I purchased a Germany Railpass that included Basel Switzerland. Now I understand there are 2 train stations in Basel and the pass is good to Basel Bad Bhf, but all train schedule destinations are to Basel SBB. I plan to travel on rails pass from Frankfurt to Bern Switzerland, then from Bern to Munich, using the pass to Basel, then city 2 city ticket Basel to Bern and back. Is my pass goo to Basel SBB?
Posted by
OP
Sterling, VA, USA
2 posts
Lee and Andreas,
Thank you for the clarification. I had planned to buy a point to point ticket from Basel to Bern, and return, I will make sure it is from Basel Bad and not from Basel SBB.
Posted by
Lakewood, Colorado
19274 posts
Basel Bad Bahnhof is in Germany; Basel SBB is in Switzerland (SBB means Schweizerische Bundesbahnen or Swiss Federal Railroads). The German Rail website states that the railpass includes Basel, Switzerland, which is Basel, SBB.
Actually there are 3 stations in Basel. French Rail, SNCF, also has a station; it is in Switzerland, adjacent to the SBB station.
Posted by
Frankfurt am Main, Germany
2779 posts
Basel Badischer Bahnhof is an interesting set-up. In the 1830s the Grand Duchy of Baden extended the existing rail lines from Frankfurt to Mannheim all across Badian soil along the Rhine river valley down to Freiburg. The Swiss Confederation realized the economical potential that laid in a rail connection to "core Germany" and asked for an extension of that rail line to Basel. Badian condition was that they could then extend the rail line back to Badian terretory along the Rhine river which otherwise they couldn't really access because of the Black Forrest hills. So even though the station is on Swiss soil the tracks are Badian (German, EU, Schengen) customs terretory. Custom control is in between the tracks and the main hall. Most trains from Germany nowadays extend to Basel SBB and Zurich. Handover of DB to SBB crew is at Badischer Bhf. Passengers who continue to SBB station will be checked by Swiss border control on the ride between Bad Bhf. and SBB. You need to pay...
Posted by
Frankfurt am Main, Germany
2779 posts
...extra for the Bad. Bhf. to SBB part OR you buy an SBB ticket from Basel Bad. Bhf. to Bern. You then use the DB train all the way from Frankfurt to Basel SBB where you change onto your SBB train to Bern.
Posted by
Lakewood, Colorado
19274 posts
A ticket purchased from German Rail from Basel Bad Bhf to Bern costs €22,80. A ticket from Basel SBB to Bern, purchased from Swiss Rail, costs 37 chf, about €22,95 at today's exchange rate. Just buy the ticket from Basel to Bern at the counter in Frankfurt and tell them you will be using the German Rail pass to Basel.