Search Flights from San Francisco to Bern

Located 21 km from the city center, San Francisco International Airport (SFO) is a major transit center for passengers, particularly those traveling from Asia. San Francisco International is the second busiest airport in California, following Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). Every year SFO handles a significant number of both domestic and international flights. There are a variety of transportation alternatives passengers can utilize to get to and from the airport.  

San Francisco International Airport stands out for the comfortable and exceptional services it offers. The airport features services aimed at meeting your every need, from comfortable passenger lounges, to restaurants that offer a wide variety of cuisines and a vibrant array of stores where you can go shopping.

San Francisco International Airport is accessible by taxi, bus, train, rental car, and personal car as the airport contains parking lots that offer short-term and long-term parking options.

Train

There are two rail systems that you can use to get to San Francisco International Airport from the city center. The first is the rapid-rail system, the BART. The BART starts running in the early hours of the morning, providing easy and fast transportation between SFO and the northern and southern parts of the city.

The other rail system that you can use to get to SFO is the CalTrain. This train departs on the hour, every hour, every day of the week, until 10 pm. This train provides transportation between San Francisco and San Jose and SFO.

Taxi

One of the most convenient and fastest transportation alternatives to get to SFO from the city center is by taxi. Taxi fares are calculated based on the kilometers traveled. A taxi from downtown San Francisco can cost between 42 and 62 dollars and takes about 20 minutes. For more information on taxi companies and their contact information please visit San Francisco International Airport’s website.

Bus

SamTrans buses provide transportation between the San Francisco city center and the airport. These public buses are operated by San Mateo County and run between San Mateo, various parts of San Francisco and San Francisco International Airport. SamTrans lines KX, 292, 397, and 398 run directly to the airport terminals. Buses stop at the arrivals and baggage claim level of Terminal 2 and Terminal 3 and at Level 1 of the International Terminal.

Rental Car

Renting a car is another transportation alternative to get to the airport. There are many rental car companies located in the city. You can drop off your rental vehicle at the Rental Car Center before your departure. From the Rental Car Center the AirTrain Blue Line provides access to the airport terminals and it operates 24 hours a day, every day of the week. Rental car companies that you can choose from include Alamo, Dollar, Hertz, Avis, Enterprise, National, Budget, Fox and Thrifty.

Bike

San Francisco International Airport contains bike assembly stations and parking areas for those who want to access the airport by bike. The BART and SamTrans rapid rail systems provide passengers with bike/transit options and the airport features marked bicycle routes. Bike lovers can easily access the airport by bicycle.   

Airport Information

San Francisco International Airport is located 21 km from the city center. The airport covers an expansive area and operates domestic and international flights out of 4 terminals, Terminal 1, Terminal 2, Terminal 3, and the International Terminal. The AirTrain automated system provides free transportation between each terminal, as well as the Rental Car Center and BART station. The AirTrain Red Line links all terminals, terminal garages and the BART Station. The AirTrain Blue Line links the Rental Car Center with all terminals, terminal garages, and the BART Station. SFO also contains a variety of services and amenities to meet passengers’ pre-flight and post-flight needs.

The airport features health services in the terminals, rental car offices, banks, a lost and found, wireless internet, charging stations, clothing stores where you can go shopping, restaurants and cafes, the Aviation Museum & Library, rotating exhibitions, spa services, children’s play areas, free yoga rooms, a market, and much more. 

In Bern, the capital and one of the largest cities of Switzerland, there are a lot of transportation options between the airport and the city center, and the city transport system is linked to the Bern national highway, European 4 (E4). The Swiss Travel System (STS) is a system that collects all of Switzerland's public transport routes and vehicles under one roof. There are also very different ticket options for this system.

The first two of the most preferred ticket options are Swiss Pass and Swiss Flexi Pass. These two tickets and others offer affordable options that are available throughout public transport, such as buses, trains, ferries, trams and trolleys. The other ticket, Bern Ticket, has been offering free transportation since 1 June 2014. For example; you want to go to Switzerland, stay as a tourist for 1 night and get a free transportation ticket. This ticket gives free access to Bern Airport from Marzilibahnli and Gurtenbahn railway stations, one of Bern's most popular destinations.

Another popular ticketing system is the service called Day cards; Bernmobil's day card service allows you to enjoy very affordable rates for all of the public transport between the airport and the city center in Bern, and is offered on daily pricing. The price of using the day card ticket for 1 day, updated at the beginning of 2016, is 12.40 Swiss Francs. If you have conditions such as being between 6 and 16, you have a discount flier: you pay 7.90 Swiss Francs. The BLS one day travel pass ticket is very convenient and you can take any means of public transportation during the day, many times as you need.

Bern city is also located among the BLS regions. The most current price of this ticket for second class is 58 Swiss Francs for adults; 29 Swiss Francs for the half-fare card. By downloading the application called LiberoTickets to your smartphone, you can get the most up-to-date information, making pre-booking and ticket purchases easy.

In many parts of the city, you can buy these tickets with your credit card or cash, from ticket vending machines. The Swiss Travel Pass provides passengers unlimited transport services in all Swiss cities and all public transport. It is valid for all public transportation vehicles such as ferry, bus, tram and trolleybus which is operated by Swiss Travel System. It is possible to get this ticket for 3, 4, 8 or 15 days according to your needs. In addition to transportation, you get free entry to 480 museums in Switzerland. The pricing for these tickets and others is split into two as first and second class.

2016 updated fees for second class of Swiss Travel Pass ticket are as follows: For adults (over 26 years) 3 days 210 Swiss Francs, 4 days 251 Swiss Francs, 8 days 363 Swiss Francs and 15 days 440 Swiss Francs. For young people (16-26 years) 3 days 179 Swiss Francs, 4 days 213 Swiss Francs, 8 days 309 Swiss Francs and 15 days 374 Swiss Francs. For children (Between 6 and 16 years) 105 Swiss Francs for 3 days, 125 Swiss Francs for 4 days, 181 Swiss Francs for 8 days and 220 Swiss Francs for 15 days.

There's only one condition to take advantage of this ticket: being a non-Swiss. You only need to have your passport with you when you buy this card. It is also possible to order it from the internet at the same time. Children from 6 to 15 years old can travel free of charge, but you need to buy a Family Card and have at least one parent with the 6-15 year old child.

On local buses, trams and trolleys, as well as in some local trains and ferryboats in Switzerland, you can use your Swiss Travel Pass ticket. The card named Swiss Coupon Pass covers both transport and entrance fees to places of interest in Switzerland. At the same time you get discounts from famous Swiss restaurants. The card is valid in 11 Swiss cities; Zermatt, Lucerne, Interlaken, Bern, St. Montz, Lausanne, Lugano, Zurich, St. Gallen, Basel and Geneva. Swiss Half-Fare Card is a service that allows you to use transportation means including trains, buses, ferries, cable cars, etc. for the half of the normal price. The Swiss Transfer ticket is valid for only one Swiss city: Bern.

Getting this card is much more profitable than the others if you will only use the means of transport within the city of Bern during your holiday. The up to date prices for the second class are 141 Swiss Francs for adults, and 70.50 Swiss Francs for children. The Swiss Transfer Ticket Combi is valid for 1 month and the price is 201 Swiss Francs for the second class, and 286 Swiss Francs for first class. It is possible that you will see Bernmobil in many parts of the city of Bern; Because Bernmobil is Bern's most basic and formal association in terms of public transportation and transport. Bernmobil is publishing maps that show the city's public transport in a clear and concise way all at once.

Even if there is only one means of transportation that changes its routes, it updates it immediately and makes it very convenient for tourists visiting the city. It is possible to encounter these maps on the internet. Or download the application named ÖV Bern to your smartphone to keep up to date with Bernmobil's publications. This vehicle, which resembles the cable car named Gurtenbahn, is one of the most popular and fastest means of transportation in Bern. You can experience with Gurtenbahn would offer you a fantastic view through the mountains; you can also provide transportation at the same time. For more information, you can call 031 313 56 56.

If you cannot find the English language option when you browse the map and similar roots in many places of the city, click on "Fahrplan" and then click on "Liniennetz"; you can find the links and maps of all the means of transportation on the map here. Located in the heart of both Europe and Switzerland, the transport in Bern is incredibly advanced. It is possible to reach city center from Bern Airport in 25-30 minutes by any public transport. Since most of the transportation vehicles have the same ticket system, you can buy a profitable ticket according to the number of days you will use it.

Train

From Bern Airport you can reach the main train station in the city by bus or taxi, as well as by taking the suburban train from the airport. Another name for the trains that serve in Bern city transport is the S-Bahn trains. These two regions, numbered 100 and 101, cover almost the entire city of Bern. So, when you look at the city transportation means on the map, you should definitely find where these two areas are.

The S-Bahn trains link Bern Airport and the city center of Bern and other cities of Switzerland. The main train station called "Bern" is located in the very heart of Bern. Situated in the historic city center, there are also many facilities such as shopping center, bank and ATM machines at the station. You can go to the station which is open 7 days a week to buy tickets or get more information about train services. It is very practical to travel daily from this train station to the cities of Switzerland with direct trains.

Bus

It is very practical to get to Bern city center in 20 minutes by Airport Bus number 334 from Bern Airport. Every half an hour, the Airport Bus 334 provides a shuttle service from the airport to the Belp S-Bahn station. The S-Bahn station is also directly connected to the main train station in Bern.

Getting on the express train from the S-Bahn station and going to the main train station, which is very close to the city center of Bern, is easy and profitable. You can also rent Airport shuttle buses and drivers during your stay if you are traveling with a group.

Winter Bus Terminal - Jungfrau region buses leave from Bern Airport terminal and go to Interlaken-Lauterbrunnen (Wengen / Murren) and Grindelwold. Airport Bus 334 is a bus that runs only between Bern Airport and Bern city center. This bus departs from the airport and goes directly to the city center of Bern; it also has a stop at the S-Bahn train station. It is going to Belp Bahnhof, Belp station and Belp Gare from Bern Airport.

Bus number 160 goes to Bahnhofen Belp and Konolfingen from Bern Airport. The main stops are; Giessenbad, Aemmenmatt, Muristrasse Sud, Schützen, Belp Bahnhof, Rubigen, Münsingen, Konolfingen. You can get off at the Belp Bahnhof stop and take the S4 / S44 train to Thun.

Tram

There is a direct tram line from Bern Airport to the city center. It is much more practical to reach the city by tram if you have a lot of baggage. In total there are 5 main tram lines which are open to service actively in the city. At the same time, the fact that the Bern-Worb Dorf has a tram line connecting to the railway at one point makes it very convenient for transit transportation. The route of tram line 3 is Bern Bahnhof-Weissenbuihi. Another name for this route is the Radial route and there are 7 stops in total.

The route of tram line 6 which has 24 stops in total is Fischermatteli-Worb Dorf. The route of tram line 7 with 23 stops is Bümpliz-Ostringer. The route of the tram line 8, with 27 stops is Brünnen Westside Bahnhof-Saali.

The route of tram line 9, which is the last tram line and has 21 stops, is Wabern-Wankdorf Bahnhof. Trams and buses leave every 5 to 14 minutes.

Bicycle

If you do not have your suitcase or luggage, you can rent a bicycle for as long as you like from the airport terminal to get to the city center. Traveling by bicycle in Bern is preferred by many tourists and locals at the same time. Traveling by bicycle, which has become a lifestyle like Amsterdam, is both cheap and fun.

There are beautiful and well-maintained bicycle paths in the city. Since the 1990s, this type of transportation has become increasingly popular and has become symbolic in the city. The most popular bike route, the Route 8 (Aare Routte), starts from the Aare River and passes through Bern's important sites such as Oberwald, Meiringen, Interlarken, Spiez, Thun.

Taxi

Airport Taxi Blaser is one of the most popular companies providing taxi service between airport and Bern city center. As a private taxi transport company, you can make use of this service by calling +41 (0) 97128888. When you land in Bern, you are likely to encounter many taxi drivers at the exit of the airport arrival terminal. Most of the taxi drivers waiting at the airport are affiliated with a certain company or airport. In the city you can see taxi drivers working with their personal vehicles.

Visitors have the freedom to choose a taxi and get service from it in Bern. You are likely to encounter many taxis in the vicinity of buses, trains and other stations, at the entrances and exits of famous hotels, at the entrance and exit of Bern airport, and especially in Bern city center, Biel, Thun and Burgdorf.

Car Rental

If you already have information about car rental companies in Bern International Airport and you have made your reservation, you can benefit from the rental service at a much more affordable price. It takes an average of 25-30 minutes to get from Bern Airport to the city center with your car.