Go, but pay attention.
Numbeo's Safety Index puts Bern at 73/100 for crime — that makes it read sketchier than Switzerland's national picture overall (84/100 vs 85/100).
City page · part of Switzerland
The one number a country page can't give you
What people who actually live in Bern report
Numbeo aggregates thousands of resident-submitted perception surveys into a per-city Crime Index (higher = worse) and its inverse, a Safety Index — the only real city-granularity crime signal feeding this page, alongside Switzerland's national advisory, political, health, and police-trust data.
Crime Index
27.4
Safety Index
72.6
Sub-scores
Same real inputs as Switzerland's national page, with crime swapped for Bern's own Numbeo number above.
Local know-how
Staying safe in Bern, specifically
- • The river can be cold and fast flowing and visiting swimmers have drowned. Check with local swimmers where and when is safe before entering the water.
- • Bern has nearly no violent crime.
- • The drunks and vagrants often congregate at the central railway station at night, which is a nuisance but in general not dangerous.
- • There has been a slight increase in violence from young people. Try to avoid groups of drunk teenagers that look suspicious and you should be fine.
- • While police officers in Bern will happily help you out if you are in trouble or need information, they are also known for approaching "suspicious" persons in order to check their papers.
Legal status (national law)
Legal nationwide since 1942Legal in the cantons of Geneva (as part of France), Ticino, Valais, and Vaud since 1798; equal age of consent since 1990+ UN decl. sign.
Source: Wikipedia — LGBTQ rights by country →Pack this, know this
The little things that trip people up
Plug & voltage
C / J · 230V
Driving side
right
Emergency
police: 117 / ambulance: 144 / fire: 118
Tipping
Swiss service personnel enjoy a relatively highly set minimum wage compared to other countries, so tips are rather modest. By law, a service charge is included in the bill. Nevertheless, if you feel satisfied, especially in restaurants, you may round up the bill and add a few francs with a maximum of 5–20 francs depending on the kind of establishment, regardless of bill size. If you were not happy
Cash vs. Card
Switzerland's currency is the Swiss franc (or Franken, or franc, or franco, depending on which language area you are in), denoted by the symbol "Fr." or sometimes "SFr." (ISO code: CHF) It is divided into 100 Rappen, centimes, or centesimi. However, some places – such as supermarkets, restaurants, tourist attraction ticket counters, hotels and the railways or ticket machines – accept euro bills (b
How this compares to Switzerland
Numbeo's Safety Index puts Bern at 73/100 for crime — that makes it read sketchier than Switzerland's national picture overall (84/100 vs 85/100).
See the full Switzerland page and all receipts →