Planning a trip to Bern
Bern Tourist Center, in the Bern Bahnhof, on Bahnhofplatz (tel. 031/328-12-12; www.berninfo.com), is open year-round Monday to Saturday 9am to 7pm, and Sunday 9am to 6pm. If you need help finding a hotel room, the tourist center can make a reservation for you in the price range you select.
City Layout
Main Arteries & Streets -- The geography of the city is neatly pressed into a relatively small area, so getting about is quite easy. You can walk to most of the major sights. Altstadt, or Old Town, lies on a high rocky plateau that juts out into a "loop" of the Aare River. A majority of the major hotels and attractions lie in this loop. You can reach the sprawling district south of the Aare by crossing the Kirchenfeldbrücke. The neighborhood has four major museums: Swiss Alpine Museum, Bern Historical Museum, Natural History Museum, and Museum of Communication
Most arrivals are at the Bahnhof on Bahnhofplatz, in the center of town. From here you can walk along the major arteries of Bern: Spitalgasse, Marktgasse, Kramgasse, and Gerechtigkeitsgasse. The town's major squares include Theaterplatz, with its famed Zytgloggeturm (Clock Tower), Kornhausplatz and its much-photographed Ogre Fountain, and Rathausplatz, on which stands the old Rathaus (town hall), seat of the cantonal government.
The three major bridges crossing the Aare into this historic loop are Kirchenfeldbrücke, Kornhausbrücke, and Lorrainebrücke.
Finding an Address -- In a system developed during the Middle Ages, street numbers in the city begin in the center of Altstadt, and the numbers increase as they fan out. Even numbers lie on one side of the street, odd numbers on the other.
Maps -- Good local maps are available at the Bern Tourist Center.
Getting There
By Plane
The Bern-Belp Airport (tel. 031/960-21-11; www.flughafenbern.ch) is 9.6km (6 miles) south of the city in the area of Belpmoos. International flights arrive from Munich, Rome, and London, but transatlantic jets are not able to land here. Fortunately, it's a short hop to Bern from the international airports in Zurich and Geneva.
A taxi from the airport to the city center costs about 35F to 50F, so it's better to take the shuttle bus that runs between the airport and the Bahnhof (train station) -- it costs 6F one-way.
By Train
Bern has direct connections to the Continental rail network that includes France, Italy, Germany, the Benelux countries, and even Scandinavia and Spain. The TGV high-speed train connects Paris with Bern in just 4 1/2 hours. Bern also lies on major Swiss rail links, particularly those connecting Geneva (90 min.) and Zurich (58 min.). For rail information and schedules, call tel. 0900/300-300 or visit www.sbb.ch.
The Bahnhof rail station, on Bahnhofplatz, is right in the center of town near all the major hotels. If your luggage is light, you can walk to your hotel; otherwise, take one of the taxis waiting outside the station.
By Car
Bern lies at a major expressway junction, with A1 coming in east from Zurich, A2 heading south from Basel, and A12 running north from Lake Geneva.
Fast Facts
Babysitters -- Babysitting can be arranged through most hotels. Make arrangements as far in advance as possible.
Bookstores -- The best for English-language books is Buchanlung Stauffacher, Neuengasse 25-37 (tel. 031/313-63-63; www.stauffacher.ch).
Business Hours -- Banks are open Monday to Friday 8am to 4:30pm (on Thurs until 6pm). Most offices are open Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm, and on Saturday 9am to noon.
Currency Exchange -- This is available on the lower level of the Bahnhof, on Bahnhofplatz, open Monday to Friday 7am to 8pm, Saturday 7am to 7pm, and Sunday 9am to 7pm.
Doctors & Dentists -- Call tel. 0900/576-747 for a referral to an English-speaking doctor.
Drugstores -- Try Central-Apotheke Volz & Co., Zytgloggelaube 2 (tel. 031/311-10-94; www.central-apotheke-volz.ch). It's near the Clock Tower in Old Town. The staff speaks English and can suggest over-the-counter substitutes for foreign drugs that can't be found in Europe. Hours are Monday to Wednesday 8am to 6:30pm, Thursday 8am to 8pm, Friday 8am to 7pm, and Saturday 8am to 5pm. Bahnhof Apotheke, at the Bahnhofplatz (tel. 031/329-25-25), is open daily 6am to 10pm.
Embassies & Consulates -- The U.S. Embassy is at Sulgeneckstrasse 19 (tel. 031/357-70-11). Other embassy addresses are Canada, Kirchenfeldstrasse 88 (tel. 031/357-32-00), and United Kingdom, Thunstrasse 50 (tel. 031/359-77-00). New Zealand citizens should call their consulate-general in Geneva (tel. 022/929-03-50).
Emergencies -- Call tel. 117 for the police, tel. 144 for an ambulance, tel. 118 to report a fire, or tel. 140 for the road patrol, but only for an emergency.
Hairdressers & Barbers -- One of the city's best-known hairdressers is Erminio, Marktgasse 50 (tel. 031/312-22-33). There are separate sections for men and women. Hours are Tuesday to Friday 9am to 6:30pm and Saturday 8am to 4pm.
Hospital -- The city's largest is Insel Hospital, Freiburgstrasse (tel. 031/632-21-11), the clinic affiliated with the University of Bern.
Internet Access -- A centrally located internet cafe is at Kramgasse 47 (tel. 031/311-55-11; www.weblane.ch). It is open daily 9am to 11pm and charges 8F per hour.
Laundry & Dry Cleaning -- Jet Wash is a coin-operated, conveniently located laundry at Dammweg 43 (tel. 031/330-26-38). For dry cleaning, try Textilreinigung (tel. 031/312-00-77), which is located in the main railway station.
Lost Property -- The lost-property office at Predigergasse 5 (tel. 031/321-50-50) is open Monday to Friday from 10am to 4pm (till 6pm Thurs).
Luggage Storage & Lockers -- Storage facilities are available on the lower level of the Bahnhof, on Bahnhofplatz.
Police -- The police station is at Waisenhausplatz 32 (tel. 031/634-41-11).
Post Office -- The main post office (Schanzenpost), at Effingerstrasse 16 (tel. 0848/888-888), is open Monday to Friday from 7:30am to 9pm, on Saturday from 8am to 4pm, and Sunday 4 to 9pm.
Safety -- Bern is Europe's safest capital. Nevertheless, you should take the usual precautions; protect your valuables. It's generally safe to walk the streets at night, and crimes against women are rare.
Taxes -- A 8% value-added tax (VAT) is included in the price of all goods and services rendered, including hotel and restaurant bills. There are no other special taxes.
Telegrams, Telex & Fax -- Most hotels will arrange the expedition of faxes and telegrams. If not, head for the main post office .
Toilets -- You'll find public facilities in the Bahnhof and in some squares in Old Town.
Transit Information -- Call tel. 0900/300-300 (www.sbb.ch) for rail information or tel. 0848/888-888 for postal-bus information.
Getting Around
On Foot
This is the only practical means of exploring Altstadt and its many attractions. You can see what there is to see here in about 2 1/2 hours.
Don't overlook the possibility of 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. There's also a children's playground.
Walks in and around Bern include 250km (155 miles) of marked rambling paths. One of the most scenic walks is along the banks of the Aare through the English gardens, the Dählhölzli Zoological Gardens, Elfenau Park, and the Bremgarten woods.
For jogging and running, the best spots are the Aare River Run (Dalmaziquai), stretching 4km (2.25 miles), or the Aare River Run -- Bear Pits, which is 5km (3 miles) long.
By Bus & Tram
The public transportation system, the Bernmobil, is a reliable, 77km (48-mile) network of buses and trams. Before you board, purchase a ticket from one of the automatic machines located each stop -- conductors don't sell tickets. If you're caught traveling without one, you'll be fined 80F in addition to the fare for the ride. A short-range ride (within six stations) costs 2.20F; a normal ticket, valid for 60 minutes one-way, goes for 4F.
By Taxi
You can catch a taxi at the public cab ranks, or call a dispatcher. Nova Taxi is at tel. 031/331-33-13, Bären Taxi at tel. 031/371-11-11. The basic rate is 6.80F, plus 3.90F per kilometer.
By Car
Seeing Bern by car is very impractical due to traffic congestion in Old Town, its confusing layout of one-way streets, and a lack of on-street parking. If you have a car, it's best to park in a public garage and explore the city on foot; its miles of arcades were designed to protect pedestrians from rain, snow, and traffic.
If you want to rent a car to explore the environs, arrangements can be made at Europcar, Laupenstrasse 22 (tel. 031/381-75-55; www.europcar.com); Hertz, Kasinoplatz at Kochergasse 1 (tel. 031/318-21-60; www.hertz.com); or Avis, Wabernstrasse 41 (tel. 031/378-15-15; www.avis.com).
By Bicycle
Altstadt is compressed into such a small area that it's better to cover the historic district on foot rather than on a bike (bicycles aren't allowed on many pedestrian-only streets, anyway). However, in Greater Bern and its environs, there are 400km (248 miles) of cycling paths, which are marked on a special cycling map available at the tourist center . The narrow yellow lanes throughout the road network are reserved for bikers. The point of departure for most official routes is Bundesplatz in Parliament Square. Special red signs will guide you through a wide variety of landscapes. Bikes can be checked out free at the Zeughausgasse (tel. 079/277-28-57).
