Coronavirus situation
As of April 1, 2022, all nationwide restrictions and bans
regarding COVID have been lifted. Also the University of
Bern has returned to normal operation.
Information from the Swiss Federal Office of Public Health:
Information from the University of Bern:
Please note that the coronavirus situation and the measures may change quickly.
Travelling to Bern
By plane
There are several international airports from which Bern can be reached quickly. These include
Intercontinental flights into Switzerland arrive in the major hubs in Zürich and Geneva. Both airports are serviced by direct flights to Asia and the Americas. The regional airport Bern-Belp does not serve many destinations.
Transportation from one of the airports to Bern is most convenient by train. Tickets can be purchased from vending machines and paid for using Swiss francs, euro banknotes, debit cards with the Maestro logo and all major credit cards.
- Shuttle busses connect Basel-Mulhouse-Freiburg to Basel SBB (approx. 20 minutes), from where trains can take you to Bern Hbf in about one hour.
- From Geneva Airport, a direct train will take you to Bern Hbf in two hours.
- From Zürich Airport, trains go directly to Bern Hbf in about 80 minutes.
By train
Switzerland has a dense and well-connected railway network. Bern is connected to destinations in Italy via Brig and Milan, to destinations in Germany via Basel and to France via Geneve or Basel. High speed or night connections to Berlin and Paris may make for an attractive alternative to flying. Special offers on tickets can get you a significant discount, but you will need to book early. The same tickets may be offered at different prices by different companies.
By car
We do not recommend coming by car. If you have no other option, it is best to leave the motorway at the exit 'Bern Neufeld' or 'Bern Forsthaus'. The routes from the motorway exits to the Institute are described in detail below. You need a parking disk in order to park in the so called 'blue zones', which include pretty much all of the city. However, parking in blue zones is usually limited to one and a half hours. Longer lasting parking permits (4 hours / 24 hours) within these areas are available from any Bernmobil ticket machines for CHF 9/16. Using a public multi-story car park is also possible, but expect to be paying for the privilege!
From exit Bern Neufeld, drive in the direction Zentrum on the Neubrückstrasse until you reach a roundabout. Take the first exit off this roundabout onto the Mittelstrasse. After three blocks, turn left onto the Gesellschaftsstrasse. The building straight ahead is the Exakte Wissenschaften building. Please note that a multi-storey car park exists right at the exit 'Bern Neufeld': Park + Ride Neufeld.
From exit Bern Forsthaus, drive in the direction Tierspital on the Bremgartenstrasse until you reach a roundabout. Take the third exit off this roundabout onto the Länggassstrasse. After about 800 meters — you will have just passed the building Uni Tobler on your right — turn left on a traffic light onto the Mittelstrasse. After one block, turn right onto the Gesellschaftsstrasse. The building straight ahead is the Exakte Wissenschaften building.