Canton of Basel-Stadt · Switzerland
Where to stay in Basel
Basel is a city in Canton of Basel-Stadt, Switzerland, home to about 176,000 people. This guide covers 2 aparthotels in Basel, with about 81 rooms between them.
- Places to stay in this guide
- 2
- Best months
- September
- Nearest airport
- BSL7 km · EuroAirport Basel–Mulhouse–Freiburg
- Currency
- CHFSwiss franc
- Time zone
- Europe/Zurich
- Language
- French, German, Italian
About
About Basel
Basel is a city in northwestern Switzerland on the river Rhine, at the transition from the High Rhine to the Upper Rhine. Basel is Switzerland's third most populous city (after Zurich and Geneva), with 177,595 inhabitants within the city municipality limits.
This town of almost 180,000 people (2021) lies in the north-western corner of Switzerland. The town shares borders with France and Germany and is the heart of this tri-national region - the Dreiländereck (three countries' corner). Besides its own attractions it can serve as a good entry point to the Alsace, Black Forest regions or the canton of Basel-Land. The Rhine curves through the city and divides the town into two parts. Situated on the south and west bank is Grossbasel (Great Basel) with the medieval old town at its centre.
Wikipedia and Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Things to do
What to see and do in Basel
See
Basel Old Town is a compact, walkable area bounded to the north by the Rhine and to the south by the Zoo and SBB main railway station. There are many museums, some with a free opening hour at the end of the day.
- Basler Münster
- Elisabethenkirche
- Kunstmuseum Basel
- Kunsthalle Basel
- Museum der Kulturen
- Antikenmuseum Basel
- Spielzeug Welten Museum
- Museum Jean Tinguely
- Basel Zoo
- Fondation Beyeler
- Laurenz-Stiftung Schaulager
- Kunsthaus Baselland
Do
Basel is one of the major cities in Switzerland and offer all activities of an urban centre. Most popular is the Basel Carnival but the Basel ferry is the icon.
- Basel ferry
- The Third Man
- Chienbäse
- BaselWorld
- Basel Herbstmesse
- Basler Weihnachtsmarkt
- Theater Basel
- Symphony Orchestra Basel
- Kaserne
- the bird's eye
- Hinterhof
- Nordstern
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Where to stay
Places to stay in Basel
2 places to stay from the chains this guide covers, each linked to its own website.
| Place to stay | Rooms |
|---|---|
| Basel Town Hall aparthotel | 26 |
| Nauenstrasse 55 aparthotel | 55 |
Schematic: the city centre in orange, each place to stay as a dot, distance rings in kilometres.
Where to stay
Which part of Basel to stay in
Always a good plan to book early, and essential if you hope to stay in Basel during Fasnacht, BaselWorld, or Art | Basel.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Where to stay
More hotels in Basel
34 hotels within 25 km of the centre, as recorded in Wikidata. Each name links to its encyclopedia article where there is one.
| Hotel | Opened | From centre |
|---|---|---|
| Hotel Les Trois Rois | 1681 | 0.2 km |
| Hotel Krafft | 0.1 km | |
| Gasthof Rössli with shed | 1670 | 20.1 km |
| 3 Camere | 1.8 km | |
| Anbau Zum Lysbüchel | 1983 | 1.7 km |
| B&B La Vie en Rose | 0.8 km | |
| Gaia Hotel | 1.5 km | |
| Gasthof Mühle | 10.4 km | |
| Hotel & Restaurant Hofmatt | 5.0 km | |
| Hotel Balade | 0.2 km | |
| Hotel Balegra | 2.2 km | |
| Hotel Brasserie au Violon | 0.7 km | |
| Hotel City Inn | 1.3 km | |
| Hotel Coop Tagungszentrum & Hotelpark im Grünen | 4.0 km | |
| Hotel D Basel | 0.3 km | |
| Hotel Eremitage | 7.7 km | |
| Hotel Gasthof zum Ochsen | 7.8 km | |
| Hotel Odelya | 0.9 km | |
| Hotel Restaurant Resslirytti | 0.7 km | |
| Hotel Rheinfelderhof | 0.5 km | |
| Hotel Rochat | 0.4 km | |
| Hotel Schweizerhof Basel | 1.4 km | |
| Hotel Wettstein | 0.7 km | |
| Ibis Basel Bahnhof | 1.6 km | |
| Ibis Budget Basel City | 1.9 km | |
| Ibis Styles Basel City | 1.9 km | |
| Kloster Dornach / Basel | 8.2 km | |
| Klosterhotel Kreuz | 12.0 km | |
| Motel One Basel | 0.6 km | |
| Nomad Design & Lifestyle Hotel | 0.9 km | |
| Novotel Basel City | 1.9 km | |
| Radisson Blu, Basel | 1.0 km | |
| Sorell Hotel Merian | 0.1 km | |
| Steinenschanze Stadthotel | 0.9 km |
When to go
The best time to visit Basel
The most comfortable months for a city stay in Basel are September. July is the warmest month, with average highs of 24 °C; August is the wettest, with about 109 mm of rain.
Comfortable means average daytime high between 18 °C and 29 °C and under 80 mm of rain in the month. Averages for 1991–2020 over the surrounding area, a grid square about 50 km across, so a coast or a nearby mountain can make the town itself warmer or cooler. Data: CRU TS v4.10, Climatic Research Unit, University of East Anglia (Open Database License).
Getting there
Getting to Basel: airports and arrival
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is EuroAirport Basel–Mulhouse–Freiburg (BSL), about 6.9 km from the city centre in a straight line; Bern Airport (BRN, 72 km) and Zürich Airport (ZRH, 73 km) are also within reach.
Getting in
If you enter Basel from France, remember the name is spelled "Bâle" in French. You may not find "Basel" on maps. The best airports for Basel are the city's own EuroAirport, 4 km away, or Zurich airport 90 min away by train. Other options are Geneva, with excellent flight connections but 3 hours away by change of train, and Bern (1 hr) and Strasbourg (90 min) which have fewer flights. EuroAirport Basel Mulhouse Freiburg (BSL, MLH, EAP) has flights to many cities in Europe, plus Istanbul, Tel Aviv and Morocco.
Getting around
This is the standard mode of travel for many within the city. Old Basel isn't very large and there are many narrow and winding side streets with incredible slopes. The shopping streets in the old city are closed to car traffic. Tourists will walk a lot - and be pleased and impressed at every turn. But the walking can be a bit strenuous after a while, particularly when walking on cobblestone alleys in the old town, which can also get quite steep. Walking around Basel can be a real cardiovascular workout for some if you wander off the main streets - but it's the best way to experience the city.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
BSL · EuroAirport Basel–Mulhouse–Freiburg
BRN · Bern Airport
ZRH · Zürich Airport
Local knowledge
Eating, drinking and staying safe in Basel
Eat
Basel has a thriving restaurant and café (see below Cafés) culture, and the streets of the old town are lined with outdoor seating in the summer. Not all restaurants in Basel accept credit cards (though an increasing number do). If in doubt check first. As in most of Europe, tipping is not a requirement. It is common (but not universal), to round up to the nearest 10 or 20 francs, for example by refusing the change from a note. Food in Switzerland is generally more expensive than other countries in Europe, and those on a budget should consider preparing their own food from the grocery store (closed in the evenings), or taking a trip up to nearby France or Germany.
Drink
In Barfüsserplatz, the major beer hall (at least in years gone by) receives its resupply via a tanker truck from the brewery with a very large hose delivering its precious cargo into the tanks of the rathskeller. This looks a lot like a delivery of heating oil in most commercial enterprises! The consumption of beer in this area (near the University) is really serious!
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Good to know
Accessibility, parking and families in Basel
How many places to stay in this guide offer each, in their operators' own words.
of 2 places
of 2 places
of 2 places
of 2 places
of 2 places
of 2 places
Questions
Basel: questions travellers ask
When is the best time to visit Basel?
The most comfortable months for a city stay in Basel are September. July is the warmest month, with average highs of 24 °C; August is the wettest, with about 109 mm of rain.
Which airport is closest to Basel?
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is EuroAirport Basel–Mulhouse–Freiburg (BSL), about 6.9 km from the city centre in a straight line; Bern Airport (BRN, 72 km) and Zürich Airport (ZRH, 73 km) are also within reach.
What currency is used in Basel?
Swiss franc (CHF).
Nearby
Destinations near Basel
Sources: city facts from Wikidata and Wikipedia; airports from OurAirports; climate from CRU TS v4.10 (University of East Anglia Climatic Research Unit), 1991–2020 monthly means, 0.5° grid; places to stay, guest scores and amenities from each operator's own public pages. How this guide is made.