BlaakLane.com books Basel SBB chauffeurs at a fixed fare you see before confirming. Enter your SBB, TGV Lyria or ICE train number, choose EuroAirport, Messe Basel, a pharma campus or a hotel, and pick a vehicle. We track the train, time the chauffeur to its actual arrival and meet you curbside at the designated pick-up area on Centralbahnplatz or the Gundeldingen side.
Booking a Basel SBB transfer
Set Basel SBB as the pickup in the reservation engine, add the train number, the destination and your bags, and choose a class. You get one fixed fare. The trip is dispatched from our Toronto desk, which runs 24/7, to a vetted affiliate in the Basel region from the LimousineWorldwide.Directory network, contracted to the BlaakLane.com written standard. The confirmation names the operator, chauffeur and car.
Three railways in one city
Basel sits where Switzerland, France and Germany meet, and its stations reflect that. Basel SBB is the main Swiss station, and its western end contains the French section, Basel SNCF, whose platforms serve TER trains to Mulhouse and Strasbourg and TGV Lyria services to Paris (about 3 hours). German ICE trains from Frankfurt (about 2 hours 50 minutes), Cologne and Hamburg call at Basel SBB, and also at Basel Badischer Bahnhof, the German station across the Rhine near the Messe. SBB InterCity trains reach Zurich in about 55 minutes, Bern in about 55 minutes and Lucerne in about 1 hour, and EuroCity trains continue to Milan.
Knowing which Basel station your train uses matters: Badischer Bahnhof is about 10-15 minutes by car from Basel SBB.
Getting out of the station
- Centralbahnplatz (north): the main façade with the clock, the tram hub and the Hotel Euler side, facing the city centre.
- Passerelle: the glazed footbridge over the tracks, where you reach every platform, with shops and cafés.
- Gundeldingen side (south, Meret Oppenheim-Strasse): the newer exit towards the Gundeldinger district, with easier road access.
- French section (Basel SNCF): at the west end of the station, with a border control point used when checks are in place.
Pickup points and legal stopping
The standard is curbside. Cars booked in advance use the designated drop-off and pick-up spaces at Centralbahnplatz, where trams leave little room, or the more practical zones on the Gundeldingen side, and the station car parks. They do not wait at the taxi ranks. After your train arrives, the chauffeur texts you the exact place.
To be met at the platform or on the Passerelle with a name board, add meet and greet. Add-ons are only available in selected locations.
Train tracking
International trains from Germany and France are the most likely to run late. We watch your train number, and the chauffeur is timed to the real arrival, at no extra charge. Fifteen minutes of waiting are included from arrival; after that, 15-minute blocks apply.
Luggage and art cargo
A Standard Sedan carries two travellers with two suitcases. For families, a Standard Black SUV. Visitors to Art Basel often carry portfolios and framed works; book an SUV or a Sprinter Van and describe the items when booking. Child seats are free on request.
EuroAirport, Zurich and the city
| From Basel SBB to | Typical drive |
|---|---|
| EuroAirport Basel-Mulhouse-Freiburg (BSL/MLH) | 15-25 minutes |
| Zurich Airport (ZRH) | 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes |
| Messe Basel | 10-15 minutes |
| Novartis Campus | 10-15 minutes |
| Roche towers | 10 minutes |
| Old Town and the Rhine hotels | 5-10 minutes |
The EuroAirport stands on French soil with a Swiss sector and a French sector; the terminal exit you use depends on which sector you fly from, and your pickup must be booked for the right one. For long-haul flights, see the Zurich Airport page.
Pharma, finance and Art Basel
Basel's economy is led by life sciences: the Novartis Campus in St. Johann, the Roche towers by the Rhine and many biotech firms around the city, as well as the Bank for International Settlements next to the station. The Messe, in Kleinbasel, hosts Art Basel, usually in June, when hotels across the region fill and traffic around the Messeplatz slows. The Basel Fasnacht, usually in February or March, closes parts of the old town for three days. An hourly chauffeur with a three-hour minimum works well for a fair day.
Customs and the border
Switzerland is in the Schengen area but not in the EU customs union, so goods crossing between Basel and France or Germany can be checked, and random identity checks do occur. Carry your passport or ID card on any drive into Alsace or Baden, and declare goods above the allowances. Your chauffeur follows the rules at the crossing; you remain responsible for your own documents.
Regional drives
For groups or when trains do not fit, book an intercity transfer:
- Freiburg im Breisgau, about 70 km, 50-60 minutes
- Colmar, about 65 km, 50-60 minutes
- Mulhouse, about 35 km, 35 minutes
- Strasbourg, about 140 km, 1 hour 30 minutes
- Zurich, about 85 km, 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes
- Bern, about 100 km, 1 hour 15 minutes
- Lucerne, about 95 km, 1 hour 10 minutes
- Titisee in the Black Forest, about 80 km, 1 hour 15 minutes
See our Strasbourg and Bern pages for those cities.
Which vehicle to book
- Standard Sedan: a scientist or consultant heading to a campus.
- Luxury Executive Sedan: senior executives and board visits.
- Executive First Class Sedan (Maybach): collectors and VIP guests during Art Basel.
- Standard Black SUV and Executive Black SUV: six passengers with six bags, and cross-border trips in winter.
- Sprinter Van: 12 passengers with small bags, for delegations.
- Sprinter Luxury Jet Van: seven seats, hand luggage only.
- Luxury Stretch Limo and Party Bus: celebrations and Fasnacht nights.
The fleet page has the details and the rates page explains the fare.
Accounts for life-science companies
Pharma and biotech firms can book through corporate accounts with cost centres and monthly billing; see corporate and Fortune 500 travel. The city is covered on the Basel chauffeur service page, timetables on SBB and visitor information on Basel Tourism.
