39 days to Switzerland - Day trip suggestions from Bern?
 

We are leaving on our trip to Switzerland in 39 days!!

I had worked up an itinerary to visit Broc/Gruyere one day and to do the Mt. Pilatus Trip near/in Engelberg one day. Any suggestions on other things to do? We will only be in Switzerland for 5 days, arriving on a Monday morning and departing on a Friday evening. One of those days we will spend wandering Bern.

Also, I am still toying with getting the 4 day flexi pass (my dad in Switzerland says get it), if we spend a day in Bern and take local trams and buses but no train, does that use a day on our pass?

Solothurn and Fribourg are both lovely. You could also go to Lake Thun and/or Brienz and explore the lakes, or up into teh mountains.

There's a local card in Bern for buses and trams.

Much closer is the town of Murten on lake Murten.
Beautiful!
Bern is lovely too. The arcaded two-level shops are great for a rainy day.
Be sure to walk to the end of town opposite the train station and climb up to the Rose Gardens for a beer anad a great view of the River Aar.

The City of Bern is not the "real" Switzerland.

If you want to see the real deal, you have to stay in the Bernese Oberland, preferably in Lauterbrunnen, Murren, Wengen, or Grindelwald.

I would never in my right mind give up the walk from Mannlichen to Kleine Scheidegg or a romp around the Schynige Platte for day exploring BORING BERN.

Really, change your plans right now. Stay in Wengen and EXPLORE THE BEAUTY of the Bernese Oberland.

There is no place like it in this world!!!!!

P_P

+1 for Interlaken area instead of Bern city. If you're going to be in Switz for 10d or more it makes sense to explore cities like Bern/Zurich. Otherwise, a big "no".

I am going to be there for 4d/5nights in July. Base is Interlaken. Here is the breakdown.
D1: Mt.Titlis and Luzern
D2: Jungfraujoch and wander around Lauterbrunnen.
D3: Goldenpass to Montreux/Gruyeres(?)
D4: Zermatt.

Wow! What anti-Bern sentiment!
Again,if your plans have you staying here, it is a lovely town!

I like Bern! The way people have commented you may be put off; dont be, its a UNESCO world heritage-site, the whole of the old town. It has a two good art museums and a swiss history museum, all of which I have enjoyed. You cant compare mountains and cities - both have something to offer.

It comes back to the age old question: City vs. Mountains. There are definitely two sides here on Fodors. :-d

It all just depends on what you envision Switzerland to be: mountains or cities. Then plan accordingly.

We absolutely loved staying in Lauterbrunnen for 8 days. Even spending one day in Interlaken was a stark contrast to staying in Lauterbrunnen. It is just gorgeous up in the Berner Oberland.

Whatever you plan I'm sure you will have a great time. After all, you're on vacation!

Berne is ideal for visiting on a wet day. The shops under the arcades are great, it's a good way to get from the station to the bear garden without getting too wet. It is also possible to visit the Swiss Parliament building, there are tours in English but you would need to check the timings.

Bern is our lodging choice because we are staying with my parents. Parent apartment=FREE LODGING. This is a huge savings which will allow us to do the many day trips and see what we can from Bern.
I would love to do plenty of hiking, however, I am the only one of the 4 of us that WANTS to do that. So, this trip I will have to be content to see the beauty of the mountains with my eyes, and next time around I will hike till my heart is content.
Thanks for all the suggestions, I will look into all and we'll see what else we make it to!