Basel: how to get there and around
Airports, stations, ports, where the hotels are and what the numbers say, from public data rather than a brochure.
Basel is a city of 177,595 people in Switzerland (Basel-City), 279 m (915 ft) above sea level. The nearest large airport is EuroAirport Basel–Mulhouse–Freiburg (BSL), 6 km (4 mi) from the centre.
Key facts
Daylight in Basel runs from about 8 h 30 min a day in late December to 16 h 3 min in late June (computed for 47.56° latitude), which matters more than the forecast when a day is built around one flight or one crossing.
Getting there
Basel is served by 3 airports with scheduled flights within 100 km. The closest large one is EuroAirport Basel–Mulhouse–Freiburg (BSL), 6 km (4 mi) from the centre, whose 12,795-ft runway is long enough for long-haul wide-body aircraft. The alternatives are Zürich Airport (ZRH, 74 km), Bern Airport (BRN, 72 km).
Flights to Basel: every airport, routes and times
Buses to Basel · Driving and car hire
Nearby cities, and how to get between them
- Munich, 305 km (Germany) — flights
- Milan, 264 km (Italy) — flights · tours
- Köln, 378 km (Germany) — flights
- Turin, 277 km (Italy) — tours
- Frankfurt am Main, 296 km (Germany) — tours
- Stuttgart, 181 km (Germany) — tours
- Genoa, 366 km (Italy)
- Lyon, 289 km (France) — tours
- Nuremberg, 333 km (Germany)
- Zürich, 76 km — buses · car rental · tours
Common questions
Which airport serves Basel?
EuroAirport Basel–Mulhouse–Freiburg (BSL), 6 km (4 mi) from the centre, plus 2 other airports with scheduled flights within 100 km.
How big is Basel?
About 177,595 people live in Basel (GeoNames).
What time zone is Basel in?
Europe/Zurich, currently UTC+2.
What currency is used in Basel?
The Franc (CHF). Traffic drives on the right.
Which cities are near Basel?
Munich (305 km), Milan (264 km), Köln (378 km), Turin (277 km), Frankfurt am Main (296 km).
Where these facts come from
- GeoNames (CC BY 4.0): population, elevation, time zone, postal codes
- Wikidata (CC0): area, sister cities, visitor numbers, heritage listings, stations and ports
- OurAirports (public domain): airports, runways
- Natural Earth (public domain): map outlines
Data compiled 13 September 2026. Hotel figures are from our booking partner’s catalogue on that date. Journey times on this page are estimates from distance, not timetables; check the operator before you rely on one.