Once you arrive in Basel, the city’s excellent public transportation system, including trams and buses, makes it easy to get around and explore all the city offers. The well-connected transportation options make Basel a perfect base for exploring the town and the surrounding region, including the picturesque Black Forest in Germany and the scenic Alsace region in France.
You will surely enjoy the fact that nothing is far away in our city. Here, you can learn more about getting from A to B in Basel – whether on foot, by tram or bus, or by taxi.
BaselCard
The BaselCard is offered as a free bonus with every booking at a Basel hotel, hostel, bed and breakfast or apartment.
You will receive your personal guest card when you check in and you can also load it on your smartphone as a web app.
The booking confirmation of your hotel or Airbnb in Basel serves as a free ticket for the transfer from the airport or train station to your hotel. So hop on a bus (Line 50 from the EuroAirport to the central SBB railway station, approx. 15 minutes) or a tram when you arrive, without the hassle of purchasing a ticket!
A map of all the Basel public transport lines can be found here: https://www.bvb.ch/de/fahrplan/liniennetz/
Mind the tram!
In Basel, trams are everywhere and seem to come from right, left and centre! Most of them don’t even make much noise, so beware! Make sure to look carefully in all directions before crossing the road, especially right in front of the railway station, where many lines converge.
On top of free transport, the BaselCard also offers up to 50% discount on many tourist attractions and museum tickets across the city. The BaselCard app works mostly offline and offers the same free services and discounts. The guest card also features an interactive city map in its electronic version.
All the details regarding the BaselCard can be found here: www.basel.com/en/baselcard
Rent a bike
Some might like to travel around Basel by bike. With the BaselCard, you can rent an e-bike for just CHF 20 daily.
Another possibility for renting a bike is to go through the Velospot Basel rental system. This offer is aimed at locals, commuters, and tourists alike. The bikes are opened with a number code or with a user card. Costs are CHF 2.90 for a 30-minute ride on a classic bike and CHF 3.80 for a 15-minute ride on an e-bike. To use this offer, you must register through the app but are not committed to any subscription fee.
➡️ More details about his offer here
Crossing the border
If you want to cross the border to Germany using public transport, take the tram line 8, which goes through to Weil am Rhein. On the French side, the tram line 11 stops at the Saint-Louis frontier, but you can take an SNCF train to Saint-Louis centre. Those wishing to discover the whole “border triangle” might consider taking advantage of the TriRegio ticket, which covers the network of all three countries surrounding Basel.