Finding a good hotel to stay in Bern may seem easy at first visit, since it is a relatively small city and its tourist attractions are quite close to each other, but it is not always so, especially if it is the first time you visit.
To make this process much easier and faster, in this post we leave you a brief explanation of the structure of the city and how it is divided into districts and neighborhoods as well as a selection of the best areas to stay and the best hotels to stay in Bern, always highlighting its value for money.
Something important to keep in mind is that many travelers spend only one day in this city, so whenever you can, it is important to opt for a central place to sleep in Bern, to make the most of your time.
Based on the several times we have visited the city, the last one during the Swiss Travel Pass Swiss Train Tour, which we included in the guide to Switzerland, we leave you a selection of places to stay in Bern and the best neighborhoods. Let’s get started!
Neighborhoods where to stay in Bern
Although the city is relatively small, it is important to know how it is distributed in order to select the areas that are closest to the tourist attractions, which are the best places to sleep in Bern.
We can say that Bern is divided into six districts, also known as stadtteile, which are Innere Stadt, which is the historic center of the city, Länggasse-Felsenau, Mattenhof-Weissenbühl, Kirchenfeld-Schosshalde, Breitenrain-Lorraine and Bümpliz-Oberbottigen, which in turn are divided into neighborhoods or quartiers.
The districts that we will focus on, as they are the best places to stay in Bern are Innere Stadt, which is divided into the Schwarzes, Weisses, Grünes, Gelbes and Rotes quarters; Kirchenfeld-Schosshalde which is district IV and is divided into the Kirchenfeld, Gryphenhübeli, Brunnadern, Murifeld, Schosshalde and Beundenfeld quarters and Mattenhof-Weissenbühl, which is district III.
1. The historic center, the best place to sleep in Bern
Innere Stadt, known as District I, corresponds to the historic center of the city, so it is undoubtedly the best place to stay in Bern, as you will be close to most tourist attractions and you will also have a wide range of restaurants.
The only drawback of sleeping here is that the price of hotels is usually somewhat higher than the rest of the city but considering that most travelers are only one day in the city, we believe it is justifiable to pay a little more to be close to everything.
The price of accommodation in the historic center is usually 150 euros although there are offers that sometimes go down to 100 euros.
2. Mattenhof-Weissenbühl, near the train station, another of the best options to find a hotel in Bern
This is district III, located in the southwest area of the city and is another of the best options where to sleep in Bern as it is next to the train station.
In addition to the location, which is perfect if you are making a route through Switzerland by train, in this area there are many options for accommodation and restaurants at prices somewhat tighter in the downtown area.
The price of accommodation in Mattenhof-Weissenbühl is usually 100 euros.
3. Kirchenfeld-Schosshalde, another good place to sleep in Bern
Known as the IV district and located in the southern part of Innere Stadt, this is the best option to sleep in Bern if you do not find accommodation in the historic center as well as being relatively close to most tourist attractions, it also has some hotels and restaurants, although to a lesser extent than the center.
In addition here are also located the Historical Museum of Bern, the Museum of Communication of Bern, the Alpine Museum of Switzerland and some important embassies and schools in the city.
The price of accommodation in Kirchenfeld-Schosshalde is usually 120 euros.
Our recommended places to stay in Bern
In case you have a tighter budget to stay in Bern, we recommend you to look at the Ibis budget Bern Expo hotel, which is located about 20 minutes walk from the downtown area and also has a streetcar stop in front of it that you can use for free with the Bern Ticket.
This pass is given to you at the hotel and with it you will be able to use public transport for free, as well as other advantages such as discounts.
Tips for finding cheap accommodation in Bern
Although we believe that everything we have already mentioned is the most important thing to keep in mind when looking for a place to stay in Bern, we believe that if you are on a tight budget, it is important to keep in mind other tips and recommendations as well.
- Something important to consider is that if you are only going to stay one night in the city, if it is worth paying a little less but being away from the tourist attractions. Sometimes the savings are minimal and a lot of time is lost in transfers.
- Another important thing to keep in mind is that hotels in Bern are not cheap, so it is worth booking as far in advance as possible to have more options and offers.
- Remember that to avoid paying commissions and to always have the current exchange rate we recommend you to use the Revolut card and the N26 card.
- These are the ones we use, they are free and will save you a lot of money.
