Berlin to Bern by train

How to take a train journey from Berlin to Bern

Despite the distance, the only direct trains from Berlin to Bern are the daily daytime ICE trains.
If you want to travel overnight, the best option is to take the Nightjet train from Berlin to Basel SBB station; and then connect there for Bern.

Routes

From Berlin Hbf to Bern

Journey Summary

From

Berlin

Berlin Hbf Rail Station Guide

Bern

Bern Rail Station Guide

Travel Time

8hr 25min - 8hr 26min*

Frequency

Daily

Travel Information

Final Destination: Interlaken Ost.

These trains commence their journey at Berlin Ostbanhof and they usually depart from the upper level (tief) in Berlin Hbf.

If your journey is commencing in West Berlin, the quickest option is to take a Regio or S-Bahn train from Berlin Zoologischer Garten station to Berlin-Spandau station and join these trains there.

Mon-Friday: 3 x trains per day

Sat/Sun = 2 x trains per day

Tickets

Book early and save: Yes

Online bookings open: 6 months ahead of the travel date

When making an online booking, check that you’re looking at the info for these direct trains.

On the DB Bahn booking site look for journeys that:

depart Berlin Hbf at 04:30 on Mon-Fri and at 10:30 and 12:30 daily
have 0 in the Chg. column
ICE (and only ICE) in the Products column.

Trains departing at different times can be cheaper than others leaving on the same day, so you may need to look through the day's departures to find the cheapest fares.

Use the earlier/later buttons to search for the cheapest ticket prices.

Reservations:

Book 1st class ticket journey tickets on DB and your seat reservation is included, but they're optional when booking 2nd class tickets, or if you will be travelling with a 1st or 2nd class rail pass.

Opting to reserve highly recommended if you want to be sure of being able to remain in the same seat(s) all the way from Berlin to Bern.

Where to book

Ticket Provider	Approximate Cost
DB Bahn	from €27.90
DB Bahn Guide DB is the national railway operator in Germany, so its website can be used for booking journeys by German express trains; the ICE and IC trains and it doesn't charge booking fees. It also sells tickets for journeys by direct trains on all international routes from Germany regardless of whether DB is operating the train service. It also sells an extensive range of end-to-end journeys which involve making connections both within Germany and in neighboring countries, but journeys between Germany and Britain cannot be booked on DB. A key feature of DB website worth keeping mind is that it offers 1st class ticket purchasers complimentary seat reservations on journeys both within and to/from Germany. Seat reservations for daytime in both 1st and 2nd class can also be booked separately from tickets. Buying and using tickets for German rail travel This guide will help you save money, time and confusion. Buying and using tickets for German rail travel How to Book Tickets on the DB Website This step by step guide shows how to use DB, the German railways website, to buy German train tickets, so that you can book and save with confidence! How to Book Tickets on the DB Website Using Rail Passes in and to/from Germany All that's good to know about using Eurail and InterRail passes on German train journeys and on international trains to and from Germany Using Rail Passes in and to/from Germany
Saveatrain	from €27.90
Saveatrain Guide Booking Train Tickets with an Independent Ticketing Service What to look out for when using Omio, SaveATrain, HappyRail, Trainline and RailEurope (UK) when booking train tickets for European rail journeys Booking Train Tickets with an Independent Ticketing Service
Omio	from €27.90
Omio Guide Omio is an online ticket agency which offers tickets for rail journeys in France, Germany, Great Britain, Italy and Spain. The three key advantages of using Omio are it offers prices in multiple currencies it usually offers price comparison with other modes of travel including flights and buses when visiting Europe, you can book journeys in multiple countries in one transaction. The disadvantage of booking with Omio is that it often adds a booking fee to the final price; therefore when it does so without offering a price advantage, SMTJ doesn't tend to offer Omio as a booking option. Booking Train Tickets with an Independent Ticketing Service What to look out for when using Omio, SaveATrain, HappyRail, Trainline and RailEurope (UK) when booking train tickets for European rail journeys Booking Train Tickets with an Independent Ticketing Service
Happyrail	from €27.90
Happyrail Guide Happy Rail is a Netherlands rail ticket agency which sells tickets for both national and international journeys within a range of countries including Belgium France, Germany, Sweden, Switzerland. HappyRail doesn't charge booking fees in the conventional sense, but if you're not Dutch you can expect to pay additional transaction fees, which will be added to the total cost. That's because the most common form of online payment used in The Netherlands is 'iDEAL' and HappyRail doesn't charge a transaction fee for 'iDEAL' payments, but only Dutch residents can sign up to 'iDEAL'. Other forms of payment include Visa debit cards will incur a fee. Booking Train Tickets with an Independent Ticketing Service What to look out for when using Omio, SaveATrain, HappyRail, Trainline and RailEurope (UK) when booking train tickets for European rail journeys Booking Train Tickets with an Independent Ticketing Service

On this journey

Travelling On

ICE 4 (Germany) Train Guide

Journey Features

Scenic - NoHigh Speed (partial)

Good to Know

The train will reverse direction at Frankfurt (Main) Hbf.

The train will travel on no less than three high speed lines during the course of its journey and during these sections of the trip the speeds should reach more than 250 km, but most of the journey is on conventional railway lines.

It is a journey of ten distinct phases:

One of the highlights of the journey comes right at the beginning of the trip when the train travels on a viaduct across Berlin with great views over the city centre
Then between Berlin-Spandau until around 10 mins before arrival in Braunschweig the train will be on a high speed line across dull farmland.
Shortly after Hildeshiem until Fulda, the train will make use of Germany's first high speed line; this is the part of the journey with a wow factor as the trains will travel across dozens of viaducts and bridges, which occur as flashes between numerous tunnels.
The train will reverse direction on departure from Frankfurt (Main) Hbf.
Between Frankfurt (Main) and Karlrsruhe the train will race through a string of towns.
Then from Karlsruhe to Offenburg a high speed line has been constructed right beside the conventional route, which will be on the left.
From Offenburg to the suburbs of Basel, the railway travels through a rolling landscape.
The train will reverse direction on departure from Basel SBB station
The most scenic part of the journey is between Basel and Olten, though its fairy average journey by Swiss standards.
10.Between Olten and Bern a straight railway has been constructed which allows trains to travel at 200 km/h

The general guide to German rail travel Discover what's good to know about riding the trains, using the major stations, booking tickets and travelling with Eurail and InterRail passes

The general guide to Swiss rail travel Discover what's good to know about riding the trains, taking popular journeys, using the major stations, booking tickets and travelling with rail passes

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