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Basel / Bâle to Bern by train
How to take the rail journey from Basel to Bern
Taking the journey by train between these two cities is very straightforward with up to four departures per hour available.
What makes it unusual is the variety of different trains used on this route.
You could find yourself on German ICE train, on a double-deck Swiss train, or one of the four other types of train used on this route.
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Routes
From Basel SBB/Bâle CFF to Bern
Journey Summary
53min - 57min
Daily
Travel Information
Final Destination: Interlaken Ost or Brig or Milano
A mix of trains is used for the IC services on this route from Basel to Bern; and the specific type of train you will be travelling by, largely depends on the final destination the train will be heading to.
Double deck trains are used on the departures heading to Brig, most of which will comprise the older style of coaches, but - though the brand new LD/Twindexx trains should be introduced to this route later in 2022..
In certain hours the trains heading to Brig are replaced by EC trains, that will be heading to Milano.
Single deck IC trains are usually used on the services that will be heading to Interlaken, but in certain hours the German ICE trains take the place of the IC trains.
2 x trains per hour
Tickets
Book early and save: Yes - If you book Supersaver tickets (more info is available on the SBB ticket guide below).
You may need to search through the departures to find them using the ‘earlier’ and ‘later’ button, they can sell out on the most popular trains.
Online bookings open: up to two months ahead of the travel date
Try and be flexible with your departure and arrival times, book as near to 60 days ahead as possible
Seat reservations:
Seat reservations are optional on Swiss IC trains and on the EC/ICE trains on this route, so seats won't be assigned when booking online.
You can book reservations online for journeys by these IC trains, AFTER you have booked a ticket, by using the SBB (Swiss national railways) seat reservation service - OR request a reservation when booking at a station ticket office.
Travelling with a rail pass:
Rail pass users can jump on any train, without having to make reservations.
Where to book
| Ticket Provider | Approximate Cost | |
|---|---|---|
| SBB | * | |
| Trainline | * | |
| Happyrail | * |
On this journey
Travelling On
Switzerland doesn't have any high speed lines on which trains travel at more than 250 km/h, but south of Olten the train will race at 200 km/h for around 25mins on a fast railway.
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