A Travel Price Comparison for Families, Couples, and Backpackers Bern vs. Bergen for Attractions, Old Town, Families, and Couples

Should you visit Bern or Bergen?

Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?

Should I visit Bern or Bergen? This is a common question asked by many travelers. By figuring out which city has activities that align with your interests along with knowing which is more affordable, you'll understand where you can get more bang for your buck. So, let's dive into the details and the data, which all comes from actual travelers.

Bern

Bern is a historic, charming, and beautiful city. With stunning beauty, it attracts visitors from all around. Other popular activities here include nightlife, food, and shopping.

Bergen

Bergen is a friendly, laid back, and nostalgic city. It's a very nice small town not to be missed. It's also known for nightlife, food, and shopping.

Bern and Bergen: Pros and Cons

Is there more to do in Bern or Bergen?

Visitors will generally find more to do in Bern than Bergen. While Bergen is larger than Bern, Bern has more sights, attractions, and activities for tourists. Bern is better known for its museums, historical sights, and impressive beauty, while Bergen is more popular for its small town charm. Bern is well known for its well-preserved old town and its reputation as the home of the Lindt chocolate factory. Also, Bern is famous for The Zytglogge Clock Tower. Bergen is well known for its breathtaking fjords, classic wooden houses, and surrounding mountain beauty.

How is Bern different from Bergen?

Which is Better for a Holiday?

Let's take a look at the differences and similarities between Bergen and Bern. Then, you can decide for yourself which place is better for your next trip.

Are the Museums and Historical Sights Better in Bern or Bergen?

Bern is notable for its sights and museums. Also, Bergen is not as famous, but is still a good city to visit for its museums and history.

Bern offers many unique museums, sights, and landmarks that will make for a memorable trip. The city is filled with architecture and charming character. While you're in town make sure you visit the Einstein Museum, the Clock Tower, and the Bern Cathedral.

Bergen is a good place to visit if you're interested in museums or other recognizable sights. There are some interesting local museums such as the Hanseatic Museum, the Edvard Grieg Museum, and the KODE Museums.

Is the Food Better in Bern or Bergen? Which Destination has the Best Restaurants?

There are opportunities to sample the local cuisine at notable restaurants in both Bern and Bergen.

Bern offers number of good local restaurants to choose from. The city has cozy cafes, high end fine dining, traditional eateries, and modern venues.

Bergen has a delicious restaurant scene that relies on local flavors. The city's economy has long been centered around the fish trade and even today you'll find cod, shellfish, trout, and salmon on most menus. Sheep and mutton are also popular. Desserts and coffee are also a big part of the local culture.

Is Bern or Bergen Better for Nightlife?

Both Bern and Bergen are notable when it comes to partying.

There's a variety of activities in the evening in Bern. There are bars, Irish pubs, and clubs around town.

With a handful of venues, visitors can find a fairly lively vibe in Bergen. It's a small city without a huge nightlife district, but there are bars and clubs in Bryggen and Old Bulls Plass. The city has enough students to keep things lively and fun.

Is Bern or Bergen Better for its Old Town?

Bern is notable for its historic old town charm. Also, Bergen is not as famous, but is still a good city to visit for its historic old town.

Many visitors explore the old town while visiting Bern. The charming old town is filled with quaint alleys and sandstone buildings. It's a compact area that flows down a hill to the River Aare.

Bergen is a good destination for visiting its old town. The wooden buildings and compact streets have a quaint and nostalgic atmosphere.

Is the Shopping Better in Bern or Bergen?

Both Bern and Bergen are high quality shopping destinations.

Bern is an extremely popular place for shoppers. The old town is filled with boutique shops and unique markets. The main shopping streets are Spitalgasse and Marktgasse and popular items to buy include jewelry, art, and watches.

Bergen is well-known for its shopping. The city center is filled with specialty boutiques as well as larger department stores. Shopping has long been a large part of the economy and you'll enjoy exploring the diversity of retail options.

Is Bern or Bergen Better for Families?

Kids will enjoy a visit to either Bern or Bergen.

Bern is a very family-friendly place to visit. This charming town has riverside parks and pools, a zoo, a waterpark, and kid-friendly museums that the whole family can enjoy. You can also visit nearby Gurten, a mountain with tobogganing, concerts, and a mini ski resort.

Because of its large number of kid-friendly activities, Bergen is very family-friendly. There are some interesting educational opportunities for kids including the Bergen Aquarium, VilVite Science Centre, and Experience Bryggen. Other fun activities include Vannkanten Waterworld and the Fløibanen Funicular.

Is Bern or Bergen Better for Couples?

With fun activities for couples, both Bern and Bergen make for a high quality place to visit.

Bern is a very popular place to visit for couples. With charming restaurants, a beautiful rose garden, and nice hotels and spas, this town makes a beautiful romantic getaway.

Bergen makes for a fun place to visit for a couple. There are many romantic activities near town like swimming in the fjords and walking through the parks. There are also spas and music concerts to enjoy.

Is Bern or Bergen Better for Backpackers and Budget Travelers?

Bern is notable for backpackers. Also, Bergen is not as famous, but is still a good city to visit for backpackers and budget travelers.

Bern is a very popular city for backpackers and budget travelers. Like most of Switzerland, prices are a bit high, but there are some hostels and free activities that backpackers and budget travelers can enjoy.

Bergen is popular with backpackers and budget travelers. There are a few hostels and guesthouses around town where backpackers can meet other travelers.

Is Bern or Bergen Better for Students?

Bergen is a popular place for students. However, Bern is not popular with students.

Bergen is a good city to visit for students. It's a very student-friendly city with many activities and a laid back atmosphere. The university facilities are spread out around town and the locals are welcoming and helpful.

Bern is not popular with students.

Is Bern or Bergen Better for Public Transit? Which Is Easier to Get Around Without a Car?

Both Bern and Bergen offer high quality public transit options.

Visitors to Bern can move around easily with public transportation. There are trams and buses that run around town.

The public transit in Bergen can get you around easily. For the areas that are outside of the city center, you can take a local bus or the light rail to access them. These services are operated by Skyss.

Is Bern or Bergen a more walkable city?

Bern and Bergen both are high quality when exploring on foot.

Bern is very walkable. It's fun to explore the old town on foot. It is compact enough to that you can see all of the highlights in a few hours.

Bergen is a very walkable city. The city center is flat and compact enough that it's fun to explore on foot.

For even more information, also check out Is Bern Worth Visiting? and Is Bergen Worth Visiting?.

Should I spend more time in Bergen or Bern?

How long in Bern or Bergen?

Visitors can find plenty of fun things to do in both Bern and Bergen. In our opinion, Bern has more to see and do, so we recommend that you spend more time in Bern than Bergen. However, 1-3 days is a good amount of time to spend in either destination.

Families should spend more time in Bern than Bergen. Because of the many family-friendly attractions and fun things to do for kids in Bern, it's a great place to visit with the whole family.

Couples should spend more time in Bern than Bergen. You'll find plenty of romantic sights and fun activities in Bern that are great for a weekend getaway or a longer couple's trip.

Backpackers and budget travelers should spend more time in Bern than Bergen if your budget allows for it. With a larger number of budget-friendly sights, good nightlife, and active things to do, anyone traveling on a budget would have a good time in Bern.

One day in Bern or Bergen?

Many travelers enjoy the museums and nightlife when visiting the destination of Bern. The old town is one of the main draws for visitors. One day is often enough time to do most activities.

Visitors enjoy the food and shopping when visiting the destination of Bergen. Take your pick from the many activities offered here. One day is usually enough time to experience most activities.

A weekend in Bern or Bergen?

Bern is a great place to explore. It is common to spend a weekend here. With all of its activities, you can easily fill a weekend here. Your budget might influence how long you stay.

Bergen is a fun place to experience. If you have a weekend, this is a great place to go. A weekend is often enough time to do most activities. The entire region has so many activities, and you'll want time to do everything.

Five days in Bern or Bergen?

It's hard to know how much time to spend in Bern. Make sure you visit the old town while you're here. Five days may feel like too much time unless you plan to do a lot of relaxing. It has many unique tourist attractions and fascinating things to do.

You'll find museums and nightlife around the nostalgic destination of Bergen. This city offers something for everyone. Five days is plenty of time to see everything, even with extra days to spare.

A week in Bern or Bergen?

Travelers enjoy the shopping and museums when visiting the charming destination of Bern. This city offers a variety of activities to choose from. Most visitors spend time around the old town while in the area. Most people find that one week is more than enough time to see everything.

The friendly city of Bergen offers nightlife and food. The length of your trip often depends on your style of travel. One week is usually plenty of time to spend here with extra days to spare. With this much time, visitors often visit nearby destinations or take day trips.

For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Family-Friendly Tours to Switzerland, The Best Hiking & Trekking Tours in Switzerland, The Best 10-Day Tours in Norway, and The Best One Week (7-Day) Tours in Norway.

When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Bern and Bergen, we can see that Bern is more expensive. And not only is Bergen much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Bergen would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Bergen and be able to afford a more luxurious travel style by staying in nicer hotels, eating at more expensive restaurants, taking tours, and experiencing more activities. The same level of travel in Bern would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Bern than you might in Bergen.

If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Bern Expensive? and Is Bergen Expensive?.

Which is Bigger, Bern or Bergen?

Bergen has a larger population, and is about 76% larger than the population of Bern. When comparing the sizes of Bern and Bergen, keep in mind that a larger population does not always imply the destination has more attractions or better activities. So, always research the type of place that you want to visit along with the activities and attractions that interest you.

When is the best time to visit Bern or Bergen?

Both destinations experience a temperate climate with four distinct seasons. And since both cities are in the northern hemisphere, summer is in July and winter is in January.

Should I visit Bern or Bergen in the Summer?

Both Bergen and Bern are popular destinations to visit in the summer with plenty of activities. The summer months attract visitors to Bern because of the family-friendly experiences. Also, the small town charm and the family-friendly experiences are the main draw to Bergen this time of year.

In July, Bern is generally a little warmer than Bergen. Daily temperatures in Bern average around 21°C (70°F), and Bergen fluctuates around 15°C (58°F).

It rains a lot this time of the year in Bergen. In July, Bern usually receives less rain than Bergen. Bern gets 63 mm (2.5 in) of rain, while Bergen receives 148 mm (5.8 in) of rain each month for the summer.

Should I visit Bern or Bergen in the Autumn?

Both Bergen and Bern during the autumn are popular places to visit. The shopping scene and the natural beauty of the area are the main draw to Bern this time of year. Furthermore, many travelers come to Bergen for the shopping scene and the small town atmosphere.

Bern is a little warmer than Bergen in the autumn. The daily temperature in Bern averages around 13°C (55°F) in October, and Bergen fluctuates around 9°C (48°F).

Bergen gets a good bit of rain this time of year. Bern usually gets less rain in October than Bergen. Bern gets 49 mm (1.9 in) of rain, while Bergen receives 271 mm (10.7 in) of rain this time of the year.

Should I visit Bern or Bergen in the Winter?

The winter attracts plenty of travelers to both Bern and Bergen. Many travelers come to Bern for the museums, the shopping scene, and the cuisine. Furthermore, many visitors come to Bergen in the winter for the museums, the shopping scene, and the cuisine.

Bergen can get quite cold in the winter. Be prepared for some very cold days in Bern. In the winter, Bern is much warmer than Bergen. Typically, the winter temperatures in Bern in January average around 3°C (37°F), and Bergen averages at about 2°C (35°F).

Bergen receives a lot of rain in the winter. In January, Bern usually receives less rain than Bergen. Bern gets 54 mm (2.1 in) of rain, while Bergen receives 190 mm (7.5 in) of rain each month for the winter.

Should I visit Bern or Bergen in the Spring?

The spring brings many poeple to Bern as well as Bergen. Many visitors come to Bern in the spring for the natural beauty. Additionally, most visitors come to Bergen for the small town charm during these months.

In April, Bern is generally much warmer than Bergen. Daily temperatures in Bern average around 11°C (52°F), and Bergen fluctuates around 6°C (43°F).

It's quite rainy in Bergen. Bern usually gets less rain in April than Bergen. Bern gets 59 mm (2.3 in) of rain, while Bergen receives 114 mm (4.5 in) of rain this time of the year.

Typical Weather for Bergen and Bern