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Basel / Bâle to Mörel / Morel by train
How to take the rail journey from Basel to the Aletsch Arena ski resort
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Routes
From Basel SBB/Bâle CFF to Mörel
Journey Summary
2hr 29min
Daily
Travel Information
These direct trains to Brig for the connection, depart from Basel in even hours only.
Set off from Basel in odd hours and you will have to make a change of trains in Bern ; though those connections with a change of train can be cheaper.
8 x connections per day
The connecting time between trains at Brig will be around 8 mins which should ensure a stress-free transfer.
Tickets
Book early and save: Yes*
Online bookings open: up to a month ahead of the travel date
*If you book Supersaver tickets - see our Swiss Tickets guide for advice on how to book these tickets.
You may need to search through the departures to find these 'Supersaver' tickets using the ‘earlier’ and ‘later’ button. so try and be flexible with your departure and arrival times.
'Supersaver Tickets' are placed on sale for the end2end journey from Basel to Mörel (only the SBB train train to Brig will be discounted)
Take care to enter Mörel when looking up tickets on SBB - it won't find the journey if you enter Morel (without the umlaut over the 'o').
Now that the Swiss Transfer tickets have been discontinued a Saver Day Pass may save you money, if you can book at least a couple of weeks ahead (usually), so that you can obtain the pass at a discounted price.
They can be cheaper than tickets for the end-to-end journey, though they are more likely to be a money saver if you will be making a day return trip
Train 1
Travelling On
Journey Features
Good to Know
Final Destination: Brig (the IC trains), Milano (the EC trains)
On most departures the train will be an IC train - the double deck IC trains are used on this route, the brand new LD/Twindexx trains should be gradually introduced to this route during 2022.
However, on some departures, an EC train heading to Milano replaces the IC train.
If possible avoid the EC trains as they're busier.
Journey description:
Now that these trains use the Lotschberg Base Tunnel this journey is not as scenic as it once was.
But from the left of the train (when facing the direction of travel) there are views over the Thunersee between Thun and Speiz.
The trains on this journey reverse direction at Bern so when boarding in Basel take a seat on the right hand side if you want to see these views of the Thunersee.
On departure from Thun station...
...and then on departure from Speiz station...
... though these videos were taken from a train travelling in the opposite direction, but they showcase how fine the views can be on a sunny day...
Then after exiting the Lotschberg Base Tunnel, the train will travel through a steep valley for the final part of the journey on to Visp and Brig.
If you're travelling with a rail pass, an option is to leave these trains at Spiez, in order to connect into Lotschberger trains, which do still take the much more scenic older route to Brig via Kandersteg.
Train 2
Travelling On
Journey Features
Good to Know
Final Destination: Andermatt or Feisch
To The Aletsch Arena:
The base station of the Riederalp cable car is a 2 min walk from Mörel train station.
The cable car's stop at Riederalp Miitte has access to the western part of the Aletsch Arena ski resort.
For the eastern part of the Aletsch Arena remain on the MGB train one stop further until it arrives at Betten train station.
The Bettmeralp cable car station is adjacent to Betten train station.
From Basel SBB/Bâle CFF to Mörel
Journey Summary
from 2hr 29min
Daily
Travel Information
The Aletsch Arena is one of the more distant ski resorts from Basel, but it's comparatively easy to make the journey by train.
The connecting time between trains at Brig will be around 8 mins which should ensure a stress-free transfer, particularly if you will travelling with an end-to-end journey ticket, or a pass including Saver Day Passes.
8 x connections per day
Change trains in: Brig
Tickets
Booking Tickets:
Tickets can be purchased online for this end-to-end journey which involve taking a SBB train + the train(s) operated by MGB.
‘Individual tickets’ can be used on any train(s) on your travel date, but they tend to be comparatively expensive.
'Supersaver' tickets are cheaper, the portion of the journey by the SBB train can be discounted by up to 50%, but these tickets are train departure specific, see our Swiss Tickets guide for more advice on how to book these tickets.
If you book a Supersaver ticket and a flight delay etc, causes you to miss a train you are booked on to, you will have to book another full-price ‘Individual Ticket(s).
You can then apply for a refund of the Supersaver ticket, but the application costs CHF 10.
Hence it’s worth comparing the ticket price of a journey with the price(s) e of those Saver Day Passes – they might save you money and can also allow for a less stressful journey.
Using Saver Day Passes:
Now that the Swiss Transfer tickets have been discontinued, if you will be looking for tickets just before heading to Switzerland a Saver Day Pass is likely to save you money.
They can be cheaper than tickets for the end-to-end journey, particularly when the discounted Supersaver tickets aren't available, and are often cheaper if you will be making a day return trip between Basel and Morel.
They can be used on;
- the trains between Basel and Brig
- the trains between Brig and Morel
They are not train specific, so can still be used in the event of a journey to Switzerland being delayed.
Though as they’re only valid for one day’s travel, the clue is the name, you’ll need to purchase another Saver Day Pass for your return journey at the end of your stay.
However, they need to be booked at least a day ahead of your travel date, so won't be an option if you book tickets at the station on arrival in Switzerland.
They're also cheaper the further ahead that you book.
Additional Information:
More general info is available on our GUIDE to taking the train to Swiss Ski Resorts.
Where to book
| Ticket Provider | Approximate Cost | |
|---|---|---|
| SBB | * | |
| Trainline | * | |
| Happy rail | * |
Train 1
Travelling On
Journey Features
Good to Know
These direct trains depart from Basel in even hours only.
Set off from Basel in odd hours and you will have to make a change of trains in Bern; though those connections with a change of train can be cheaper.
On most departures the train will be an IC train, the double deck IC trains are used on this route, though the brand new LD/Twindexx trains should be gradually introduced to this route during 2022.
However, on some departures, an EC train heading to Milano replaces the IC train.
If possible avoid the EC trains as they're busier.
Final Destination: Brig (the IC trains), Milano (the EC trains)
Connect at Brig for MGB trains to Morel, Betten Andermatt, Oberwald and Disentis/Muster.
Journey description:
Now that these trains use the Lotschberg Base Tunnel this journey is not as scenic as it once was.
But from the left of the train (when facing the direction of travel) there are views over the Thunersee between Thun and Speiz.
The trains on this journey reverse direction at Bern so when boarding in Basel take a seat on the right hand side if you want to see these views of the Thunersee.
On departure from Thun station...
...and then on departure from Speiz station...
... though these videos were taken from a train travelling in the opposite direction, but they showcase how fine the views can be on a sunny day...
Then after exiting the Lotschberg Base Tunnel, the train will travel through a steep valley for the final part of the journey on to Visp and Brig.
If you're travelling with a rail pass, an option is to leave these trains at Spiez, in order to connect into Lotschberger trains, which do still take the much more scenic older route to Brig via Kandersteg.
Train 2
Travelling On
Journey Features
Good to Know
Final Destination: Andermatt or Feisch
To The Aletsch Arena:
The base station of the Riederalp cable car is a 2 min walk from Mörel train station.
The cable car's stop at Riederalp Miitte has access to the western part of the Aletsch Arena ski resort.
For the eastern part of the Aletsch Arena remain on the MGB train one stop further until it arrives at Betten train station.**
The Bettmeralp cable car station is adjacent to Betten train station.
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