Getting to Basel Airport (BSL / MLH / EAP ) is easiest by public transportation bus and train from Switzerland, Germany, and France.
Basel Mulhouse Freiburg Euro Airport (BSL / MLH / EAP ) is inside France, just a few kilometers from the border with Switzerland and Germany. The most common name is simply Basel Airport (BSL) after the Swiss city closest to the airport. Getting to Basel Airport by public transportation usually involves an easy bus ride from downtown Basel. Most railway users should change to the bus at Basel Hauptbahnhof SBB train station. Further other options are also available to travelers arriving from Germany and France. Driving is easy and a few airport shuttle bus services go to Freiburg and Europa Park.
Taxis charge by the meter if not booked in advance. Suntransfers gives online quotations for private airport transfers without first requiring personal details or flight numbers. If not booked in advance, taxis to non-Swiss destinations are often cheaper from the French sector (but still not cheap).
Public Transportation to Basel Mulhouse Freiburg Euro Airport in Switzerland / France
Public transportation to Basel Mulhouse Freiburg Euro Airport almost always involves a bus journey from Basel. However, direct Flixbus buses from Basel Airport are often the cheapest option to Freiburg and Europa Park in Germany or Strasbourg and St Louis (Haut Rhin) in France.
By Bus 50 from Basel City Center and SBB Train Station to Basel Mulhouse Freiburg Euro Airport
Basel municipal bus BVB 50 connects Basel SBB Hauptbahnhof (main train station) with Basel Airport (EuroAirport) in around 15 minutes. Bus 50 runs up to 8 times per hour with services available from around 4 am to just past midnight.
Bus 50 uses several stops at the airport. The most useful for passengers are “EuroAirport Abflug” (departures) and “EuroAirport Ankunft” (arrivals). Don’t use the “Cargo” and “Verwaltung” stops. If searching online, use SBB or SBB Bahnhof as the destination in Basel. (“Hauptbahnhof” often defaults to the station in Lรถrrach rather than the largest station in Basel center!)
The bus fare required is for three zones, currently, CHF6.10 one way (CHF4.20 for children under 16). The ticket permits transfers to other lines and trams to reach the final destination within two hours. Tickets are available from vending machines or directly from bus drivers. The three-zone ticket fare is also valid for travel to St Louis in France and nearby stops in Germany, including Basel Badischer Bahnhof.
A day ticket (Tageskarte Basel) is CHF 10.70 (CHF 7.50 for children), while multiple-day tickets are also available. (A first-class day ticket is only useful if trains will be used.)
Travelers with a hotel reservation in Basel City qualify for the free Basel Card, which allows for free public transportation in the city. The necessary app codes are often emailed prior to travel. However, it is allowed to travel for free on arrival from the airport (or station) to the hotel by bus (and tram connections if needed). Simply show the hotel reservation to inspectors. (The Basel Card is not for sale and is only available to overnight guests in the city.)
By Public Transportation Bus from St Louis to Basel Mulhouse Freiburg Euro Airport
The Metrocars Distribus Navette EuroAirport shuttle bus service (Ligne 11) connects St Louis Gare SCNF (train station) with Basel Mulhouse Freiburg Euro Airport in only ten minutes. Two to four shuttle buses per hour operate on this route. These airport shuttle buses run from around 5 am to just after 10 pm.
The one-way fare is โฌ3 — tickets are available from the driver.
The bus departs from the French Sector exits on level 2 (arrivals). From Saint-Louis Gare, bus 11 departs from the south side (same side as Tram T3) / Rue du Ballon and NOT Place de la Gare side!)
By Bus from Freiburg and Europa Park to Basel Mulhouse Freiburg Euro Airport
Freiburger Reisedienst operates a shuttle bus service between Freiburg Hauptbahnhof in Germany and Basel Mulhouse Freiburg Euro Airport via Neuenburg. This bus runs around 14 times per day with the journey taking around an hour. Tickets are easiest to buy through Flixbus — use the French exit for bookings (and boarding the bus).
The one-way fare from Freiburg to Basel Airport is around โฌ25 (โฌ13 for children 6 to 14) – reserve in advance or pay the driver in cash only. Return fares are slightly cheaper. Reservations are essential only for groups. An alternative to the bus service is to take a train via Basel but that is usually more expensive.
This bus to Freiburg, as well as services to Karlsruhe and Zurich, may be reserved through Flixbus, which often has very good deals and transfer options to almost any destination in Germany and France.
By Train to Basel Mulhouse Freiburg Euro Airport
Basel Mulhouse Freiburg Euro Airport has no train station. The best railway connections are generally via Basel Hauptbahnhof (SBB main station), which has many connections to the rest of Switzerland, France, and Germany. Basel SBB Hauptbahnhof is used by Swiss Railways (SBB) and long-distance trains operated by German Railways (DB) and French Railways (SNCF). Trainline is often easier to use for international online train reservations.
Bus 50 connects Basel Hauptbahnhof and Basel Mulhouse Freiburg Euro Airport up to four times per hour — see bus 50 above.
For online timetables, try SBB or Bahnhof SBB first. Some Basel public transportation apps default “Hauptbahnhof” to the station in Lรถrrach, Germany, rather than the large main station in Basel.
Trains from Germany to Basel Airport
Long-distance trains from Germany usually stop at Basel SBB main train stations. However, some local German trains only go as far as Basel Badischer Bahnhof. Tram line 2 connects this train station, as well as the Basel Messe Exhibition Grounds, with Basel Hauptbahnhof. (A single-through ticket is valid for travel by bus from the airport to the main train station and on to Messe or Badischer Bahnhof.)
Fast ICE trains from Basel to Freiburg take around 35 minutes and cost around โฌ30 one way. Slower German regional trains from Basel Badischer Bahnhof take 45 min to almost an hour to Freiburg but cost around โฌ15.
The Baden-Wรผrttemberg Ticket is a useful savings pass for travel on German regional trains in the region. It is โฌ27 for solo (โฌ35 first class) and add โฌ8 per person (โฌ17 first-class) up to โฌ63 (โฌ103) for five for unlimited travel on local trains after 9 am on weekdays / all day on weekends. Three children 6 to 14 years old may travel for free on this ticket. It is not valid for travel on buses or on Swiss trains.
German train tickets and public transportation timetables are available from Deutsche Bahn.
Local French Trains to Basel Mulhouse Airport
For local trains in France, it is best to use the SNCF train station in St Louis (Haut Rhin). (See the bus to the airport above.) Traveling times from St Louis (Haut Rhin) are around 15 to 25 minutes to Mulhouse, 40 minutes to Colmar, and 1h15 to Strasbourg (Straรburg), or 8 minutes to Basel Hbf.
Further connections and long-distance trains are available via Basel SBB main train station.
Travel by Car to Basel Mulhouse Freiburg Euro Airport
It is easy to get to Basel Mulhouse Freiburg Euro Airport by car but note the French and Swiss sides of the airport. The code MHL is used for Mulhouse Airport, which is on the French side and is mostly used for French domestic flights only. BSL and EAP refer to the Swiss side of the airport.
Basel Mulhouse Freiburg Euro Airport is on the French Autoroute A35 but the Swiss side may be reached on toll-free roads. To use the toll-free road, leave the Autobahn and follow the Basel-Euro Airport signs directly from the border in the north of Basel. From Germany, use the Weil am Rhein exit on the Autobahn A5 and follow the Euro Airport signs.
Driving times to Basel Mulhouse Freiburg Euro Airport are around:
- Basel โ 5 min
- Zรผrich โ 60 min
- Bern โ 60 min
- St Louis โ 5 min
- Mulhouse โ 30 min
- Colmar โ 50 min
- Strasbourg โ 75 min
- Freiburg in Breisgau โ 50 min
- Europapark โ 50 min
There are no connections between the Swiss and French sector parking lots at Basel Airport. Travelers finding themselves on the wrong side of the airport may cross between sectors inside the terminal building itself on level 3 (Departures). Crossing is possible without a flight ticket but customs checks may be made at any time.
Cheap flights to Basel Airport are available on many low-cost airlines including EasyJet and Air Berlin. Many regular airlines also fly to Basel Airport including Swiss, Lufthansa, British Airways, KLM (UK / USA), and Air France (USA / UK). Domestic French flights fly to Mulhouse (MLH) while most other flights go to Basel (BSL).
From Paris, the TGV Lyria trains are usually the fastest and best option when traveling to Basel and Zurich.
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