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 February
Estimated hotel price
$360
1 night at 3-star hotel
Bern in February
Estimated hotel price
$360
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 32h 45m.

Train

SNCF is the most popular train carrier serving Bern, followed by SBB. The train journey from Bern to Basel takes 1h 02m and costs around $40 for a one-way ticket. When coming by train from Milan, expect to pay about $76 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 Budget and Hertz, among others, in Zurich.

Bus

Several bus lines operate bus routes to Bern, including FlixBus, Bus and BlaBlaCar Bus. From Memmingen, the bus ride to Bern takes 322 km and will cost you around $35. From Milan, the ticket costs about $43 for a journey of 354 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 32h 45m.

Train

SNCF is the most popular train carrier serving Bern, followed by SBB. The train journey from Bern to Basel takes 1h 02m and costs around $40 for a one-way ticket. When coming by train from Milan, expect to pay about $76 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 Budget and Hertz, among others, in Zurich.

Bus

Several bus lines operate bus routes to Bern, including FlixBus, Bus and BlaBlaCar Bus. From Memmingen, the bus ride to Bern takes 322 km and will cost you around $35. From Milan, the ticket costs about $43 for a journey of 354 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

KLM
Good (1,449 reviews)
Lufthansa
Good (7,762 reviews)
British Airways
Good (7,716 reviews)
Delta
Good (8,151 reviews)
Turkish Airlines
Good (4,210 reviews)
SWISS
Good (1,864 reviews)
Iberia
Good (3,104 reviews)
United Airlines
Good (9,240 reviews)
Qatar Airways
Good (3,731 reviews)
Air France
Good (1,532 reviews)
Emirates
Excellent (3,505 reviews)
Austrian Airlines
Good (896 reviews)
Scandinavian Airlines
Good (1,677 reviews)
Air Canada
Good (10,694 reviews)
LOT
Good (1,179 reviews)
Etihad Airways
Good (1,381 reviews)
Finnair
Good (1,357 reviews)
Cathay Pacific
Good (1,159 reviews)
Brussels Airlines
Good (384 reviews)
Singapore Airlines
Excellent (1,451 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 $308 per night for a double room in a 3-star hotel to $652 and up for a 5-star experience. If you’re on a budget, well-reviewed accommodations include Am Pavillon Bed & Kitchen and Hotel National Bern. There are also lots of holiday rental options in Bern, with prices from $144 to $676 per night. Mattenhof-Weissenbühl is the neighbourhood with the highest amount of rentals to choose from. On average, holiday rentals in Bern are about 22% more expensive than a hotel room in the city.

Where to stay in popular areas of Bern

Most booked hotels in Bern

See all
NH Bern The Bristol
4 stars
Excellent (8.5, Excellent reviews)
$316+
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Novotel Bern Expo
4 stars
Excellent (8.4, Excellent reviews)
$267+
View
Hotel La Pergola
3 stars
Excellent (8.2, Excellent reviews)
$231+
View

Hiring a car in Bern

Expect to pay $3.64 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 $43.65 and $58.19. Compact (Skoda Fabia or similar) is the most popular car type to hire in Bern, while also 53% cheaper than other types, on average.

Expect to pay $3.64 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 $43.65 and $58.19. Compact (Skoda Fabia or similar) is the most popular car type to hire in Bern, while also 53% cheaper than other types, on average.

Find car hire in Bern