SWITZERLAND - Europe by Eurail 2015: Touring Europe by Train - page 538

ground level; more extensive food-service facilities are on the upper levels, ending
at the top of the escalators with a full-service restaurant.
• Baggage storage. Visitors burdened with baggage may want to use the coin
lockers on the ground (train) level or find the area marked FLY BAGGAGE (bag-
gage room) on the street level. Taxi service is available from the street
level—follow the pictographs—but check with Bern Tourismus before attempting
to use the public-bus and streetcar services. Their access ramps, fares, ticket
machines, and so forth can be confusing.
A suburban train station is located on the underground arcade level. To reach
it, continue past the escalators that run to the street level and watch for its en-
trance on the left side of the passageway. This system is operated by a private
Swiss railroad. Swiss Passes are accepted, and Eurail passes are accepted by
some private Swiss railroads such as RBS. Check prior to boarding the train.
The Bern station, like most of the major rail terminals in Switzerland, will ac-
cept your baggage and check it through the Zürich or Geneva airports directly
to your U.S. port of entry (except if you're flying on American carriers). Trains
for both airports depart the Bern station every 30 minutes throughout the day.
Place your baggage on a train an hour or so in advance of your departure for
the airport.
• Money exchange facilities, two of them, are located on the ground level of the
station. Both may be reached by turning right, just before the elevators, as you
come out of the passageway leading from the trains. Both will be on your right
as you proceed into the station's arcade. The first office, marked CHANGE SBB , is
operated by the Swiss railroads. Hours: Monday-Friday 0700-1930, Saturday
0700-1900, Sunday 0900-1900. There is also an ATM.
There are several banks in the plaza surrounding the station. The rates of ex-
change are standard throughout the city each day, however, and the rail-station
money exchange and ATM facilities are the most convenient.
• Train information, reservations, and rail pass validations can be obtained
from the rail-reservations center immediately across the passageway from the
tourist information office. Look for the blue “i” sign. Hours: 0900-1900
Monday-Friday, 0900-1800 Saturday. The center dispenses rail information, re-
servations, and other services, including validation of rail passes. Keep in mind
that Eurail passes are accepted on all of the Swiss federal railways and certain
lake steamers; on the other hand, they are accepted only on a few of the private
railroads. To be certain, check your day-excursions plans with the train informa-
tion office. For example, if you plan to ascend the Jungfrau, any of the Eurail
passes or Swiss passes will take you to Interlaken, where you must purchase a