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. Bern deserves at least 2 full days for you to see its main sights.

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When to visit Bern

Bern in March
Estimated hotel price
$359
1 night at 3-star hotel
Bern in March
Estimated hotel price
$359
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 35h 55m.

Train

SNCF is the most popular train carrier serving Bern, followed by Trenitalia. The train journey from Bern to Basel takes 1h 27m and costs around $63 for a one-way ticket. When coming by train from Geneva, expect to pay about $105 for a 3h 10m 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 Hertz, among others, in Zurich.

Bus

Several bus lines operate bus routes to Bern, including FlixBus, BlaBlaBus and Bus. From Milan, the bus ride to Bern takes 354 km and will cost you around $95. From Munich, the ticket costs about $68 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 35h 55m.

Train

SNCF is the most popular train carrier serving Bern, followed by Trenitalia. The train journey from Bern to Basel takes 1h 27m and costs around $63 for a one-way ticket. When coming by train from Geneva, expect to pay about $105 for a 3h 10m 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 Hertz, among others, in Zurich.

Bus

Several bus lines operate bus routes to Bern, including FlixBus, BlaBlaBus and Bus. From Milan, the bus ride to Bern takes 354 km and will cost you around $95. From Munich, the ticket costs about $68 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 (7,198 reviews)
KLM
Good (1,372 reviews)
British Airways
Good (7,113 reviews)
SWISS
Good (1,655 reviews)
Delta
Excellent (7,951 reviews)
Turkish Airlines
Good (3,896 reviews)
Iberia
Good (2,828 reviews)
Air France
Good (1,468 reviews)
Austrian Airlines
Good (811 reviews)
United Airlines
Good (8,845 reviews)
Emirates
Excellent (3,285 reviews)
Qatar Airways
Good (3,596 reviews)
Scandinavian Airlines
Good (1,419 reviews)
Air Canada
Good (9,696 reviews)
LOT
Good (1,096 reviews)
Brussels Airlines
Good (351 reviews)
Etihad Airways
Good (1,222 reviews)
Finnair
Good (1,312 reviews)
TAP AIR PORTUGAL
Good (1,915 reviews)
Singapore Airlines
Excellent (1,324 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 $322 per night for a double room in a 3-star hotel to $685 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 $96 to $760 per night. Mattenhof-Weissenbühl is the neighbourhood with the highest amount of rentals to choose from. On average, holiday rentals in Bern are about 8% 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)
$349+
View
Best Western Plus Hotel Bern
4 stars
Excellent (8.7, Excellent reviews)
$394+
View
Swissôtel Kursaal Bern
4 stars
Excellent (8.6, Excellent reviews)
$360+
View
Novotel Bern Expo
4 stars
Excellent (8.4, Excellent reviews)
$371+
View
Ibis Budget Bern Expo
1 star
Good (7.6, Good reviews)
$243+
View

Hiring a car in Bern

Expect to pay $3.59 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 $43.07 and $57.43. The most frequently booked car type in Bern is Compact (Class Compact SUV or similar). If you’re looking to save money, though, keep in mind that Intermediate car hire (Nissan X-Trail or similar) is, on average, 13% cheaper than other car hire types in the city.

Expect to pay $3.59 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 $43.07 and $57.43. The most frequently booked car type in Bern is Compact (Class Compact SUV or similar). If you’re looking to save money, though, keep in mind that Intermediate car hire (Nissan X-Trail or similar) is, on average, 13% 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.