Cruises to Basel

160 Reviews
Basel (Photo:Oliver Foerstner/Shutterstock)

About Cruising to Basel

Basel, which lies in the northwest region of Switzerland, near its French and German borders, is a delightful city with a rich history, intriguing medieval quarter, fabulous art galleries and stunning architecture. It also boasts a lively social scene, much of which focuses around the city's most important asset, the meandering Rhine River.

The mighty river first becomes navigable at Basel, which makes the city the nearest thing landlocked Switzerland has to a seaport, and residents really make the most of it. The river banks are lined with restaurants and hotels (which charge extra for a river-view room).

Many residents use little tow-lined ferries rather than bridges to travel between Grossbasel (Big Basel, home to the medieval Old Town) on the south bank and Kleinbasel (Little Basel, center of the city's lively social scene) on the north bank.

Basel is an important turnaround port for Rhine riverboats, many of which run between there and Amsterdam on weekly rotations. Because it's an embarkation and debarkation port, many river cruise passengers spend at least a day in Basel , which is no hardship, considering it's not only a fascinating city, but also a gateway to Alsace and Germany's Black Forest region. Find cruises to Basel on our Switzerland cruise itineraries.

  • More about Basel

  • Why Cruise to Basel?

  • Basel Cruise Port Facilities?

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Viking Idun
Viking Idun

7 Night
Rhine Getaway

157 Reviews
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Viking Rolf
Viking Longship (Photo: Viking)

7 Night
Rhine Getaway

170 Reviews
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Viking Sigyn
TA Viking Sigyn

7 Night
Rhine Getaway

61 Reviews
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AmaMora
AmaMora

7 Night
Swiss Alps & Rhine Castles

18 Reviews
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7 Night
Rhine Getaway

188 Reviews
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7 Night
Jewels Of The Rhine

170 Reviews
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7 Night
Festive Time On The Romantic Rhine

104 Reviews
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7 Night
Festive Time On The Romantic Rhine

104 Reviews
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7 Night
Kiltn' It: Facts, Fiction & Fairytale Settings On...

104 Reviews
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7 Night
Rhine Getaway

150 Reviews
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7 Night
Rhine Getaway

218 Reviews
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7 Night
Castles Along The Rhine

51 Reviews
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7 Night
Rhine Getaway

157 Reviews
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Cruise Critic Favorite

7 Night
Rhine Getaway

239 Reviews
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Cruise Critic Favorite

7 Night
Christmas On The Rhine

239 Reviews
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More about Basel

Why Cruise to Basel?

Pros:

Charming Basel combines medieval architecture with a lively social scene

Cons:

Most shops are closed on Sundays, museums on Mondays

Bottom Line:

This city offers a unique vibe with subtle French and German influences

Basel Cruise Port Facilities?

There's nothing much near the boat dock, just suburban streets. The best bet is to go to the tram station (an easy few minutes' walk away) and head for central Basel. Residents are very friendly and will help with directions.

Good to Know?

Most of the shops are closed Sundays. Main shopping hours in Basel are 9 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Monday to Friday and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays, though big department stores tend to stay open later, until 8 p.m., and Thursday is late-night shopping day, when most city stores are open until 8:30 p.m. or 9 p.m.

If you are in the city on a Monday and love art and culture, you might be disappointed because nearly all the city's galleries and museums are closed on that day. A notable exception is the Fondation Beyeler and Basel Munster.

Getting Around?

From the Airport: The EuroAirport Basel is located 15 minutes away from central Basel (by taxi). Alternatively -- if you're traveling light -- you can take a tram to the German railway station Badischer Bahnhof and pick up Bus No. 50 to the airport.

Every traveler staying in a hotel in Basel receives a free Mobility Ticket when they check in. This is valid for 30 days and allows free use of Basel's excellent public transportation system; it also extends into the city (zones 10, 11, 13 and 15, including the airport).

If you're staying in Basel before your river cruise, print out the hotel reservation confirmation and take it with you because you'll also qualify for free transport from the airport to your hotel if you show it to the bus or tram driver.

By Tram: Basel is immensely -- and rightly -- proud of its transportation system, and tourist offices and hotels are very efficient at advising which particular trams you need to take to get to various parts of the city. Residents also are very helpful, and most speak English, at least to some extent.

By Taxi: Basel prides itself on being an eco-friendly city, so extensive use of taxis is somewhat frowned upon and correspondingly expensive. A taxi from the city center to the EuroAirport costs about CHF 40, while a cab to the Swiss or German railway stations (SBB Bahnhof or Badischer Bahnhof/BBF) would cost about CHF 20. And that's without surcharges for trips in the evening or on Sundays.

Taxi services include 33er Taxi AG (+41 61 333 33 33) and Taxiphon Genossenschaft (+41 61 444 44 44).

By Car: All the major car rental companies -- including Hertz, Avis and EuropCar -- are represented in Basel.

By Rail: If you want to go traveling before or after your cruise, Basel offers good rail links throughout Switzerland (including to Geneva and Zurich). It also has fast links to destinations in France and Germany. Paris is about five hours away, Frankfurt just under four, Brussels about seven and Berlin nearly a 10-hour trip. You can zip over to lovely Strasbourg in only 90 minutes.

Currency & Best Way to Get Money?

The currency in Switzerland is Swiss francs. For exchange rates, visit www.oanda.com or www.xe.com.

Major credit cards are accepted in most hotels, restaurants and shops. Some taxis also accept credit cards, but it is worth changing some money if you plan to spend time in the city. Euros are not widely accepted, and even where they are, you could lose out badly on the exchange rate. ATM machines are located throughout Basel -- in banks and main post offices.

Language?

The official language of Basel is Swiss-German, but both French and English are widely spoken. In different parts of the country, you'll also hear people speaking German, French, Italian and Romansh.

Where You're Docked?

The landing stage for riverboat passengers is between Johanniterbrucke and Dreirosenbrucke, out in the suburbs. You cannot walk there from town.


Basel Cruise Reviews
We like Basel. Clean City, the Viking personal were excellent! The Airline lost the luggage for 20 of us between Basel and Frankfurt. Viking helped track down our bags, had them at hotel by 9pm.Read More
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SRCJAX
Stayed two extra days in Basel and enjoyed the city as well as the train ride to Lucerne. Next time I want to dedicate time for museums. I think there are 20+.Read More
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Lwandjaw
Climbed to the top of the Basel Cathedral tower. Lots of steps but what a view! (This was post-cruise.)Read More
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presto88
We did not get to spend time in Basel immediately after disembarking the ship we were whisked away to Lucern. Now that is a place I could retire. Sitting by the lake having wine and amazing Italian food. Read More
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motokochs

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