Choosing a Day Trip from Basel: Alps, Lucerne or Alsace

Choosing a day trip from Basel comes down to a few plain questions. Mountains, a lake or French villages? Train or van? How many hours can you give it, and do you need your passport? This guide takes them in that order, from each listing's own terms, so you can shortlist in a few minutes. If you already know you want a day out, all the day tours from Basel are side by side.

Which way out of Basel?

Basel sits in the corner where Switzerland meets France and Germany, so you can head three ways. South and east are the Alps and the Swiss lakes: Lucerne, Interlaken, Lake Thun and the valleys below the Jungfrau. North and west, just over the border, are the half-timbered towns of Alsace, Colmar among them. The Black Forest is across the Rhine in Germany.

Pick the Alps for mountains and lakes, and give it a clear day. Pick Alsace for old towns, wine country and a castle, and it matters less if the sky is grey. The four-countries day sweeps round through Germany, Austria and Liechtenstein, with the Rhine Falls first.

If you only book one and have never seen the Alps, start there. If you have seen them, Alsace is the change of scene.

How long is each day?

Every day trip here is a long one. The shortest is the Colmar train day, at six to ten hours, because Colmar is only 40 minutes away by rail. The Black Forest day runs seven to nine hours and the Pilatus day about eight.

The Alpine days run longer. The Lucerne and Thun rail days take eight to eleven hours, the Jungfrau day ten and the Alps van nine to twelve. The four-countries day is the longest, at 11 to 13 hours from hotel to hotel.

So plan nothing for the evening, and eat a proper breakfast. You leave between 8am and 9:30am on most days.

What does each fare carry?

Here is where two days that look alike come apart. Every fare buys the transport and a guide or driver-guide. Most also carry a ticket, and that is where the money goes.

• The Jungfrau day: a standard railway pass and a Jungfrau Region Pass, up to Kleine Scheidegg.
• The Pilatus day: a rail pass, a Lake Lucerne cruise pass and the cogwheel railway, the last from mid-May to mid-October only.
• The Lucerne day: a one-day train pass and a reserved panoramic seat.
• The Thun day: second-class trains, a boat on Lake Thun and a cheese tasting.
• The Alps van: the St. Beatus Caves ticket, for a self-guided visit.
• The four-countries van: the Rhine Falls boat and the castle in Feldkirch.
• The Alsace minibus: the Haut-Koenigsbourg castle ticket.
• The Colmar train day: the train, and a wine tasting outside the Christmas market season.
• The Black Forest van: no ticket. The fare buys the van, the guide-driver and guided walks.

Lunch is in none of them. The fares line up in full, from the cheapest walk up, in our guide to tour prices.

Train or van?

A rail day meets you in the hall at Basel SBB and travels on public trains, with the pass in the fare. You get room to move, a guide who knows the platforms, and on the Lucerne day a panoramic carriage. One traveller on that day praised a guide who made sure the group knew when to get off.

A van day picks you up at your hotel and keeps a small group together. It can string stops together that no single train line links, which is how the four-countries day fits Konstanz, Feldkirch and Vaduz into one day. The Alsace minibus sits between the two: a coach stop by the Tinguely Fountain, a set route and a driver-guide.

If you want a door-to-door day, take the van.

Do you need a passport?

On any day that leaves Switzerland, yes. The four-countries day tells you to bring one. The Colmar train day, the Alsace minibus and the Black Forest van all cross into France, and the Black Forest day into Germany as well.

The Alpine and lake days stay in Switzerland: Lucerne, Pilatus, Thun, the Jungfrau valleys and the Alps van. Carry some ID anyway.

Which days start at the station?

The rail days meet in the hall at Basel SBB, at two different spots. The Lucerne, Thun and Colmar days meet across from the ticket office, at the marked point in front of the big picture. The Jungfrau and Pilatus days meet by the benches near the Migros flower shop.

Check which spot is yours the night before. One Jungfrau traveller wrote that the operator gave only the station and the time, not the meeting spot. Start times run from 8:15am on the Thun day to 9:30am on the Jungfrau day.

The Alps, four-countries and Black Forest vans collect you at your hotel instead, at 8am or 9am. The Alsace minibus leaves from the coach stop by the Tinguely Fountain, on Steinenberg.

How big is the group?

• Eight at most: the Alps van and the four-countries van. The four-countries day needs three people to run a shared date.
• Fifteen at most: the Lucerne, Thun, Jungfrau and Pilatus rail days.
• Twenty at most: the Colmar train day.
• Up to 25: the Black Forest day, despite the small-group name.
• Not stated: the Alsace minibus.

A small van fills first, so book it early. Every day here refunds in full up to 24 hours before.

Which days depend on the season?

Two change with the calendar. The Pilatus day includes the cogwheel railway only from mid-May to mid-October; outside that window, ask what replaces it before you book. The Colmar train day swaps its wine producer for market tastings in the Christmas season, and the Christmas side of the city is in our Christmas guide.

The Alpine days depend on the weather more than the date. On the Pilatus day one traveller rose above the fog to find the mountain clear. Views are never promised, so pick a clear forecast if you can, and a town day if you cannot.

Which days suit limited mobility?

None is step-free all day, so ask before you book. The Alsace minibus carries a foldable wheelchair, but the castle is step-free only to its lower courtyard. The Colmar train day states that its transport and surfaces are wheelchair accessible.

The Alps day warns that the walk up to the St. Beatus Caves is steep, and the Thun day asks for moderate fitness and is not for travellers with heart problems. On the Pilatus day, one traveller who asked for help with walking found it was not arranged. Say what you need when you book, not on the day.

What do past travellers wish they had known?

Most reviews are warm, and the lessons in the rest are practical. On the Pilatus day, a few travellers met a guide who did not show, poor listening devices, or train tickets where they expected a van: it is a rail day, so plan on the train. On the Alsace minibus, one traveller expected a guide and found a driver, and another wanted to be told the time due back at each stop.

Read what each fare includes, not the photos. A driver-guide drives and points things out; a guide walks you round. If the difference matters to you, pick a rail day or a van with a local guide.

Can you go private?

Yes, on several. The Lucerne day sells a private option that can add a hotel pickup, and you can ask about a private date on the others. A private day costs more, but you set the pace and the stops. For a family or a group of friends, compare the price for your party with the shared fare.

How do the day trips compare?

Here is the choice in one table, from each listing's own terms. Fares are per person in US dollars.

Still between two? A day in the city first may settle it: our one-day plan fits the Old Town, the Rhine and a museum into one day.

Frequently asked questions

Day trips that suit a first choice

From Basel: Swiss Alps, Lauterbrunnen, Beatus Caves Small Group

Hotel pickup at 8am in a small van of up to eight, for Lake Lungern, the St. Beatus Caves, Grindelwald and Lauterbrunnen. The cave ticket is in the fare, and the path up to the caves is steep.

From $330 per person

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From Basel: day trip to Colmar, Hohkönigsburg, Ribeauvillé

A nine-hour minibus day from the Tinguely Fountain coach stop: three hours in Colmar, the Haut-Koenigsbourg castle with its ticket paid, then Ribeauvillé. A driver-guide takes you between stops, and food is at your own cost.

From $108 per person

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Discover 4 Countries in One Day from Basel in Small Group

Eleven to thirteen hours by van from your hotel at 8am, eight people at most: the Rhine Falls by boat, Konstanz, Feldkirch and its castle, and Vaduz. Both tickets are in the fare. Bring your passport.

From $435 per person

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