Best Day Trips from Basel, Switzerland
Are you looking for the best day trips from Basel, Switzerland? You’re in the right place!
Basel is a great place to base yourself for taking day trips. This Swiss city is actually located at the confluence of three borders: Switzerland, France, and Germany. So not only can you easily explore other destinations in Switzerland from Basel, but you can also head to France or Germany for the day.
Another cool thing about staying in Basel is that all visitors will automatically receive the Basel Card upon checking into their hotel or other accommodation. This means you get free access to all public transportation around the city, plus discounts on museums and attractions in Basel. This is really helpful in taking day trips, because you can just hop on the tram for free to get to Basel’s train station.
All of the day trips below can easily be done by train. You can use Omio to book your train tickets online (this is what I always use for train travel in Europe) or look into the Swiss Travel Pass. This train pass can save you money if you plan to do a lot of train travel around Switzerland, and may be worth the cost.
Now here’s a look at the best day trips from Basel, Switzerland:
1. Colmar, France
Colmar is the perfect day trip from Basel! Located in the Alsace region of France, this small and charming city is just 45 minutes from Basel by train. With its medieval Old Town, colorful half-timbered buildings, and picturesque canals, Colmar feels like something straight from the pages of a storybook.
I actually think Colmar is a great place to stay for several days, because it’s a good base for exploring smaller villages in Alsace, but if you’re staying in Basel, a day trip to Colmar is a great introduction to the region. It’s magical at any time of year, but it’s especially nice to visit at Christmas.
The whole city goes all out with festive decorations for Christmas, and there are half a dozen Christmas markets with hundreds of stalls selling traditional food, drinks, handicrafts, and souvenirs.
If you want to visit several destinations including Colmar, this organized day trip from Basel is the perfect choice. Not only will you get to visit Colmar, but you’ll also stop in the picturesque village of Ribeauvillé and see the castle at Hohkönigsburg. The tour includes transportation by bus from Basel.
2. Freiburg, Germany
Another country you can visit from Basel is Germany. The closest city is Freiburg im Breisgau, or Freiburg for short. This city is just 35 minutes from Basel by train, so it’s a quick and easy journey to get there.
Freiburg is known for being a lively university city with a beautiful historic center (that was largely reconstructed after sustaining heavy damage during World War II.) It’s nestled in Germany’s Black Forest, so the surrounding scenery is also beautiful and good for hiking if you visit during the warmer months.
3. Lucerne, Switzerland
Lucerne is one of the loveliest cities in Switzerland. Located just one hour from Basel by train, this historic city with its well-preserved medieval Old Town is one of the best places to spend a day.
Situated on Lake Lucerne and the Reuss River, Lucerne is a beautiful city with views of the surrounding mountains. Several pedestrian bridges cross the river, including the 14th-century Chapel Bridge, a long covered wooden bridge. Up on the hill above the city, the Musegg Wall is a medieval defensive fortification.
The views from the towers of the wall are amazing, but if you want really spectacular views, you can head up to the top of Mount Pilatus by cable car or by the world’s steepest cogwheel railway.
4. Interlaken, Switzerland
Another excellent destination in Switzerland that you can visit from Basel is Interlaken. This is a little further away, taking two hours by train, but Interlaken is the perfect gateway to the Swiss Alps.
From Interlaken, you can visit the charming Alpine villages of Grindelwald or Lauterbrunnen. Interlaken is also a popular destination for trying adventure activities like tandem paragliding, skydiving, or bungee jumping. So if you’re an adrenaline junkie or a thrill-seeker, this is the ideal place for you.
5. Strasbourg, France
Heading back to France, Strasbourg is another amazing place you can easily visit on a day trip from Basel. Strasbourg is a much bigger city than Colmar, and it’s the capital of the Alsace region.
Strasbourg is one hour and 15 minutes by train from Basel, and you pass through Colmar on the way there. If you got an early start, you could actually combine Colmar and Strasbourg into one day trip and hit two Alsace highlights. However, there’s plenty to do in Strasbourg to spend a full day there as well.
The historic center of Strasbourg is packed with amazing sights, like the Cathédrale Notre-Dame-de-Strasbourg and Petite France, a neighborhood with half-timbered houses, cobblestone streets, canals, and bridges. Strasbourg is also an incredible destination to visit in December for its Christmas markets.
6. Bern, Switzerland
Bern is another one of the best day trips from Basel. This lovely small city is located just under an hour away by train from Basel. Although the Swiss Confederation does not actually have an official capital city (there’s a fun fact for you!), Bern is considered to be the de facto capital of the country.
This is a great place to spend some time wandering around. Bern has a compact and beautiful Old Town offering scenic views of the Aare River. The main landmark of the Old Town is the Zytglogge, a medieval tower dating back to the 13th century. Bern is also famous for its Albert Einstein connection.
The brilliant physicist lived in Bern for several years, and developed his Thoery of Relativity here. The Einstein Museum, part of the Bern History Museum, offers more insight into his life and works.
7. St. Gallen, Switzerland
Finally, one more great day trip from Basel is St. Gallen. While this is the furthest destination on the list, taking two hours and 20 minutes by train and requiring a change in Zurich, I still wanted to mention it.
And that is because St. Gallen is the perfect destination for book lovers! This small city is home to the Abbey Library of Saint Gall, one of the oldest and most historically significant libraries in Europe. In addition to visiting the library, you can explore the abbey on the compact Old Town of St. Gallen.
Top Day Trips from Basel
This guide showed you the best day trips from Basel, Switzerland.
My top picks for day trips would be to Colmar or Strasbourg (or both) and Lucerne. However, you really can’t go wrong with any of these days, which allow you to explore three different countries.
Enjoy your trip to Basel!
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