Covid situation
As of May 2022, all nationwide restrictions and bans regarding COVID have been lifted. Also the University of Bern has returned to normal operation.
Information from the Swiss Federal Office of Public Health:
Information from the University of Bern:
Venue details
The conference will be held in lecture hall 099 on the ground floor of the building for Exakte Wissenschaften ("ExWi") of the University of Bern, Sidlerstrasse 5, 3012 Bern, Switzerland. This building is right next to and above the train station. See here for the location of the main building of the University of Bern on OpenStreetMap.
After arriving at Bern rail station, walk along the underpass in the direction "Universität Länggasse". At the end of the underpass you can see three elevators. Take one to the top floor ("Grosse Schanze"). Turning right around the elevator-building, you are facing the main University building, on the right hand side there is the ExWi building (with various astronomical instruments on the roof).
Visa
Entry/visa requirements for Switzerland can be checked on the website of the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs. If you require an invitation letter for a visa application, please send an email to muong-2@itp.unibe.ch with the subject "[g-2 workshop] visa letter - YOUR NAME".
Travel to Bern
We would like to encourage all participants to consider aspects of sustainability in their travel planning: in particular we encourage people from central Europe to travel to Bern by train if possible. If you are traveling from outside of Europe by plane, we recommend using connections with the minimal amount of layovers. In many cases a layover for another flight in order to get to the airports of Zürich, Geneva, or Basel may result in a loss of time and convenience in comparison to traversing the subsequent leg by train.
- By train
Switzerland has a dense and well-connected railway network. Bern is connected to destinations in Italy via Brig and Milan, to destinations in Germany via Basel and to France via Geneva or Basel. High speed or night connections to Berlin and Paris may make for an attractive alternative to flying. Special offers on tickets can get you a significant discount, but you will need to book early. The same tickets may be offered at different prices by different companies:
Furthermore, an Interrail (for European residents) / Eurail (for residents of countries outside of Europe) pass might be a viable option as compared to purchasing individual tickets. These rail passes allow for unlimited train travel in 33 participating European countries (Switzerland and neighbors included) for a certain period of time.
- By plane
There are several international airports from which Bern can be reached quickly. These include
Intercontinental flights into Switzerland arrive in the major hubs in Zürich and Geneva. Both airports are serviced by direct flights to Asia and the Americas. The regional airport Bern-Belp does not serve many destinations.
Transportation from one of the airports to Bern is most convenient by train. Tickets can be purchased from vending machines and paid for using Swiss francs, euro banknotes, debit cards with the Maestro logo and all major credit cards.
- By car
We do not recommend coming by car. If you have no other option, it is best to leave the motorway at the exit 'Bern Neufeld' or 'Bern Forsthaus'. The routes from the motorway exits to the Institute are described in detail below. You need a parking disk in order to park in the so called 'blue zones', which include pretty much all of the city. However, parking in blue zones is usually limited to one and a half hours. Longer lasting parking permits (4 hours / 24 hours) within these areas are available from any Bernmobil ticket machines for CHF 9/16. Using a public multi-story car park is also possible, but expect to be paying for the privilege!
From exit Bern Neufeld, drive in the direction Zentrum on the Neubrückstrasse until you reach a roundabout. Take the first exit off this roundabout onto the Mittelstrasse. After three blocks, turn left onto the Gesellschaftsstrasse. The building straight ahead is the Exakte Wissenschaften building. Please note that a multi-storey car park exists right at the exit 'Bern Neufeld': Park + Ride Neufeld.
From exit Bern Forsthaus, drive in the direction Tierspital on the Bremgartenstrasse until you reach a roundabout. Take the third exit off this roundabout onto the Länggassstrasse. After about 800 meters — you will have just passed the building Uni Tobler on your right — turn left on a traffic light onto the Mittelstrasse. After one block, turn right onto the Gesellschaftsstrasse. The building straight ahead is the Exakte Wissenschaften building.
