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Bern Hauptbahnhof, Switzerland's second-busiest railway station and the terminus for InterCity trains from Interlaken.
Photo: JoachimKohler-HB / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)Interlaken to Bern by Train
A domestic route within Switzerland.
Reviewed by Eurotraintrip on 2026-07-30
- Duration
- 0h 47m – 0h 58m
- Price from
- 23 CHF
- Distance
- 43 km
- Operators
- SBB CFF FFS
- Frequency
- Direct InterCity trains roughly hourly via Thun and Spiez, plus additional regional trains on parts of the corridor, for around 20-27 direct departures a day
Compare and book Interlaken–Bern tickets
Check pricesWhat makes Interlaken to Bern different
- The Lake Thun railway line this route uses between Thun, Spiez and Interlaken is 27.9km long and, unlike most of Switzerland's mainline network, is owned by BLS AG rather than SBB - a legacy of the once-independent Thunerseebahn, which opened this stretch in 1893.
- Bern Hauptbahnhof, this route's terminus, is Switzerland's second-busiest railway station after Zurich's, handling around 189,200 passengers on an average weekday in 2023 across 8 platforms and 17 tracks.
- Because this corridor continues north to Basel and south over the Lotschberg toward Brig and Italy, the InterCity you board between Bern and Interlaken also carries through-passengers on longer-distance and EuroCity-linked services.
Interlaken station
Interlaken-Bern trains call at both of the town's stations - Interlaken Ost, the eastern terminus and hub for the Jungfrau region's narrow-gauge lines, and Interlaken West, about 2 minutes further along the line and a shorter walk from the Hoheweg promenade.
Bern station
Arrives at Bern Hauptbahnhof, wedged between the medieval Old Town and the newer city on a site that has been Bern's station since 1858-1860 and rebuilt several times since; the Zytglogge clock tower and the UNESCO-listed Old Town arcades are about a 5-minute walk from the main exit.
Train vs. other options
There's no scheduled flight for a roughly 43km domestic hop like this, and driving via the A6 autoroute typically takes about as long as the train in light traffic, without matching the train's flat fare or sparing you from finding parking in either town's compact center.
Booking tips
- This is one of Switzerland's cheapest and shortest intercity hops - an SBB Supersaver fare (from about CHF 23) undercuts the standard walk-up fare (roughly CHF 31-34), but for a journey this short it's rarely worth locking into a specific non-refundable train unless you're already stacking a Half Fare Card discount.
- Trains calling at Interlaken split between Interlaken West and Interlaken Ost, about 2 minutes apart - check which station is on your ticket, since West is closer to the Hoheweg promenade and Ost is the hub for onward Jungfrau-region connections.
- No security screening or check-in applies to this domestic InterCity - just show or validate your ticket on board and reach the platform a few minutes before departure.
Good to know: Because this is one of Switzerland's shortest and cheapest intercity routes, the gap between the standard 2nd-class fare (roughly CHF 31-34) and the cheapest advance Supersaver fare (from about CHF 23) is smaller in absolute terms than on longer Swiss routes.
While you're in Bern
The Zytglogge, Bern's 13th-century clock tower with its 1530 astronomical dial, at the heart of the Old Town.
Photo: Zairon / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)Bern's compact UNESCO-listed Old Town is wrapped by a bend in the Aare river and threaded with roughly six kilometres of covered sandstone arcades, with the 15th-century Zytglogge clock tower marking its center.
Full Bern travel guide →Frequently asked questions
How long is the train from Interlaken to Bern?
Direct InterCity trains via Thun and Spiez take about 47 to 58 minutes, depending on the specific departure.
Which Interlaken station should I use for the train to Bern?
Trains call at both Interlaken Ost and Interlaken West, about 2 minutes apart - check your ticket, since West is closer to the town's central Hoheweg promenade.
How much does the Interlaken to Bern train cost?
Advance Supersaver fares start from around CHF 23, while the standard 2nd-class fare is typically CHF 31-34.