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Genève / Geneva to Bern by train
A rail journey that is simple and surprisingly fabulous
Take a right hand seat on the upper deck (when available) and you can make the most of one of Switzerland's most thrilling rail experiences.
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Routes
From Genève/Geneva-Cornavin to Bern
Journey Summary
1hr 44min - 1hr 56 min
Daily
Travel Information
All trains also call at: Fribourg
Final Destination:
Luzern (the IR trains on IR route 15)
St Gallen (the IC trains on IC route 1)
The train service between Geneve and Bern is split between IC trains heading to St Gallen via Zurich and IR trains heading to Luzern.
Both train services operate hourly and the timetable is arranged so that trains leave Geneve for Bern every 30 mins.
However, a recent change is that the IR trains are now around 10 mins slower than the IC trains, as they have had additional station calls inserted into their regular timetables.
Also if you want to have a meal in a restaurant car on the train, you will need to target the IC trains.
The brand new LD/Twindexx trains should now be operating on some of the IC departures.
2 x trains per hour
Tickets
Book early and save: Yes
Online bookings open: 60 days ahead of the travel date.
*If you book Supersaver tickets - see our Swiss Tickets guide for advice on how to book these tickets.
You may need to search through the departures to find these 'Supersaver' tickets using the ‘earlier’ and ‘later’ buttons; though these tickets tend to sell out particularly quickly on this route; if you'll be booking only a couple of days ahead, you'll be more likely to find them available on the IR trains.
Our step by step guide to booking tickets on the PC version of the SBB (Swiss national railways) website is available HERE.
Seat reservations:
Seat reservations are optional on Swiss IC trains, 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.
Seat reservations aren’t available on the IR trains.
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 | * | |
| Omio | * | |
| Happyrail | * |
On this journey
Travelling On
Journey Features
Good to Know
These trains commence their journeys at Geneve-Aeroport station; it takes the trains around 5 mins to travel from there to the main station in Geneve before they then head off to Bern.
This journey showcases the fact that you don't have to travel on one of the scenic Swiss mountain railways, in order to see a spectacular vista from a Swiss train.
From the right of the train (when facing the direction) of travel there are some incredible views over Lake Geneva when the train departs from Lausanne.
It's worth travelling on the upper deck in order to see these views at their best.
This part of the journey is so fabulous that it merited a place on the list of the 15 Most Beautiful Swiss Train Journeys.
For the final part of the journey, the trains will then pass through a pleasing landscape, with mountains on the horizon.
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