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Train tickets Lucerne to Colmar and Basel train transfer

Posted by (Chicago) on

Hi Everyone—

We have 5 nights in Lucerne and are hoping to take a day trip to Colmar, France.

Train tickets: We’ll have the Swiss Travel Pass, so we just need to purchase tickets for Basel to Colmar. These look to be local trains, so I assume we can just purchase the morning of in Lucerne. Right? Does it make sense to also purchase the return ticket from Colmar to Basel at the same time? Or should we wait to buy the return ticket in Colmar? Looking for the easiest option, not necessarily the cheapest.

I know we have to validate the tickets before getting on the French part of the trip.

Basel Train Station: Looks like we’ll have about 25 minutes for the train transfer in Basel. Are the instructions below still accurate? I can’t remember if the instructions were to detour around construction or if you always have to walk outside.

Instructions : You walk outside the Basel SBB station, turn left, and walk along the street for maybe 100 meters to the tracks for the French trains (numbered 30 and higher).

Thanks so much for your help!! This will hopefully be my last train question. 😊

Carrie

Posted by
7807 posts

The Basel to Colmar train you can buy online or at the train station in Basel the day of. The same applies for a return ticket.
That route is served by TER or regional trains so they never sell out and the fare price is fixed. A TER or regional train ticket is good for any train or time on the route Basel to Colmar, though sometimes there are discounted tickets offered that are restricted to travel on a specific train and time.
The same applies for return tickets.

If you buy it online the conductor will scan the QR code after you boarded if you are using the ap. If you have a print out home letter size the conductor will punch a hole time stamp in the paper.

If you buy it at Basel station the day of you will have to validate it or time stamp it using the yellow machines before getting on the train.

There are frequent trains Basel to Colmar in the day so need to worry about 25 minutes connection as again the TER train ticket is good on any T ER train serving that route.

Posted by
8889 posts

Train tickets: . . . These look to be local trains, so I assume we can just purchase the morning of in Lucerne.

I suppose you could buy the Colmar-Basel tickets (both ways) at Luzern station the day before. You would have to go to the travel centre in the lower level, and talk to a real person, as these are "foreign" tickets.
They are not local trains, they are expresses running at 200 Km/hr, final destination Strasbourg. And they run roughly hourly.

You can also buy these tickets at Basel station, from the SNCF (French) ticket machine, the SBB (Swiss) machine will not sell you these tickets. There is only one SNCF machine, and it is at the entrance to platforms 30-35, after the 100 metre walk. If you buy a return ticket it saves you buying again on your way back. The tickets are valid on any train that day, that is why you stamp (validate) them to stop you using them twice.

Basel station: . . . You walk outside the Basel SBB station, turn left, and walk along the street for maybe 100 meters to the tracks for the French trains (numbered 30 and higher).

Yes, that is correct. I would add you need to exit from the front of the station and then turn left, NOT the rear exit. It is signposted "Gleis 30-35".

Posted by
2661 posts

Thanks Jazz and Chris!!

I thought trains with no reservations required were local/regional. Trains are my big area of weakness. Switzerland sure makes it easy for tourists who purchase the Swiss Travel Pass. No need to buy tickets, no validating, no need to reserve specific times. Traveling outside of Switzerland, that’s a whole different story. We had to pre-purchase some tickets for day trips in Italy which allows for no flexibility. I guess we didn’t have to buy them ahead of time, but the advice seems to be that tickets for express/long distance trains should be purchased ahead of time.

Thanks again!!

Carrie

Posted by
3992 posts

Carrie, when are you taking this trip? I’m thinking of doing a day trip to Colmar from Lucerne as well.

Posted by
7807 posts

Just to clarify Basel to Colmar is not an express train. It is a regional train that you do not need to buy in advance. There are 2 to 3 trains an hour on that route coming and going.

Posted by
8889 posts

At the risk of starting an argument with Jazz, the trains from Basel to Colmar run at 200 Km/Hr and do not stop at every station. If that isn't an express, I don't know what is!

Full list of Basel Colmar trains here: https://en.oui.sncf/en/train/timetables/colmar/basel
Outside the rush hour they run mostly hourly (23 minutes past every hour)

There are other slower trains on this route which do stop at all stations. These trains (both the fast ones and the slower ones) are classified "TER" and do not have reserved seating, you just buy a ticket and get on any train, just like Swiss trains.

Posted by
2661 posts

Hey Continental, We will be in Lucerne the very end of April. We are super excited to visit Colmar. Two hours is not a long travel time for us. It takes me almost that long to drive to my sister’s house. 😊 And then from the Colmar train station to the old town area, it’s about a 15-minute walk.

If you still need help deciding, there are some great videos of Colmar on You tube. And the Rick Steves France book has about 18 pages on Colmar. Also, this website has a good city map with all the top sights: https://www.tourisme-colmar.com/en/booklets-pdf-maps.

Enjoy your trip!! Go to Colmar!! 😊

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