BERN FAQ`S
Bern Airport is just over 6 miles
from the city center. The small airport connects
Bern with European cities such as London, Berlin and Munich.
The city can be reached by public transport. The
airport bus takes passengers to Belp train station. From there, you can take an
S-Bahn to Bern main station, it costs about 6CHF one-way. For visitors staying
in Bern overnight, the journey by public transport from the airport to the city
is included in the Bern Ticket.
A taxi from the airport to the city
center costs about 35CHF to 50CHF.
Zurich
Airport:
Zurich
Airport is Switzerland’s largest
airport. You can reach Bern main station from Zurich Airport train station in
an hour and 15 mins by train. Trains with direct connections from the airport
to the capital depart every 30
minutes.
EuroAirport Basel Mulhouse Freiburg:
EuroAirport is located near the
borders of Switzerland, France and Germany. Bern can be reached via Basel SBB
train station in around 1 hour. Trains from Basel SBB to Bern depart every 30
mins.
Geneva
Airport is also well connected to the Swiss rail network.
Geneva Airport train station can be reached directly from the arrivals hall.
Direct trains to Bern depart every 30 mins. The journey takes just under two
hours.
Bern is at the hub of the Swiss Federal Railway
network. Express (InterCity) trains connect twice
per hour to Geneva, Basel and Zurich as well as Zürich and Geneva airports.
Hourly express trains connect to most other cities, including Interlaken, Brig, and Lucerne.
The Bahnhof Railway Station, on Bahnhofplatz,
is in a mall surrounded by cafes and other shops and located right in the center of town. If your luggage is light, you can walk to your hotel; otherwise, take one of the taxis waiting outside the station.
Eurolines and Flixbus connect Bern to several European cities by bus.
How do I get around Bern using Public Transportation? Is the public transportation system safe?
Bern
has an excellent public transportation system, with frequent local city
services provided by trams, trolleybuses and buses, together with an S-Bahn
rail system for longer journeys into the surrounding suburbs. Tickets are valid
for all modes of transport within a given zone and time. The suburbs of Bern,
Biel and Solothurn form a common public transport network named `Libero-Tarifverbund`.
Tickets can be purchased as single ticket, saver ticket with six rides, day
pass as well as weekly, monthly or yearly passes.
Tickets
can be bought at vending machines at most stops, or with a smartphone using
the SBB mobile app. They are valid for all
modes of public transport within the zones they encompass.
If
you are staying in a hotel in Bern you will receive a `Bern-Ticket`, which allows the free use of public transport within the city
(zones 100 and 101) for the duration of the stay, including the Gurten
funicular and transfer from and to the airport.
The bus and tram lines operated by Bernmobil are complemented with yellow Postauto bus lines connecting to the suburbs. Almost all lines are linked together at the main train station, and operate at intervals between 5 to 30 minutes. Bernmobil, (Tel. +41 31 321 88 88) operate the local tram and bus services, and provides timetables and other information on its web site or by telephone. Bern`s S-Bahn rail system will take you to many places in the suburbs and to nearby cities like Biel, Thun, Fribourg or Solothurn. S-Bahn (Tel. +41 31 327 27 27).
Is Bern a walking city?
The city center of Bern is easily accessible by foot, which
is actually the most practical means of exploring the Old Town and its many
attractions. You can probably tour the old town and its attractions in about
2.5 hours on foot.
There are
also some great walks in Greater Bern, including Bern`s own mountain, Gurten, a popular day-trip
destination reached in 25 minutes by tram no. 9 and rack railway. Once here,
you`ll find walks in many directions and can enjoy a panorama over the Alps.
Bern is connected with all major cities in Switzerland and
neighboring countries by a dense network of well-developed highways and main
roads.
There are around 3,500 short-term parking spaces in
multistory parking garages in Bern. As you approach the city from the motorway,
you will see signs indicating which parking garages still have spaces
available.
Once you`ve arrived in Bern, we recommend leaving your car
in one of the multistory parking garages and exploring the city center on foot. The old town
is a car-free zone.
In addition to the multistory
parking garages, there are also signed parking zones in Bern where you are
required to display a parking disc. Parking tickets for 4 or 24 hours can be
bought at Bernmobil ticket machines, as well as at other locations. The time
starts as soon as the ticket is bought. You can buy additional parking tickets,
which start from a certain time, from the city police.
Bern
is a bike-friendly city, and most thoroughfares include dedicated bike lanes.
There are a few challenging spots where bike traffic interweaves with motor
traffic, but motorists are used to sharing the road with bikers and will
normally pay attention. Because of the city`s hilly landscape, some stamina may
be required, or an electric bike.
The
local branch of the Swiss-wide bike sharing Publibike charges around 3CHF for the
first 30 minutes.
Several taxi companies operate in Bern, including Nova Taxi (+41 31 331 33 13), Bären Taxi (+41 31 371 11 11) and Taxi Bern (+41 31 333 88 88). Taxis can be booked by phone, or at the main train station.
Is Bern a dangerous city? Are there certain areas I should avoid?
Bern
is a very safe place with nearly no violent crime, in fact, it is Europe`s
safest capital. However, as it is the capital of Switzerland, it sees political
demonstrations every few weeks on a variety of subjects, occasionally leading
to police intervention.
While
police officers in Berne will happily help you out if you are in trouble or
need information, they are also known for approaching `suspicious` persons in
order to check their papers. This procedure is annoying, but legal as you will
probably have a hard time proving you were not acting suspicious. Carry a
photocopy of your passport and your onward ticket with you, stay calm and
polite and you won't have much trouble.
You
should always take the usual precautions and protect your valuables.
The
currency of Switzerland is the Swiss franc, usually indicated as CHF or SFr.
While Switzerland is not part of the European Union and thus is not obliged to
convert to the Euro, many prices are nonetheless indicated in euros so that
visitors may compare prices. Most of the restaurants, bars, cafes and clubs
accept euro, but expect to pay a premium rate.
The Swiss Franc (CHF or SFr) is divided into
100 centimes (known as Rappen in German speaking Switzerland). Bills come in
10, 20, 50, 100, 500 and 10000SFr and coins are divided into 5, 10, 20 and 50
centimes and 1, 2 and 5SFr.
US
dollars are not accepted. Please be sure to have the correct currency on hand
or be prepared to exchange your dollars for Swiss Francs upon arrival. Currency
exchange desks can be found at the airport, train station and many bank
locations throughout the city. ATMs are also widespread throughout the city
accepting bank cards and credit cards.
Switzerland has a reputation for being an
expensive destination. Those amazing transportation options, meals, hotels and
attractions come at a cost. Once you get there, expect your hotel to cost
you an average of $200 USD per night and that cheap pizza at a restaurant will
cost you around $30 USD.
April
through September is the best time to go to Bern. Late spring is recommended
for long days and good weather. Summer is also a good time to visit Bern, the
August temperatures are typically beautiful. July through mid-August is
vacation season, so some restaurants may close down for times during the
period.
Summer
weather in Bern is known to be rather changeable, so be prepared. Rain is
frequent June-August, but if you wait it out, it typically changes relatively
quickly.
Though Switzerland is not
really a big country, be prepared to encounter citizens who speak different
languages depending on the city you are visiting. German is widely spoken in
the north, central, and eastern regions, French in the west and Italian in the
south. Most Swiss speak English, so you can absolutely get by without
speaking French, Italian or German language.
The
main language spoken in Bern is (Bernese-) Swiss-German, a Swiss dialect of the
Alemannic language. Swiss-German is mostly a spoken language, but also used in
text messages, etc. In official publications and announcements, Standard German
is used.
English
seems to be replacing French as the favorite second language of the Bernese,
even though the region in and around Bern is a bilingual German and French
speaking region.
Most of the employees
working for hotels,
restaurants, and shops that are aimed at tourists can speak the English language
at a competent level. We suggest you get a good English-German guidebook and
familiarize yourself with common phrases such as hello, goodbye, excuse me and
numbers 1-10.
Eating in Bern (or almost anywhere in Switzerland for that
matter) can be an expensive. Be sure to `shop around` before deciding on a
restaurant as many of them cater to foreign tourists (especially those serving
traditional Swiss food) and have inflated their prices accordingly. Most
Bernese natives prefer Italian, Asian, or other non-local cuisine so finding a
traditional Swiss restaurant with acceptable prices can sometimes be difficult.
We recommend you try the local specialties of the area. Bernese
Rosti, skilleted hash brown potatoes flavored with bacon or cheese, it is as popular
as is Valaisian Raclette. This is prepared by melting cheese over a fire,
scraping it onto a baked potato and garnishing it with meat and vegetables of
your choice. And no trip to Switzerland is complete without trying a `fondue`.
This is a communal dish served in a pot over a small burner. There are
different types of fondue, the most popular being cheese. Those eating the
fondue, dip different things (on most occasions bread) into the pot.
Simple!
Many
Bernese will tell you that nightlife in Bern is not exactly what you might call
spectacular, but they`re probably comparing it to Zurich or Paris. There are
quite a few good spots to hang out.
For
a drink or two, there`s a wide choice of bars all over town. However, you might
be disappointed with most central options as they tend to be very conventional.
You`ll will also discover several late-night clubs, with dancing and cabaret.
Bern
also offers Performing Arts if you are looking for something a bit more
refined. The Bern Symphony Orchestra is one of the finest
orchestras in Switzerland. Concerts by the orchestra are usually performed at
the concert facilities in the Bern Kursaal, Herrengasse 25 (www.kursaal-bern.ch). Except for a summer
vacation, usually lasting from July until mid-August, the box office is open
Monday to Friday noon to 6:30 pm, Saturday 10 am to 2 pm. Tickets range from 20CHF
to 60CHF.
With a few exceptions, stores in the city center are open on
Monday 9 am to 7 pm; on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday 8:15 am to 6:30 pm; on
Thursday 8:15 am to 9 pm; and on Saturday 9 am to 5 pm.
Stores of all types are located
throughout Bern. The main shopping streets are Spitalgasse,
Kramgasse, Postgasse, Marktgasse, and Gerechtigkeitsgasse.
You can begin your
shopping excursion at Globus, Spitalgasse 17 (www.globus.ch),
a major department store comparable to Bloomingdale`s, with departments for
just about everything.
Note: Value-added tax (VAT) rate is 8% in Switzerland
which applies to supplies of goods or services registered in Switzerland,
including hotel and restaurant bills. There are no other special taxes.
Police Emergency Number -
117
Ambulance / Medical Emergency - 144
Fire Department - 118
Call tel. 0900 - 576-747 for a referral to an
English-speaking doctor.
Hospital: Insel Hospital, Freiburgstrasse
(tel. 031 - 632-21-11)