Introduction
When to visit
How to get there
Where to stay
Hiring a car

Bern travel guide

Bern Tourism | Bern Guide

You're Going to Love Bern

With a population of 121,631, Bern is the largest city in Bern, Switzerland by the number of inhabitants. It is one of the most popular cities to visit in the country. Consider staying at least one whole day in Bern to see all of its attractions.

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When to visit Bern

Bern in March
Estimated hotel price
$361
1 night at 3-star hotel
Bern in March
Estimated hotel price
$361
1 night at 3-star hotel

Looking for warm weather? Then head to Bern in July, when the average temperature is 17 °C, and the highest can go up to 23 °C. The coldest month, on the other hand, is January, when it can get as cold as -4 °C, with an average temperature of -1 °C. You’re likely to see more rain in June, when precipitation is around 121 mm. In contrast, February is usually the driest month of the year in Bern, with an average rainfall of 58 mm.

Data provided by weatherbase
Temperatures
Temperatures
Data provided by weatherbase

How to Get to Bern

Plane

When flying to Bern, you’ll arrive at Belp (BRN), which is located 6 km from the city centre. The shortest flight to Bern from New Zealand departs from Wellington and takes around 47h 45m.

Train

SNCF is the most popular train carrier serving Bern, followed by AccesRail. The train journey from Bern to Basel takes 1h 02m and costs around $45 for a one-way ticket. When coming by train from Milan, expect to pay about $75 for a 3h 17m trip. Located 0.6 km from the city centre, Bern is the busiest station in Bern. Another popular train station is Bern Bümpliz Süd, located 4 km from the centre.

Car

Another option to get to Bern is to pick up a car hire from Zurich, which is about 96 km from Bern. You’ll find branches of Alamo and Europcar, among others, in Zurich.

Bus

Several bus lines operate bus routes to Bern, including FlixBus, BlaBlaCar Bus and Busbud. From Mulhouse, the bus ride to Bern takes 193 km and will cost you around $13. From Munich, the ticket costs about $65 for a journey of 370 km. The most popular bus station is Bern Car-Terminal Neufeld, located 1.8 km from the city centre of Bern. Bern Schützenmatt P+R is also a commonly used station, and is 0.4 km from the city centre.

Plane

When flying to Bern, you’ll arrive at Belp (BRN), which is located 6 km from the city centre. The shortest flight to Bern from New Zealand departs from Wellington and takes around 47h 45m.

Train

SNCF is the most popular train carrier serving Bern, followed by AccesRail. The train journey from Bern to Basel takes 1h 02m and costs around $45 for a one-way ticket. When coming by train from Milan, expect to pay about $75 for a 3h 17m trip. Located 0.6 km from the city centre, Bern is the busiest station in Bern. Another popular train station is Bern Bümpliz Süd, located 4 km from the centre.

Car

Another option to get to Bern is to pick up a car hire from Zurich, which is about 96 km from Bern. You’ll find branches of Alamo and Europcar, among others, in Zurich.

Bus

Several bus lines operate bus routes to Bern, including FlixBus, BlaBlaCar Bus and Busbud. From Mulhouse, the bus ride to Bern takes 193 km and will cost you around $13. From Munich, the ticket costs about $65 for a journey of 370 km. The most popular bus station is Bern Car-Terminal Neufeld, located 1.8 km from the city centre of Bern. Bern Schützenmatt P+R is also a commonly used station, and is 0.4 km from the city centre.

Airports near Bern

ZRHZurich
GVAGeneva Geneve-Cointrin

Airlines serving Bern

Lufthansa
Good (7,407 reviews)
KLM
Good (1,385 reviews)
British Airways
Good (7,360 reviews)
Delta
Good (7,953 reviews)
SWISS
Good (1,735 reviews)
Turkish Airlines
Good (3,968 reviews)
Iberia
Good (2,924 reviews)
United Airlines
Good (8,925 reviews)
Air France
Good (1,468 reviews)
Emirates
Excellent (3,334 reviews)
Qatar Airways
Good (3,624 reviews)
Austrian Airlines
Good (850 reviews)
Air Canada
Good (10,143 reviews)
Scandinavian Airlines
Good (1,486 reviews)
LOT
Good (1,114 reviews)
Etihad Airways
Good (1,250 reviews)
Finnair
Good (1,323 reviews)
Cathay Pacific
Good (993 reviews)
Brussels Airlines
Good (359 reviews)
Singapore Airlines
Excellent (1,365 reviews)
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Where to stay in Bern

From 5-star hotels such as the Hotel Schweizerhof Bern & Spa to great affordable options like the Ibis Styles Bern City, Bern offers a range of accommodations for every taste. Average rates range from around $332 per night for a double room in a 3-star hotel to $736 and up for a 5-star experience. If you’re on a budget, well-reviewed accommodations include Ibis Bern Expo and Hotel National Bern. There are also lots of holiday rental options in Bern, with prices from $212 to $839 per night. Mattenhof-Weissenbühl is the neighbourhood with the highest amount of rentals to choose from. On average, holiday rentals in Bern are about 18% more expensive than a hotel room in the city.

Where to stay in popular areas of Bern

Most booked hotels in Bern

See all
Stay Kooook Bern City
3 stars
Excellent (8.9, Excellent reviews)
$271+
View
Best Western Plus Hotel Bern
4 stars
Excellent (8.6, Excellent reviews)
$340+
View
Novotel Bern Expo
4 stars
Excellent (8.4, Excellent reviews)
$314+
View
Ibis Budget Bern Expo
1 star
Good (7.6, Good reviews)
$212+
View

Hiring a car in Bern

Expect to pay $3.55 per litre in Bern (average price from the past 30 days). Depending on the size of your car hire, filling up the tank will cost between $42.57 and $56.76. The most frequently booked car type in Bern is Compact (Class Compact Van or similar). If you’re looking to save money, though, keep in mind that Economy car hire (Opel Corsa or similar) is, on average, 49% cheaper than other car hire types in the city.

Expect to pay $3.55 per litre in Bern (average price from the past 30 days). Depending on the size of your car hire, filling up the tank will cost between $42.57 and $56.76. The most frequently booked car type in Bern is Compact (Class Compact Van or similar). If you’re looking to save money, though, keep in mind that Economy car hire (Opel Corsa or similar) is, on average, 49% cheaper than other car hire types in the city.

Find car hire in Bern

Bern Travel Guide - View the KAYAK Bern city guide for the best Bern travel tips. To help you organise your Bern trip ideas, this Bern visitors guide provides travel information and trip tips about how to get there, where to stay, what to do, where to eat and more.