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

Should you visit Bern or Bregenz?

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

Should I visit Bern or Bregenz? 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 cultural, historic, and charming city. With stunning beauty, it attracts visitors from all around. It's also popular because of the museums, nightlife, and food.

Bregenz

Bregenz is a cultural, historic, and medieval city. It's a gorgeous place to visit. It's also known for nightlife, food, and shopping.

Bern and Bregenz: Pros and Cons

Is there more to do in Bern or Bregenz?

Visitors will usually find more to do in Bern than Bregenz, as it offers more sights, attractions, and activities. Bern is better known for its museums, historical sights, shopping, and impressive beauty, while Bregenz is more popular for its food. 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. Bregenz is well known for its lakefront setting, its rich culture, and its fun-filled festivals.

How is Bern different from Bregenz?

Which is Better for a Holiday?

Let's take a look at the differences and similarities between Bregenz 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 Bregenz?

Bern is a great city for its historical sights. Also, Bregenz is not as popular, but is still a nice city for its sights and museums.

Many visitors head to Bern specifically to visit some of its top-rated museums and other sights. 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.

Bregenz is a good place to visit if you're interested in museums or other recognizable sights. The sights are split between the Lower Town and the Upper Town. There's a long history with many historic buildings and museums that you can explore.

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

Bregenz is a well-known place for its local cuisine and restaurants. Also, Bern is not as famous, but is still a good city to visit for its restaurants.

With its innovative style combined with traditional elements, Bregenz makes for a great culinary experience. You'll find many restaurants around town that serve local dishes. Popular options include fish dishes, roasted venison, and baked rabbit. The food is hearty and often served with filling sauces. Cheese platters are also popular.

Bern has a delicious restaurant scene that relies on local flavors. The city has cozy cafes, high end fine dining, traditional eateries, and modern venues.

Is Bern or Bregenz Better for Nightlife?

Both Bern and Bregenz 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 Bregenz. You'll find bars and clubs around town as well as a lively beach bar by the lake.

Is Bern or Bregenz Better for its Old Town?

Bern is a great city for its historic old town charm. Also, Bregenz is not as popular, but is still a nice city for its historic old town.

There is a nice variety of sights in the old town of 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.

Many visitors go to Bregenz to see the historical old town. The old town is filled with medieval buildings that each have a fascinating and sometimes dark story to tell.

Is the Shopping Better in Bern or Bregenz?

Bern is a great city for its shopping areas. Also, Bregenz is not as popular, but is still a nice city for shopping.

Many visitors explore the shopping areas in Bern. 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.

Bregenz is a great destination for shopping. A mix of international brands and local shops make shopping a fun and diverse experience. Wandering the streets and popping in the selection of retail stores is a fun way to spend the afternoon.

Is Bern or Bregenz Better for Families?

Kids will enjoy a visit to either Bern or Bregenz.

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, Bregenz is very family-friendly. Its location on Lake Constance means that there are a wide range of outdoor activities that kids will enjoy. There are also a number of kid-friendly museums, zoos, and other places that will inspire young minds.

Is Bern or Bregenz Better for Couples?

With fun activities for couples, both Bern and Bregenz make for a great 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.

Bregenz makes for a fun place to visit for a couple. The lakefront setting offers a romantic atmosphere for couples. There's a lakefront promenade that you can stroll down as well as several great museums and some interesting historical sights.

Is Bern or Bregenz Better for Backpackers and Budget Travelers?

Bern is a great city for backpackers and budget travelers. Also, Bregenz is not as popular, but is still a nice city for backpackers.

Plenty of budget travelers and backpackers visit Bern. Like most of Switzerland, prices are a bit high, but there are some hostels and free activities that backpackers and budget travelers can enjoy.

It's common for backpackers to visit Bregenz. There are a few hostels around town that make this an easy stop off for backpackers and budget travelers.

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

Bern is a great city for times when you don't have a car. Also, Bregenz is not as popular, but is still a nice city for its public transit.

The public transit in Bern can get you to most places easily. There are trams and buses that run around town.

Bregenz has a few public transit options. There are five bus lines that run around town.

Is Bern or Bregenz a more walkable city?

Bern is a great city for its ease of walking around. Also, Bregenz is not as popular, but is still a nice city for its walkability.

Bern is a very walkable destination. 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.

Bregenz is somewhat walkable. Parts of the town are walkable and easy to explore on foot.

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

Should I spend more time in Bregenz or Bern?

How long in Bern or Bregenz?

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

Families should spend more time in Bern than Bregenz. 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 Bregenz. 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 Bregenz 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 Bregenz?

In Bern, you'll find nightlife and food. Most visitors spend time around the old town while in the area. This city offers something for everyone. This would be the perfect place to spend one day, as it has just the right amount of activities.

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

A weekend in Bern or Bregenz?

In Bern, you'll find food and shopping. The length of your trip often depends on your style of travel. A weekend here is typical. Visiting the old town is also a must. A weekend is a great amount of time to relax and see the many things that Bern has to offer.

Bregenz 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 Bregenz?

Bern is a great place to explore. The old town is one of the main draws for visitors. Five days is more than enough time to enjoy everything. Take some day trips to nearby places to fill the extra days. Anyone can find something fun to do here.

You'll find museums and nightlife around the medieval destination of Bregenz. 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 Bregenz?

It's hard to know how much time to spend in Bern. Many people enjoy the museums and nightlife when visiting Bern. Exploring the old town is a popular activity. One week may feel like too much time unless you plan to do a lot of relaxing.

The medieval city of Bregenz 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 Music Tours in Austria, and The Best Budget Tours to Austria.

When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Bern and Bregenz, we can see that Bern is more expensive. And not only is Bregenz much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Bregenz would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Bregenz 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 Bregenz.

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

Which is Bigger, Bern or Bregenz?

Bern has a larger population, and is about 5 times larger than the population of Bregenz. When comparing the sizes of Bern and Bregenz, 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.