My husband and I are staying in Basel for 3 nights in September before commencing our Rhine River cruise. Do you have suggestions for what we should see in the city or the area? Can we make a day trip to Lucerne? Is the Black Forest area within reach? Do you have any names of guides that you were happy with for either walks around Basel or excursions out of the city? Thanks in advance for your help. Pat
Posted by
Green Bay
21140 posts
I would just go to Luzern for all 3 days. Its only an hour away and so much more to see and do there.
Posted by
Wyckoff, NJ, USA
7883 posts
https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/switzerland/stein-am-rein-and-schaffhausen-switzerland
https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/switzerland/interesting-town-near-swiss-german-border
I forget if I mentioned Fondation Beyeler for modern art, in these.
Posted by
OP
Calgary, Alberta, Canada
20 posts
Thanks so much for the tips about Basel and Lucerne. If we are going to spend our time in Lucerne, do you have any suggestions for a guide or how to make the most of that city?
Posted by
Green Bay
21140 posts
If spending 3 days in Luzern, buy a 3-day Tell Pass, 230 CHF per person. Here are a few activities.
Lake cruise and mountain top cog railway trip. Take the boat from in front of the train station, go all the way to the end of the lake at Fluelen, then turn around and come back to Vitznau, get off and take the Rigi Bahn to the top of Mt Rigi. Hike downhill about a mile to Kaltbad, then take the cable car down to Weggis and walk down through town to the dock for a boat back to Luzern.
Day trip to Engelberg. Take the hourly train to Engleberg to visit the high Alps, Takes 45 minutes to get to Engelberg, then take the cable car to the top of Mt Titlis. On the way back to Luzern, stop at Stans and ride the cable car to Stanserhorn if haven't got enough views.
Take the Luzern-Interlaken Express to Meiringen. Visit the Sherlock Holmes Museum, since the Reichenbach Falls you can see from town is where he fought professor Moriarty to the death (or so we thought). The Swiss Open Air Museum is nearby in Ballenberg.
Ride up the cog wheel train to Mt Pilatus from Alpnachstad. take the cable car down on the other side to Kriens, just outside of Luzern.
It is all covered by the Tell Pass.