Basel: Location in Switzerland:
Basel is located along the Rhine river in northern Switzerland, at the intersection of France, Germany and Switzerland. The border with France on the west bank of the Rhine is about 2 km north of the city--the border with Germany is on the east bank, about 3 km north.Basel Train Stations:
Basel has two train stations, the larger Basel SBB is the main Basel station, most of it in Switzerland--but if you're going on to France you can walk to Bâle SNCF. Basel Badischer Bahnhof, run by Deutsche Bahn, hosts many German Trains that don't stop at Basel SBB. You can rent bicycles at Basel SBB.Basel Airport:
Basel is served by EuroAirport, which is actually in French territory 5km north of the city, shared between Basel (Switzerland), Mulhouse (France) and Freiburg (Germany).Basel Tourist Offices:
You'll find the Basel tourist office inside the SBB train station. In Basel, you'll find a tourist office at Schifflände 5. These offices charge to make reservations at hotels for you. There are hotels just outside Basel SBB as you exit.Basel Mobility Card:
One nice perk you'll get when staying in Basel is the Basel Mobility Card, free with your hotel stay. If you don't get one upon checking in, ask at the front desk. The card gives you free tram and bus transportation throughout the city.Basel Hotels and Lodging:
Basel hotels aren't cheap, and may get even more expensive during trade shows. Venere offers user rated hotels in Basel (book direct).Really cheap is Easy Hotel's Riehenring, where you'll pay extra for your television's remote control and maid service--but you can get a 9 square meter windowless room for cheap (usually less then 30 Euros), or bigger, windowed ones for less cheap.
Changing Money in Basel:
Since Switzerland uses the Swiss Franc, you might need to exchange money if you've been traveling in the Euro zone. You can do so at Basel SBB daily from 6am–9pm, but an ATM card is your best bet. ATMs are all over Basel, including the train station.Basel Guildhall Restaurants:
Guilds were a big deal in 12th century Basel; the foundation of the first craft and merchant guilds started in 1226. Many of the halls have turned into quite nice restaurants. See Basel Guildhall Restaurants.Climate in Basel - When to Go:
Summer weather is usually mild in Basel; expect some rain, as rainfall peaks in summer. For climate information as well as the current weather conditions, see Basel Travel Weather.Basel Attractions:
Basel Festivals
Basel is famous for its ancient masked carnival, or Fasnacht, a three-day carnival festival starting on the Monday after Mardi Gras.
Basel’s ART International Contemporary Art Fair is the largest art event of its kind in the world.
Vogel Gryff is a medieval festival held in January on the Rhine in Basel.
Basel Current Events
See Basel Tourismus for a list of Basel Events.
Select Museums
Basel has a wonderful web site that links to all of Basel's Museums: Museen Basel.
- Basel Cartoon Museum - St. Alban-Vorstadt 28, CH - 4052 Basel
- Swiss Sports Museum - Missionsstr. 28, CH - 4055 Basel
- Museum der Kulturen Basel [Museum of Ethnology] houses one of Europe's largest collections on European and non-European cultural life.
