In the print dialog pick “Save as PDF” to keep it on your phone. A5 makes a pocket booklet; A4 suits a desk printer.
Voykit pocket guide · Switzerland
Thun
Base in Thun for 2 nights if you want a lake town with a real old town and quick trains to Bern, Interlaken and the Bernese Highlands.
Thun is a small city on the Aare where the river leaves Lake Thun, 17 minutes by train from Bern and about 30 from Interlaken. It works as a quieter, cheaper base than Interlaken for the Bernese Highlands: a medieval castle above the old town, a lake with swimming and boats, and rail links west to Bern and south to Spiez, Interlaken and the mountain valleys. Two nights covers the town and one lake or mountain day; one night is enough if you are only passing through.
- Country
- Switzerland
- Best months
- May–Sep for the lake and swimming; Dec–Mar for snow on the mountains
- Avoid
- Nov (grey, many lake boats and mountain lifts reduced)
- Stay
- 2 nights
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 150–230 excl. bed · High CHF 250+ 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 · Rega air rescue 1414
- 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-range restaurant | CHF 30–55 |
| Beer, draught / supermarket can | CHF 6–9 / CHF 2–3 |
| City bus single ride | CHF 3–4 |
| Castle or museum entry | CHF 8–12 |
| eSIM or data SIM, about a week | CHF 15–30 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- BRN · Bern Airport (Belp)
- Bus to Belp station, then S4/S44 train to Thun; about 40–50 min total
- ZRH · Zurich Airport
- IC trains to Thun in about 1 h 40 min
- BSL · Basel EuroAirport
- Train via Basel SBB to Thun, about 2 h
Typical fares
- Train Thun → Bern
- about CHF 15, 17 min
- Train Thun → Interlaken
- about CHF 15–20, 30–50 min
- City bus single ride
- CHF 3–4
Get around
The centre is walkable: station to castle is about 10 minutes uphill. STI buses cover the city and lake-side districts; buy a zone ticket or a day pass if you ride three or more times. Trains from Thun station reach Bern in 17 min, Interlaken in about 30 min and Spiez in about 10 min. Lake boats leave from the quay near the station.
See and do
Known for
- Thun Castle
- Old town and Obere Hauptgasse
- Lake Thun and the Aare
- Gateway to the Bernese Highlands
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Bern | IC train from Thun station | About 30 min |
| Interlaken | Train from Thun, change at Spiez on some services | About 40–50 min |
| Spiez | Train from Thun | About 15 min |
| Kandersteg | Train to Spiez, then the BLS line south | About 1 h |
| Grindelwald | Train to Interlaken Ost, then the Bernese Oberland line | About 1 h 30 min |
| Wengen | Train to Interlaken Ost, then Lauterbrunnen and the mountain railway | About 1 h 45 min |
Sleep
- Old town (Rathausplatz, Obere Hauptgasse)
- Best for a short stay: castle, river and restaurants on foot; 5–10 min walk from the station.
- Station and Bälliz
- Practical for early trains and shopping; the Bälliz pedestrian street runs from the station to the old town.
- Aare quay and Mühleplatz
- Bars and river views; a few minutes from the old town, slightly quieter at night.
- Schadau and lake shore
- Park, castle and lake swimming; 20–25 min walk or bus 1 from the centre.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello | GrüeziGRUE-tsi |
| Thank you | Merci vielmalMER-si FEEL-mal |
| Please | BitteBIT-teh |
| How much is it? | Was kostet das?vas KOS-tet das |
| Can I pay by card? | Kann ich mit Karte zahlen?kan ikh mit KAR-teh TSA-len |
| Where is the toilet? | Wo ist die Toilette?vo ist dee toy-LET-teh |
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
- The Aare is fast and cold: swim at the supervised Strandbad or Schwäbis-Bad, not from the river banks.
- Castle and museum opening hours change by season and some close on Mondays: check before you climb up.
- Sunday is quiet: many shops shut and some restaurants close.
- Card payment is normal, but keep some francs for small kiosks and boat or bus machines.
Thun is a low-risk town; the main hazards are the fast, cold Aare and mountain weather. Use supervised swimming spots, and check lift and boat timetables before you commit to a day out.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Thun yet. Suggested stay: 2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Thun Castle
- Old town and Obere Hauptgasse
- Lake Thun and the Aare
- Gateway to the Bernese Highlands
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Thun official city website: www.thun.ch/
- Swiss Federal Railways (SBB): www.sbb.ch/en
- Thun Castle: www.schlossthun.ch/en/
- Kunstmuseum Thun: www.kunstmuseumthun.ch/
- Schadau Castle: www.schloss-schadau.ch/en
- STI bus, Thun: www.stibus.ch/
- Wikivoyage: Thun, revision 5306043 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5306043
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Thun
Bitte zu dieser Adresse
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
No embassies in Thun; most are in Bern, about 30 min by train. The US and UK missions are in Bern (check the address).
Swiss German is spoken; English is widely understood in hotels, restaurants and stations.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/thun). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.