
- Best months
- May–Sep
- Avoid
- Nov–Feb (grey, cold, bears hibernate)
- Stay
- 1 night
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- CHF
- Money
- Currency is the Swiss franc (CHF). Cards and contactless are accepted almost everywhere; euros are sometimes taken with change in francs.
- Daily spend
- Budget CHF 90–140 excl. bed · Mid CHF 140–220 excl. bed · High CHF 220+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Swisscom, Sunrise and Salt sell prepaid SIMs (ID needed); Swisscom covers the most mountain terrain.
- Emergency
- Police 117 · Ambulance 144 · Fire 118 · European emergency 112
- Plugs
- Types J, C · 230 V · 50 Hz · Swiss three-pin sockets are recessed: thin two-pin (type C) plugs fit, but thick German Schuko plugs do not — bring a Swiss adapter.
- Tipping
- Restaurant: Service included; round up or leave 5–10% for good service.; Café or bar: Round up.; Taxi: Round up.; Hotel: Optional; CHF 2–5 for porters.; Mountain guide: CHF 20–50 for a day, optional.
- Water
- Tap and fountain water is excellent. Restaurants usually charge for bottled water; ask for 'Hahnenwasser' / 'eau du robinet'.
- Toilets
- Station toilets cost CHF 1–2; restaurants and department stores are free for customers.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee | CHF 4–6 |
| Lunch, café or takeaway | CHF 15–25 |
| Dinner, mid restaurant | CHF 30–55 |
| Beer, draught / supermarket can | CHF 6–9 / CHF 2–3 |
| Museum entry (Kunstmuseum, Einsteinhaus, Zentrum Paul Klee) | CHF 6–20 |
| 60-minute tram or bus ticket | CHF 4.60 |
| Taxi, 5 km (3.1 mi)Taxi, 3.1 mi (5 km) | CHF 25–35 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- BRN · Bern-Belp
- Small airport 10 km (6.2 mi) south; bus 334/160 to Belp station then S-Bahn to Bern, about 40 min totalSmall airport 6.2 mi (10 km) south; bus 334/160 to Belp station then S-Bahn to Bern, about 40 min total
- ZRH · Zurich Airport
- Train to Bern about 1 h 10 min, twice hourly
- GVA · Geneva Airport
- Train to Bern about 1 h 50 min, twice hourly
Typical fares
- Bern-Belp airport → Bern station
- bus 334/160 plus S-Bahn, about 40 min, CHF 7 or free with a hotel booking
- Bern → Zurich by train
- about 1 h 10 min, twice hourly
- Bern → Interlaken by train
- about 1 h
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
Walk: the old town is small and car-free in practice. Trams and buses (Bernmobil) run every 5–30 min; a 60-minute ticket for zones 100/101 costs about CHF 4.60. Hotel stays include the Bern-Ticket, which covers city transport, the Gurten funicular and the airport transfer.
See and do
Known for
- UNESCO-listed old town and arcades
- Zytglogge astronomical clock
- Einsteinhaus
- Aare river swimming
- Federal Palace (Bundeshaus)
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Solothurn | S-Bahn or IR from Bern, about 30–40 min | About 1 h |
| Biel/Bienne | IC or S-Bahn from Bern, about 30 min | About 45 min |
| Thun | IC from Bern, about 30 min | About 45 min |
| Interlaken | IC from Bern, about 1 h | About 1 h 15 min |
| Fribourg | IR from Bern, about 30 min | About 45 min |
Sleep
- Old town (Altstadt)
- Arcades, fountains and Zytglogge on the doorstep; quiet at night, few lifts in old buildings.
- Bahnhof / main station area
- Best for one night with bags: trains, trams and shops under one roof.
- Mattenhof / Länggasse
- Cheaper rooms 10–15 min by tram from the centre; student bars and cafés.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello | GrüeziGROO-tsi |
| Thank you | Merci vilmalMER-si feel-mol |
| Excuse me | Exgüsiex-GOO-si |
| How much is it? | Was chostet das?vas KHOS-tet das |
| Can I pay by card? | Cha i mit Karte zahle?kha i mit KAR-te TSA-le |
| Where is the toilet? | Wo isch d Toilette?vo ish d toy-LET-te |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake; three cheek kisses among friends; avoid: Skipping the greeting in shops
- Punctuality: Be exactly on time; avoid: Running for the train expecting it to wait
- Language: Greet in the local language, then ask for English; avoid: Speaking German in Geneva as a default
- Quiet: Low voices in trains; quiet carriages are marked; avoid: Speakerphone calls
- Money: Keep financial talk discreet; avoid: Asking people's salaries
- Recycling: Separate PET, glass and cans; avoid: Leaving rubbish in hotel or flat bins unsorted
Scams and watch-outs
- Parking in the old town is rare and expensive; use park-and-ride and a tram.
- The Aare is fast and cold even in summer; swim only the marked stretches and never alone.
- The bears hibernate roughly Nov–Mar, so the BärenPark is empty then.
- Bundeshaus tours need photo ID and book out; English tours run on limited days.
Bern is a low-risk city: violent crime is rare and the old town is safe at night. The real risks are the fast, cold Aare, bicycles on shared paths, and pickpockets around the station and Zytglogge at showtime.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Bern yet. Suggested stay: 1 night. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- UNESCO-listed old town and arcades
- Zytglogge astronomical clock
- Einsteinhaus
- Aare river swimming
- Federal Palace (Bundeshaus)
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Bern Welcome — official tourism: www.bern.com/en
- City of Bern: www.bern.ch/
- Bernmobil — city transport: www.bernmobil.ch
- SBB — Swiss Federal Railways: www.sbb.ch/en
- Bern Airport: www.flughafenbern.ch/en/
- Wikivoyage: Bern, revision 5309632 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5309632
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Bern
Bitte a die Adrässe
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
Most countries' embassies are in Bern: the US embassy is at Sulgeneckstrasse 19, the UK embassy at Thunstrasse 50.
Swiss German is spoken; standard German works everywhere and English is widely understood in tourism.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/bern). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.