For you bernese out there, could you help me out? I am going to move there early July and my few scouting expeditions have not yet revealed where to find the following:

1. A good furniture store that is NOT Ikea/Conforama (i.e. something a bit more sophisticated, but not with exhorbitant prices kind of thing).
2. A store that sells oriental (or not oriental) rugs at a reasonable price (i.e. 100CHF for a kilim, tops, in other words not a shop in the old part of town)
3. Where to get odds and ends for your apartment (i.e. towels, dishes, curtains, that kind of thing).
4. A good outdoors sports equipment store a la REI (for you american folks)--camping/rock climbing types of things
5. A place that sells cheap bycicles for the masses (I'm talking less than 500CHF here).
6. Something like a mall where all clothing stores are collected in the same place (do they even have those in Bern?).
7. A place to buy sleeping/bed mattresses.
8. A store a la "army/navy surplus store".
9. A place that rents pianos.
10. A laundromat near the old part of town/embassy neighborhood.
11. Pet shop where I can buy: reptiles, cats, and fish (don't ask :P).
13. Place where I can buy live plants (that only sells plants and related items).

There might be more, will post again when I think of them.

Thanks for your help (no worries about the laundromat--I can probably find that in the yellow pages, but the others, you kind of have to know where to go/what kind of place exists, and I have not been here long enough yet)!

Furniture : Mobel Märki, Mobel Pfister, Interio are all good options.
Kilim Carpet under 100chf : good luck
House stuff : There is a shop just off Bubenberg Platz between UBS & Markthalle that is pretty good for this
Outdoors kit : there is a shop on Aarbergergasse
Bike : suggest you scoop around, no experience, bought mine new from Ski-Velo
Mall in Bern : you are having a laugh .......
Bed/Mattress : see my first answer
Army/Navy surplus : suggest you hit Google
Piano Rental : Google under "klavier mieten"
L'mat : you will find your apartment block has shared facilities in the basement
Pet shop : your on your own kid .....
Plants : there are a number of garden centres around. Buying from a shop in Bern is probably around 50% more expensive. I go to a place on Bitziusstrasse (Schosshalde) you can get ther on No 12 bus. Paul Klee Museum is right next door, so you can make a half day event out of buying your begonias ...

Maybe someone else can fill some gaps for you, but heres a start ... good luck on the pet shop btw.

I got a bit worried about this laundromat issue! I am also moving to Berne soon (late June/early July) and was relying on the idea of their being laundromats to supplement whatever annoying restrictions there end up being on the machines in my apartment building. (I'm not very good at routines in my personal life.)

Anyway, I googled "Waschsalon Bern" and found this on the Bern entry on Wikitravel auf Deutsch. http://wikitravel.org/de/Bern_(Stadt)

In Bern gibts bloss einen relativ zentral gelegenen Waschsalon mit Münzautomaten. Er befindet sich gleich neben dem Café Kairo im Lorraine-Quartier. Ein Waschgang (5 Kilogramm) kostet 4 Franken; der Trockner nochmals 4 Franken.

"Relativ zentral" is right. I looked up the cafe next door and it is about 2km north of the Altstadt ... but a few kilometres biking with ikea bag slung over shoulder is better than a week with dirty undies. And if the prices are current it's about 30% cheaper than doing washing in Copenhagen! (If anyone is worried about Switzerland being expensive, take a holiday here first.)

Plenty of these around - however I hear the navy section is very limited...

had a quick Google under "laundromat" -

Jet Wash
Dammweg 43
3013 Bern
Tel.

Army/Navy (huh?) surplus:
http://www.armeeshop.ch/
location:
http://www.armeeshop.ch/e/standort/standort_fr.html

See if they still have the Swiss Navy knife: it has a tiny folding paddle
The officer's version has an eggbeater-style crank outboard "motor".

While we're on the subject, closest thing to a Navy are the Pontoniere, subdept. of the Army Engineers.
And since it's militia-based, it became a sport. Lookee here for the Berne Pontonier Club:
http://www.pontoniere-bern.ch/

Wow! Thanks guys! All these replies are really useful.

I apologize about the "laundromat" question. I actually meant to say "dry cleaners". I'll google it myself if someone can tell me what the German for that is.

Thx,

-E.

Textilreinigung - as in Terlinden (quite often)

Wonderful!

Thanks so much.

-E.

So you mean when my granddad told me he was an admiral in the Swiss Navy, he was lying....?

Nice site on the army surplus shop - I might well have a trawl through it.

Keep an eye on notices from your local arsenal, they do hold regular sales of real army material. I've kept a few souvenirs of my time in uniform, the flexi belt is ace, it does not ring at airport which means it is now my travel belt...

Oh, yeah, forgot: Thun's nearby, you might have a look at the Armee Gant, last one was 25th of April. The Army auctions off vehicles and other used military stuff.

http://www.armyliqshop.ch/

I'll take a shot at three of these requests:

4. Outdoor goods. There is nothing quite like REI here. Your options include a huge department store like the Migros Sport XX that has a camping section but mainly sells cheaper, more basic stuff, although they do have some pretty decent stuff; these stores are generally located outside the city, in the suburbs. Some of the city center sports shops (e.g., Oschner sports) also have some outdoor goods, but normally not a huge range. Lastly, there are the specialty outdoor stores that have a pretty good range of very good quality brand-name equipment, but with prices to match.

Unfortunately, I've not found anything comparable to the decent price AND decent quality combinations that one can find at REI in the States. Therefore, I and some of my Swiss friends keep a list of things we need and go on a major shopping spree in our favorite outdoor store when reaching the other side of the Atlantic (which for us is MEC in Canada). Last time I went, I even asked around to see what other people wanted me to pick up and bring back for them while I was there.

5. Cheap bikes. The most appropriate places would be Migros Sport XX and Co-op Brico Loisirs (I'm not sure what they call Co-op Brico Loisirs in German - in English it would be something like "Co-op Hardware & Hobby").

13. Live plants. I don't know about Bern, but around here (Lausanne) the best place I've seen for this is the OBI, which has a very large garden section connected to this hardware store. I'm sure there would be a similar one in Bern, too.

Chris,

forgot about OBI ... good call. There is one just off the Autobahn (direction Zürich) at Schönbuhl-Urtenen.

also on the Mall question, you can also go out of town in the same area to ShoppyLand ... the name say enough for me, so natch have never been there in my 3+ years here.

Outdoor and bike:

variety of brands, wide price-range etc: Athleticum
http://www.athleticum.ch/s06/content...wankdorf_d.asp
Sport XX (belongs to the Migros group):
http://www.sportxx.ch/g3.cms/s_page/.../3/branchid/40

A bit pricey, but knowledgeable staff (yes, englisch spoken):

Transa: more outdoor, as their bikeshops are in Basel and Zurich:
http://www.transa.ch/deutsch/travelo...ern/index.html

Veloplus (in Ostermundigen): the name says it: bikes plus a decent
selection of outdoor gear, good quality, pricey
http://www.veloplus.ch/veloplus/laed...ermundigen.asp

Was at their Vancouver store last year.
My exact thoughts upon entering: Pinch me! I must have died and gone to hiker heaven! Got me a nice -30°C down bag for C$385. Same thing costs double to quadruple over here.

Coop Bau + Hobby (they also have plants, as does the Migros equivalent:
Migros Do It + Garden).

13. Live plants. See above. Unfortunately no Jumbo in Bern, the bigger ones have quite a selection.

We have recently inherited an upright piano but cannot use it since our apartment is so small (t's in storage at the moment). Maybe we can arrange something. PM me if you are interested.

4. Migros XX Sport is in the heart of Bern, near the clock (Zyttlogge), has reasonable amount

Plants: pick a Landi, for example the one in Kerzers but there are heaps including on the way to Ikea in Lyssach LANDI - Das Informationsportal für die Landwirtschaft, Haus und Garten - Startseite

Not sure where Jumbo is in Bern, but they have a good selection of rugs at an affordable price - might be worth to check it out

Are there any coin operated laundries in Berne (preferably in town), failing that can anyone recommend an reasonable laundry service. The laundry system at the flat I am renting is very complicated.

MJ