Travel from Paris to Basel or Zurich on Fast TGV Lyria Trains

High-speed TGV Lyria trains transport travelers in three hours from Paris-Gare de Lyon in France to Basel and in four hours to Zurich in Switzerland.

TGV Lyria trains often provide the fastest and cheapest transportation from Paris-Gare de Lyon to Basel and Zurich in Switzerland. Six direct trains per day travel from Paris to Basel in three hours and continue to reach Zurich in just over four hours total. Book early for the best deals and cheapest tickets. One-way fares can be as cheap as €29 from Paris to Basel or Zurich but discount fares usually start around €50. Early reservations are not only sensible to secure the best prices but also to secure a seat. TGV Lyria trains frequently sell out, and standing is not allowed on TGV trains.

Travel by Train from Paris to Basel or Zurich

TGV Lyria Trains from Paris to Basel & Zurich

TGV Lyria trains connect Paris with Basel and Zurich up to six times per day.

The travel time for TGV Lyria trains from Paris to Basel is 3h04 and Paris to Zurich 4h04. Trains generally run every two hours during the day with connections at night limited.

The first TGV Lyria trains depart from Paris (or Zurich) just after 7 am and the last trains arrive back at these cities at around 22:30.

All TGV Lyria trains for Switzerland depart from Paris-Gare de Lyon, whether the destination is Basel and Zurich or Lausanne and Geneva. This is unfortunate for British and Eurostar passengers, who previously enjoyed the fast transfer between Gare du Nord and Gare de l’Est when traveling to Basel or Zurich. (The non-TGV Lyria option is very much worth considering if arriving in Paris at Gare du Nord.)

→ See Fast Transfers from Eurostar to Paris Train Stations on transferring between Paris-Gare du Nord and Paris-Gare de Lyon. The process is simple enough but time-consuming.

A direct Paris to Bern train service is no longer offered. For Bern, it is most sensible to take a Swiss train from Basel. Alternative routes are via Geneva or the TGV Lyria to Lausanne (but change at Frasne for Bern and Neuchâtel).

Alternative Trains from Paris to Basel and Zurich

While the direct TGV trains from Paris to Basel and Zurich are usually the best, fastest, and most comfortable travel option, it is also possible to use other trains. These are sometimes cheaper and in many cases hardly slower than the direct trains. TGV Lyria trains often sell out, which makes connecting trains essential to travel at peak periods.

Around two dozen train options are available daily between Paris and Basel. However, in addition to the TGV Lyria trains, consider only the following options requiring only a single train change:

• Fast Train from Paris: take a TGV or ICE train from Paris and transfer to a regional TER train in Alsace — usually in Strasbourg or Mulhouse. In some cases, the total journey time is only 10 minutes longer than the direct TGV Lyria train. Some of these TGV trains depart from Gare de l’Est, which is very convenient if arriving on Eurostar trains at Gare du Nord.
• Slow Train from Paris: take a slow TER train (usually from Paris Gare de l’Est) to either Strasbourg or Mulhouse (via beautiful Troyes) and then transfer to a TER for Basel. Travel time will be around six hours. Note: The two TER trains from Paris currently require seat reservations (around €2).

Booking engines are loath to show the slower trains option. However, on the German Railways site (possibly the best rail planning site for all of Europe), select “Local Transport Only” as the “Mode of transport”. (Double check the TGV option, special discounts are often available.)

When traveling to Zurich, these alternatives are far less attractive, as a further train change (and ticket) will be required for the Basel to Zurich journey.

Where to Buy the Cheapest Paris to Switzerland Train Tickets

It is possible to buy TGV Lyria and regular French train tickets from any vendor selling French Railways or Swiss Railways train tickets.

• Trainline is easy to use for comparative price purposes and has an option to compare bus prices too.
• Raileurope claims the cheapest ticket for travel between Paris and Basel is only €15. (Good luck finding or actually booking that train trip!) However, it goes give many options other than just the TGV Lyria trains.

Bearers of a French railways discount should stick to an applicable site such as SNCF Connect. Swiss Railways discount cards should book at SBB.

How to Buy TGV Lyria Train Tickets from Paris to Basel and Zurich

The cheapest ticket prices for travel on TGV Lyria trains from Paris to Switzerland are usually €29 one-way for standard class (second class), €49 for premier (first class), and €179 for Permière Signature (Signature First Class). Prices vary with demand. Same-day travel can easily be €180 in second class and €230 in first class. Discounted prices for the Paris to Basel route are more likely closer to €70 one-way with traveling to Zurich sometimes only adding as little as €2 to the ticket price.

Try the following strategies to get cheap tickets for the TGV Lyria trains:

• Book early — ticket prices are cheapest soon after the tickets are released for sale. Tickets are usually released in mid-March for travel in the July to mid-December period and in late September for travel during the first half of the following year. Prices tend to increase closer to the departure date, especially in the two weeks prior to travel.
• Travel mid-week — best price deals are more likely on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday.
• Go double early — book not only well in advance but take the first train in the morning. The ca. 7:30 train often has the cheapest tickets but do compare, sometimes the late morning train is only €5 more expensive.
• Book early but travel late — in contrast to the TGV Lyria trains to Geneva and Lausanne, the Paris to German-speaking Switzerland trains are often discounted in the evenings.
• Look for special deals — holidays and long weekends may make tickets cheaper (or more expensive depending on demand). The best deals on first-class tickets are often in holiday periods.

Classes of Travel and Seats on the Paris to Lausanne TGV Lyria Trains

Three classes of travel are available on the TGV Lyria trains between Paris and Basel or Zurich:

• Standard — basic second class, which means four seats, two on each side of the aisle. Access to the train bistro — great coffee but Swiss prices. Taking your own snack is sensible.
• Première — standard first class, which means three seats per row, either two or one on each side of the aisle. Access to the train bistro, and usually access to the Grand Voyageur lounge at Paris-Gare de Lyon.
• Première Signature — same seats at standard first class but also free drinks, a meal (or snack depending on the time and day of travel) served at seat, free drinks (including champagne), and access to the Grand Voyageur lounge at Paris-Gare de Lyon. Fully flexible tickets. (Sometimes referred to as Première Business.)

Seat reservations are obligatory on all TGV Lyria trains but reservation fees are already included in any ticket purchase.

The TGV Lyria trains use double-decker wagons in all classes. Upper deck seats have better views but the scenery is not particularly interesting, especially compared to almost any other train ride inside Switzerland. Furthermore, truth be told, most Swiss intercity trains (especially luxury panorama trains) are more comfortable and feel more spacious than the TGV trains.

Discount Offers on TGV Lyria Trains

TGV Lyria trains are a special cooperation between the Swiss and French railways and do not offer all the same discount benefits as the national carriers. Unfortunately, TGV Lyria trains are often not very generous with discounts:

• Railpasses: While Interrail and Eurail are wonderful passes to use on Swiss Railways, special rules apply for the TGV Lyria trains, which makes the travel option via Lyon attractive, especially if staying over en route is an option. Currently, railpass users need to reserve a seat on TGV Lyria trains at around €29 standard and €49 premier, but at least there are no restrictions on the number of seats available.
• Children: Babies under four travel for free but without a seat, or €19 (€29 prmière) for a seat. Children 4 to 11 get only a 30% discount but bearers of a Junior Travelcard pay CHF41 (CHF51 Première).
• Pets: Smaller pets in a closed pet carrier travel for €7. Larger dogs must be muzzled and on a lead the whole journey for €20. Guide dogs travel for free.

TGV Lyria trains from Paris also go directly to Geneva eight times daily, while up to six trains go to Lausanne (most via the faster Jura route).

Flying from Paris to Basel or Zurich

Flying from Paris to Basel or Zurich is only sensible when connecting to a longer flight. Flights between Paris-Charles de Gaulle and Basel Mulhouse Europort Airport (BSL / MLH / EAP ) are domestic French flights and are rarely available more than once per day. Transportation to Basel Airport is fast and easy but less so to Charles de Gaulle (CDG). For almost all travelers, Paris to Basel by train will be faster (and cheaper).

Flights from Paris to Zurich (ZRH) are more frequent but once again only sensible if combined with a longer intercontinental connection flight. The train will almost always be the better option to travel from Paris to Zuirch.

Buses from Paris to Basel and Zurich

Flixbus intercity coaches offer an alternative to the trains for travel between Paris and Swiss cities. Direct buses are rare, meaning long detours and time-consuming bus changes are often required. The occasional direct Paris to Zurich bus takes ten hours but is usually much cheaper than the train.