Getting Around Basel by Public Transport

The network in one minute

Basel is Switzerland’s trinational city, its edges touch both France and Germany, and its transport reflects that: a dense tram network in the centre, S-Bahn trains reaching across the borders, and small ferries crossing the Rhine that splits the city in two.

• Trams, the backbone of the city, lines cross the Rhine and reach most neighbourhoods from the central hub at Barfüsserplatz.
• Buses, fill in where trams don’t run, especially toward the edges of town.
• S-Bahn, regional trains link Basel to the surrounding region, including stops just across the German and French borders.
• Rhine ferries, small passenger ferries pulled across the current, a handful of fixed crossing points along the river.

Two stations, one city

Basel’s main station serves domestic and international trains from the Swiss side, while Basel Bad, just across the Rhine, handles services arriving from Germany. Trams connect the two easily, so it rarely matters which one you land at.

Crossing the Rhine

Beyond the road bridges, four small ferries cross the Rhine using only the current and a cable, no engine. They’re a genuinely fun, inexpensive way to get from the old town side to Kleinbasel, and children tend to love them.

Tickets without the guesswork

Basel uses the same zone system as the rest of Swiss public transport: a short-hop ticket covers most single tram rides in the centre, and a day pass pays off after three or four trips, including the ferries in some cases.

See it live

With trams crossing back and forth over the Rhine and connections into two neighbouring countries, knowing the next departure matters more here than in most Swiss cities. The Swiss Transport app shows live departures and platform details as you move around, so you’re never guessing which tram is next.