SWITZERLAND - Europe by Eurail 2015: Touring Europe by Train - page 539

ticket for the private railroads leading out of Interlaken to Grindelwald or Laut-
erbrunnen and Wengen en route to the Jungfrau. Pass holders will receive a
discount.
• Tourist information and hotel reservations are available at Bern Tourismus,
in the rail station complex. Tel: [phone]; Fax: [phone];
www.bern.com ; E-mail: [e-mail].
Turn left coming off the escalator from the ground level, then right at the pas-
sageway leading to the street. The office will be a few steps farther on your
right. It is identified by a green i sign. Hours: 0900-1900 Monday- Saturday,
0900-1800 Sunday. There is no fee for hotel reservations. For online bookings,
visit www.bernetourism.ch .
Ask Bern Tourismus for the booklets Bern Information and Bern Excur-
sions, the latter being an informative publication listing more day excursions
from Bern by rail, lake steamer, and postal buses.
Sights/Attractions/Tours
There are two excellent means of guided sightseeing in Bern: on foot or by com-
fortable motor coach escorted by a multilingual guide. The bus departs from in
front of the railway station at 1100 daily April through October; November 1 through
March 31 on Saturday only at 1000. The bus tour takes two hours, and tickets may
be purchased at the tourist office for CHF 20; children age 6 to 16, CHF 10.
If interested in the walking tours, ask at the tourist office for the Short City Sight-
seeing Map. It leads you right through the heart of Bern's ancient walled city. The
city's famed bear pits have been replaced by a Bear Park, which is free. The park
is open for walkers looking for the bears 24 hours, with keepers and guides onsite
0800-1700, and area shops open 0830-1630. Visit www.baerenpark-bern.ch . In
the center of Bern, be certain to take in the multimedia Bern Show. Performances
are every 20 minutes, and it's free! From there you return to your point of depar-
ture by a different route. According to the map, the entire route can be covered in
approximately one hour, but without any stops en route. Plan for a minimum of two
hours and consider yourself lucky if you make it in three. (According to the tourist
office, no one has ever returned within the hour.)
If interested in seeing Bern on foot with the help of a multimedia guide, ask at
the tourist information office in the rail station or at the Bear Park about renting
an iPod audio guide (available in five languages). You can choose between two
routes, each with detailed directions and descriptions of the most interesting sights
in Bern, and you have the freedom to tour at your own pace. Rental fees: up to 6