Which city is cheaper, Milan or Bern?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
Should I visit Bern or Milan? 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 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.
Milan is a cultural, trendy, and chic city. It's an amazing and huge city with tons of activities and things to do. You'll find world class beauty here as well. It's also known for food, shopping, and museums.
Both Bern and Milan have interesting landmarks and museums for visitors.
Bern offers many unique museums, sights, and landmarks that will make for a memorable trip. Visit the Einstein Museum, the Clock Tower, and Bern Cathedral.
You'll find a good number of museums and monuments packed into Milan. The Milan Cathedral is the most famous landmark in the city, but other sights include Castello Sforzesco, Pinacoteca di Brera, and Sant'Ambrogio.
Most foodies will appreciate the options in Milan a bit more than Bern.
For foodies, Milan is an obvious choice, as it is one of the food capitals of the world. The city has a mix of traditional dishes combined with modernized, trendy restaurants. You can try a new dish by a groundbreaking chef, or sample a long running favorite like risotto alla Milanese.
Bern is becoming an appealing option for foodies. The city has cozy cafes, high end fine dining, traditional eateries, and modern venues.
Party-goers will usually choose Milan over Bern.
Milan is a destination that you simply have to visit at least once for nightlife. The city has a huge number of students and young professionals, which make it a fun place with an active nightlife. There are cocktail bars, trendy clubs, and relaxed pubs that you can chose from.
If you're looking for night time activities Bern has a few options to choose from. There are bars, Irish pubs, and clubs around town.
It's fun to wander around the old towns in both Bern and Milan.
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.
Milan offers visitors a world-class historical old town to explore. Known as the Centro Storic, this area is the most popular with tourists. It's where you'll find the most historic buildings and beautiful sights in the city.
Both Bern and Milan are good 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.
Many people travel to Milan specifically to go shopping. Famous as the fashion capital of Italy, shopping is the thing to do here. There are many streets that are lined with the biggest designers in fashion. Make sure you check out Via Monte Napoleone, Via Della Spiga, and Corso Buenos Aires.
Kids will enjoy a visit to either Bern or Milan.
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.
Milan offers lots of family activities. The city has a science museum and a children's museum, MuBa, that is great for the kids. There are also a number of parks to explore as well as playgrounds where the kids and get out their energy.
With fun activities for couples, both Bern and Milan make for a good 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.
Milan is a great city if you're traveling as a couple. There are many beautiful buildings, excellent shopping, and romantic restaurants that make for a wonderful couple's getaway.
Both Bern and Milan are popular destinations for backpackers.
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.
Backpackers come from all over to visit Milan. While not as popular with backpackers as some Italian city's, there are a number of hostels and great activities that are fun for visitors.
Both Bern and Milan offer public transit options.
Visitors to Bern can move around easily with public transportation. There are trams and buses that run around town.
Public transit in Milan is top-notch. Options include metro, bus, tram, and train lines.
Bern and Milan both are comparable 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.
Milan is a very easy city to get around on foot. In particular, the city center is walkable.
In either Bern or Milan, you'll find plenty of activities to fill your time. Most visitors tend to spend more time in Milan than Bern because of the overall number of sights and activities.
The ideal length of time for a trip to Bern is 1-3 days, and the ideal length of time for a trip to Milan is 1-5 days.
In Bern, many people enjoy the shopping and museums that this historic destination offers. Make sure you visit the old town while you're here. This city offers a variety of activities to choose from. Because of this, one day is usually enough time for a trip here.
Milan is a big city destination where you can fill many days. Visiting the old town is also a must. Take your pick from the many activities offered around the area. One day is usually enough time for a trip here.
It's hard to know how much time to spend in Bern. For many, it makes a great getaway for a weekend. Most visitors spend time around the old town while in the area. This would be the perfect place to spend a weekend, as it has just the right amount of activities. The length of your ideal trip is an individual decision.
Milan is a fun place to experience. If you have a weekend, this is a great place to go. The old town is one of the main draws for visitors. A weekend is often enough time to spend here. The entire area has lots to do.
Bern is a fun place to experience. Visiting the old town is also a must. Most people find that five days is more than enough time to see everything.
Milan is a chic big city where you can fill many days. This city offers something for everyone. Exploring the old town is a popular activity. Plenty of people spend five days here when traveling. Five days is often enough time to spend here.
You'll find food and shopping around the cultural destination of Bern. The old town is one of the main draws for visitors. Take your pick from the many activities offered around the area. One week is plenty of time to see everything, even with extra days to spare.
The chic city of Milan offers shopping and museums. Make sure you visit the old town while you're here. 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.
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
The average daily cost (per person) in Bern is $185, while the average daily cost in Milan is $139. These costs include accommodation (assuming double occupancy, so the traveler is sharing the room), food, transportation, and entertainment. While every person is different, these costs are an average of past travelers in each city. What follows is a categorical breakdown of travel costs for Bern and Milan in more detail.
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Bern:
Here are some examples of typical transportation prices from actual travelers in Milan:
Also for Milan, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
Prices for flights to both Milan and Bern change regularly based on dates and travel demand. We suggest you find the best prices for your next trip on Kayak, because you can compare the cost of flights across multiple airlines for your prefered dates.
Here are some examples of typical meal expenses from previous travelers to Milan:
For Milan, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Bern are as follows:
For Milan, here are some examples of average entertainment and activity prices from previous travelers:
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Milan.
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for alcohol and nightlife costs in Milan:
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Milan:
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Bern and Milan, we can see that Bern is more expensive. And not only is Milan much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Milan would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Milan 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 Milan.
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