A Travel Price Comparison for Families, Couples, and Backpackers Bern vs. Toronto for Attractions, Nightlife, Food, and Families

Should you visit Bern or Toronto?

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

Should I visit Bern or Toronto? 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 charming, beautiful, and cultural city. This is also a very beautiful destination which attracts plenty of visitors. Other reasons to visit include food, shopping, and museums.

Toronto

Toronto is a cultural, diverse, and vibrant city. It's an amazing and huge city with tons of activities and things to do. It's also known for nightlife, food, and shopping.

Bern and Toronto: Pros and Cons

Is there more to do in Bern or Toronto?

Travelers will usually find more to do in Toronto than Bern, as it is bigger with more sights, attractions, and activities for visitors. Toronto is more popular for its museums & sights, food, nightlife, shopping, and big city activities, while Bern is known for its historical sights and impressive beauty. Toronto is more touristy than Bern and is popular for its art and culture, diverse cuisine, and multi-cultural population. It is also home to the CN Tower. Bern is popular for its well-preserved old town and its reputation as the home of the Lindt chocolate factory.

How is Bern different from Toronto?

Which is Better for a Holiday?

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

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

Visitors will find world class museums and historical sights in Toronto that are not to be missed. The city is filled with landmarks and museums such as the CN Tower and the Royal Ontario Museum. Ripley's Aquarium is a highlight for many visitors. It's near the CN Tower and has an underwater tunnel. The city is also filled with art galleries and cultural sights. Another must is a visit to Casa Loma and, of course, the Toronto Zoo.

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.

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

Toronto 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, Toronto makes for a great culinary experience. The food scene is as diverse as the city itself. You'll find classic Canadian favorites like peameal bacon sandwiches and beavertails, as well as almost any international cuisine you could want. Make sure you try the dim sum, roti, and street hot dogs.

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 Toronto Better for Nightlife?

Toronto is renowned for nightlife. Also, Bern is not as famous, but is still a good city to visit for nightlife and partying.

Toronto is a destination that you simply have to visit at least once for nightlife. It's a diverse nightlife scene, with upscale lounges, dive bars, live music, and high energy nightclubs. Popular areas for nightlife include King Street, the Ossington Strip, College Street, and Kensington Market.

With a handful of venues, visitors can find a fairly lively vibe in Bern. There are bars, Irish pubs, and clubs around town.

Is Bern or Toronto Better for its Old Town?

Bern is a very popular place for its historic old town. However, Toronto does not have a historic old town.

Bern is an extremely popular place to visit the historic old town area. 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.

Toronto does not have a historic old town.

Is the Shopping Better in Bern or Toronto?

Toronto is renowned for shopping. Also, Bern is not as famous, but is still a good city to visit for its shopping opportunities.

Toronto is a famous shopping destination with plenty of stores. Shopping is huge here, with plenty of options available that range from large malls to vintage stores or flea markets. Eaton Center on Yonge Street is a major shopping area. Yonge Street is also home to more than 600 retail stores.

Bern is well-known for its shopping. 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.

Is Bern or Toronto Better for Families?

Kids will enjoy a visit to either Bern or Toronto.

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, Toronto is very family-friendly. Kids will enjoy the city's many family-friendly museums like the Royal Ontario Museum or the Ontario Science Center. Younger kids will have fun playing at the Centreville Theme Park while all ages will love a day at Canada's Wonderland. Black Creek Pioneer Village is a highlight for many families as well.

Is Bern or Toronto Better for Couples?

With fun activities for couples, both Bern and Toronto make for a excellent 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.

Toronto makes for a fun place to visit for a couple. This city is full of energy, and couples can enjoy amazing meals, impressive shows, and romantic outings. You can picnic at a park or check out the view from CN Tower. There are also dinner cruises and live theater.

Is Bern or Toronto Better for Backpackers and Budget Travelers?

Both Bern and Toronto are excellent destinations for backpackers.

Backpackers come from all over to 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.

Many backpackers visit Toronto. There are a number of hostels around town and there's often a good crowd of backpackers.

Is Bern or Toronto Better for Students?

Toronto is renowned for students. However, Bern is not popular with students.

Many students frequent Toronto. The city has a good number of universities that attract students from around the globe. This is a very livable city with a lot of diversity and plenty of entertainment options.

Bern is not popular with students.

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

Toronto is renowned for its public transit. Also, Bern is not as famous, but is still a good city to visit for times when you don't have a car.

Toronto has a great public transit system. Union Station is the hub of the city's transportation system, which includes subways, buses and streetcars.

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

Is Bern or Toronto a more walkable city?

Bern and Toronto both are excellent 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.

Toronto is a very walkable city. It's a pedestrian-friendly city that is great for exploring on foot. The waterfront area has a walkway and there are cycling trails around town as well.

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

Should I spend more time in Toronto or Bern?

How long in Bern or Toronto?

Both Bern and Toronto have a number of activities to choose from. With generally more activities and things to do, visitors tend to spend more time in Toronto than in Bern. Usually, 1-3 days is a good amount of time for Bern, and 3-7 days is enough time in Toronto.

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

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

Backpackers and budget travelers should spend more time in Toronto than Bern 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 Toronto.

One day in Bern or Toronto?

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.

Toronto is a big city destination where you can fill many days. Take your pick from the many activities offered here. With so much to do, one day is probably not enough time to see everything.

A weekend in Bern or Toronto?

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.

Toronto is a fun place to experience. But since there are so many activities, you'll likely want to spend more than a weekend exploring. The entire region has so many activities, and you'll want time to do everything.

Five days in Bern or Toronto?

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.

Toronto is a vibrant big city where you can fill many days. This city offers something for everyone. Plenty of people spend five days in the area when traveling. Five days is often enough time to do most activities.

A week in Bern or Toronto?

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.

Toronto is a cultural city where you can fill many days. Many people spend one week here. The length of your trip often depends on your style of travel. Because of this, one week is usually enough time for a trip here.

For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Family-Friendly Tours to Switzerland, The Best Hiking & Trekking Tours in Switzerland, The Best Adventure Tours to Canada, and The Best Eco Tours in Canada.

When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Bern and Toronto, we can see that Bern is more expensive. And not only is Toronto much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Bern is in Europe and Toronto is in North America, this is one of the main reasons why the costs are so different, as different regions of the world tend to have overall different travel costs. So, traveling to Toronto would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Toronto 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 Toronto.

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

Which is Bigger, Bern or Toronto?

Toronto has a larger population, and is about 40 times larger than the population of Bern. When comparing the sizes of Bern and Toronto, 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 Toronto?

Both places have a temperate climate with four distinct seasons. As both cities are in the northern hemisphere, summer is in July and winter is in January.

Should I visit Bern or Toronto in the Summer?

Both Toronto and Bern during the summer are popular places to visit. Many visitors come to Bern in the summer for the family-friendly experiences. Also, most visitors come to Toronto for the city activities and the family-friendly experiences during these months.

Bern is around the same temperature as Toronto in the summer. The daily temperature in Bern averages around 21°C (70°F) in July, and Toronto fluctuates around 21°C (70°F).

In Toronto, it's very sunny this time of the year. It's quite sunny in Bern. In the summer, Bern often gets less sunshine than Toronto. Bern gets 250 hours of sunny skies this time of year, while Toronto receives 281 hours of full sun.

Bern usually gets less rain in July than Toronto. Bern gets 63 mm (2.5 in) of rain, while Toronto receives 69 mm (2.7 in) of rain this time of the year.

Should I visit Bern or Toronto in the Autumn?

The autumn attracts plenty of travelers to both Bern and Toronto. Most visitors come to Bern for the shopping scene and the natural beauty of the area during these months. Also, the autumn months attract visitors to Toronto because of the city's sights and attractions and the shopping scene.

In the autumn, Bern is a little warmer than Toronto. Typically, the autumn temperatures in Bern in October average around 13°C (55°F), and Toronto averages at about 11°C (51°F).

Bern usually receives less sunshine than Toronto during autumn. Bern gets 126 hours of sunny skies, while Toronto receives 153 hours of full sun in the autumn.

In October, Bern usually receives less rain than Toronto. Bern gets 49 mm (1.9 in) of rain, while Toronto receives 61 mm (2.4 in) of rain each month for the autumn.

Should I visit Bern or Toronto in the Winter?

The winter brings many poeple to Bern as well as Toronto. The winter months attract visitors to Bern because of the museums, the shopping scene, and the cuisine. Also, the museums, the shopping scene, and the cuisine are the main draw to Toronto this time of year.

It's quite cold in Toronto in the winter. The weather in Bern can be very cold. In January, Bern is generally much warmer than Toronto. Daily temperatures in Bern average around 3°C (37°F), and Toronto fluctuates around -4°C (25°F).

In the winter, Bern often gets less sunshine than Toronto. Bern gets 65 hours of sunny skies this time of year, while Toronto receives 87 hours of full sun.

Bern usually gets around the same amount of rain in January as Toronto. Bern gets 54 mm (2.1 in) of rain, while Toronto receives 52 mm (2 in) of rain this time of the year.

Should I visit Bern or Toronto in the Spring?

Both Toronto and Bern are popular destinations to visit in the spring with plenty of activities. The natural beauty are the main draw to Bern this time of year. Also, many travelers come to Toronto for the activities around the city.

Bern is much warmer than Toronto in the spring. The daily temperature in Bern averages around 11°C (52°F) in April, and Toronto fluctuates around 7°C (44°F).

Bern usually receives less sunshine than Toronto during spring. Bern gets 164 hours of sunny skies, while Toronto receives 179 hours of full sun in the spring.

In April, Bern usually receives around the same amount of rain as Toronto. Bern gets 59 mm (2.3 in) of rain, while Toronto receives 63 mm (2.5 in) of rain each month for the spring.

Typical Weather for Toronto and Bern