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Genève / Geneva to Basel / Bâle by train
An oddity on the Swiss rail timetable is that the direct trains from Geneve to Basel are no longer available.
But the connections between trains, now required at Biel/Bienne station, are as simple as can be.
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Routes
From Genève/Geneva-Cornavin to Basel SBB/Bâle CFF
Journey Summary
2hr 38min
Daily
Travel Information
There are no longer any direct trains between Geneva and Basel.
Instead simple as can be connections are provided between trains at Biel/Bienne station.
You need to take trains on route IC 5 from Geneve to Biel/Bienne and connect there for trains on route IC 51 to Basel
When you arrive at Biel/Bienne the train on to Basel will be waiting on the other side of the platform/gleis, so the connection is step free.
1 x connection per hour - on this* route
*The alternative hourly route via Bern is slightly longer; usually more expensive and the connection between trains in Bern is more complicated than making the transfer in Biel/Bienne.
Tickets
Book early and save: Yes - If you book Supersaver tickets (more info is available on the SBB ticket guide below)
You may need to search through the departures to find them using the ‘earlier’ and ‘later’ buttons; the Supersaver tickets tend to sell out particularly quickly on this route.
The Supersaver tickets can also be more likely to still be available if you are happy to change trains.
Online bookings open: up to two months ahead of the travel date
Try and be flexible with your departure and arrival times, book as near to 60 days ahead as possible,
Look for the end-to-end journey times of around 2hr 38min, those are the journeys via Biel/Bienne.
If you will be making a day trip to Basel from Geneve be open to the possibility that Saver Day Passes can be a cheaper option than booking return tickets.
Seat reservations:
You can book reservations online, AFTER you have booked a ticket, by using the SBB (Swiss national railways) seat reservation service OR request and pay for a reservation when booking at a station ticket office.
The late afternoon and evening trains between Geneve and Biel/Bienne can be busy, but you won't need a reservation for the Biel/Bienne to Basel trains.
Where to book
| Ticket Provider | Approximate Cost | |
|---|---|---|
| SBB | * |
Train 1
Travelling On
Journey Features
Good to Know
These trains, on route IC 5, commence their journeys at Geneve-Aeroport station.
It takes the trains around 5 mins to travel from there to the main station in Geneve before they then head off to Biel/Bienne.
Final Destination: Zurich
From the right of the train (when facing the direction) of travel, there are some lovely views over Lake Biel for the final 30 mins of the journey.
Train 2
Travelling On
Journey Features
Between Moutier and Delémont the train passes through a narrow river gorge, but as can be seen, the weather wasn't on our side when we came this way.
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