007 Travel story: Bern (SWITZERLAND) 2014, day 1/2

This is where our Switzerland tour continues. In order to read it from day one,
see the first day here, 007 Travel story of Geneva 1/2.


Monday 14 July 2014

We woke up early and had breakfast in our Geneva hotel.

Hotel: Hotel International & Terminus

Soon we headed to Geneva train station and bought Swiss Flexi Pass with Saver option, for 5 days. (Second class: 274 EUR / adult, child gets free family card)

The idea of the pass is that you can travel free with this card around Switzerland. The price is cheaper when two adults buy it together. And child gets free family card. With "Flexi" option the days can be chosen as you like. The pass is valid 30 days. On the days when the pass is not used, it still allows to travel with 50% discount. On the other hand, on marked "Flexi" days the pass allows to go free to some museums and lake cruises. Also with the pass on valid "Flexi" days the traveling with cable cars is free in the Swiss Alps, except for the tourist attraction First, which is with 50% discount with the Swiss Pass. Make sure you pick the train class that your pass is valid for, second class is just great but without air-condition, and that the first class has.

See the other Swiss Travel system options, suitable for your needs here: https://www.sbb.ch

We took a train from Geneva to Bern, duration 1h, 41min. Trains go every 30 minutes.
The price without the Swiss Pass would have been 40,09 EUR / adult, 20,04 EUR / child.
The train needed to be changed in Neuchâtel.

We reached the Bern railway station, Bahnhofplatz 3011 and we had 6 minutes walk to our hotel.

Hotel: City Hotel Metropole (reserved via booking.com)
Stars: 3 ***
Address: Zeughausgasse 28
Price: 189,00 € / 1 night + City tax approx. 10 EUR / 3 persons, breakfast included
Wi-Fi: 3 CHF / 24 h
Attention: Payment when checking out
Check in: 14.00
Check out: 11.00.
Room type: Easy triple room. In this room type the sink is situated in the main room, not in the bathroom.

The hotel is situated very centrally in Bern, federal capital of Switzerland.

It was lunch time and we found a comfortable restaurant Kornhaus Café.
(Address: Kornhausplatz 18)

We think Bern is a very beautiful city!

Bern is known for its bears. The story tells that Bern has got its name, because bear was the first animal that was hunted there. At that time, nearly a thousand years ago, the region was still covered by forest. Today, the bear is shown as a symbol everywhere in the city, such as flags, coats of arms and as small statues. You can see them also alive in Bern.

So, we headed to Baerengraben (Bear Bits), which is a park for Brown bears and it is a Bern city symbol. You can find it at Grosser Muristalden 6.

One of the bears was very skilled ;)

Of course you can see the Bear park and the street nearby in 007 movie "On Her Majesty´s Secret Service" (1969), starring George Lazenby.

Photo © EON, United Artists, Danjaq LLC

Mika

The park has a nice restaurant Altes Tramdepot, there we had tasty ice creams.

















We enjoyed the view, which also can be seen in "On Her Majesty´s Secret Service" (1969) while Bond drives by.

Pirita

Photo © EON, United Artists, Danjaq LLC

Photo below on the left is taken by little Agent Traveler, 7 years old

 

In the evening we took a random bus No.10, just for exploring Bern. We traveler by bus the whole bus 10 route and back.

Later we visited the charming Bern Airport, since it is a 007 location in John Gardner's Bond book "Never Send Flowers". (1993)

"At five in the afternoon Swiss time company's aircraft taxied and stopped at the Bern International Airport, in front of the main terminal. Bond walked quickly to the building.

Entry to the country was effective as always, and he arrived in the entry hall, carrying a strong pig leather suit bag on his shoulder and looked quickly the signs carried by drivers seeking his name. 

M had given him the name of a contact person. - Freddie von Grüsse. I have never met the guy, but he is a "von", so probably he is unbearable pain in the ass. You know, what kind of people Swiss cream are, James.

None of the drivers raised Bond-sign, so he went ahead arrivals hall and was approaching the information desk, when the deep, pleasant female voice whispered in his ear. - James Bond?"

John Gardner: "Never Send Flowers"

It was late already, and it was time to go to sleep for our next day in beautiful Bern.

This 007 Travel story continues here

See more 007 Travel stories here