Getting Around Bern: An Overview
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, so a single ticket can cover a tram ride, a bus connection and an S-Bahn leg as long as you stay within the zones you paid for. The suburbs of Bern, Biel and Solothurn form a common public transport network named "Libero-Tarifverbund".
Tickets and Passes
Tickets can be purchased as a single ticket, a saver ticket with six rides, a day pass, or weekly, monthly and yearly passes. Tickets and timetable information for Switzerland is available on sbb.ch or via the SBB Mobile apps, which require a working internet connection. Alternatively, you can use a ticket vending machine. Tickets are valid for all modes of public transport within the zones they encompass.
One of the most useful things for a visitor to know is that all hotel bookings in Bern include the "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. Most hotels allow you to print your public transport ticket, so you don't need to install the official app on your phone (which is proprietary software, and available only for Android or iOS).
Trams and Buses
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 and 30 minutes. Bernmobil is the operator of the local tram and bus services and provides timetables and other information on its website or by telephone.
Rail and the S-Bahn
Bern is at the hub of the SBB network, and the main railway station sits in a mall surrounded by cafes and other shops, with the info kiosk and main bank of ticket machines at the back, beneath the big departures board. 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. Note that until 2034, the Bern train station will be the site of various construction projects to renovate and expand the facility, so allow a little extra time and attention when navigating it.
Walking
The city centre of Bern is easily accessible by foot. The relatively small old town and the area around the main train station are best explored by walking. Do bear in mind that Bern is built on very uneven ground, with a notable elevation difference between the inner city districts on the Aare (Matte, Marzili) and the higher ones (Kirchenfeld, Länggasse), so some routes involve a climb.
Cycling
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 topography, some stamina may be required, or an electric bike. The local branch of the Swiss-wide bike sharing Publibike charges Fr. 3 for the first 30 minutes; the formerly free local bike-share "Bern Rollt" has been terminated.
Car and Motorbike
Like in most Swiss cities, parking space is rare and expensive. There are several paid parking stations, including at the main train station. As the city centre is quite small and all of the major attractions are within walking distance, it's a good choice to park in a "park and ride" and take public transport to the centre of town. Using the car in the old town is very difficult and not recommended. Motorbikers will find free dedicated parking spaces in several places around the perimeter of the old town, including near Waisenhausplatz and at the main train station.
Taxis
Several taxi companies operate in Bern, including Nova Taxi, Bären Taxi and Taxi Bern. Taxis can be booked by phone, or at the main train station.
Getting In: Arriving by Train, Car and Bus
Situated in the middle of Switzerland, Bern is easy to reach from all parts of the country. Express (InterCity) trains connect twice per hour to Geneva, Basel and Zurich as well as Zurich and Geneva airports, and hourly express trains connect to most other cities, including Interlaken, Brig, and Lucerne. For timetables and connections see Swiss Federal Railway; for best travel deals see the Swiss Travel Planner, since walk-up full fare tickets are expensive. By car, Bern is easily reachable with the national motorway network from all directions and has several exits from motorways A1, A12 and A6. Long-distance coaches from Eurolines, Flixbus and RegioJet connect Bern to several European cities by bus.
From the Airport into the City
Bern-Belp Airport lies south of the city, off Hwy 8 west of the River Aare. This airport is a small affair. To reach the city, take Bus 334 or 160 to Belp railway station, then connect to frequent S-bahn local trains from Belp to Bern's main station, about 40 minutes altogether. The bus runs every 30 minutes between 05:10 and 23:10, with the first and last buses of the day running directly to Bern railway station. The transfer is free if you have booked accommodation in Bern, just show your confirmation letter; otherwise it costs Fr. 7 each way. A taxi to the city is about Fr. 40 and takes 20 minutes.
For a better choice of flights, fly into Geneva, Zurich or Basel and then take the train to Bern.