Hamburg to Basel / Bâle by train

Final Destination: Zurich or Chur

All trains also call at: Karlsruhe; Baden-Baden and Freiburg

Departing from Hamburg:

Most of these trains commence their journeys at Hamburg-Altona station and call at Hamburg-Dammtor before they arrive at Hamburg Hbf.

So it can be a good idea to look up the starting point of your journey and then book tickets from the most convenient station; only Hamburg Hbf has connections with the U-Bahn (subway).

Arriving in Basel:

After calling at Basel Bad bf (Basel Baden railway station, these trains all go on to call or terminate at Basel SBB, the city's main station, which is located to the south of the central area

So If you're heading to Basel city centre, the quickest journey is usually to leave this train at Basel Bad bf.
There are easy tram connections from Basel Bad bf station to the central area.

Remain on the train until it arrives at Basel SBB if your final destination is to the south of the city centre, or if you will be connecting into trains to other destinations in Switzerland which don't have direct trains from Germany including Biel (easy connection to Geneve), Brig, Lugano, Luzern, Interlaken and Visp.

However, because DB categorises the journey on to Basel SBB as an international journey, tickets can be more expensive if you book to Basel SBB.
In contrast, despite its location in Switzerland, DB applies the same fare rules for journeys to Basel Bad Bf as it does to other journeys wholly within Germany, so booking to Basel Bad bf is also a cheaper option,

Book early and save: Yes

Online bookings open: 6 months ahead of the travel date

On the DB booking site look for journeys that have

• 0 in the Chg. column
• ICE (and only ICE) in the Products column.

Trains departing at different times can be cheaper than others leaving on the same day - so you may need to look through the day's departures to find the cheapest fares.
Use the earlier/later buttons to search for the cheapest ticket prices.

Reservations:

Book 1st class ticket journey tickets on and your seat reservation is included, but they're optional when booking 2nd class tickets, or if you will be travelling with a 1st or 2nd class rail pass.

Opting to reserve is particularly recommended for a long journey such as this one, at busy times you'll be fortunate to be able to remain in the same seat all the way from Hamburg to Basel if you don't reserve.

A choice of stations in Basel:

These trains call first at Basel Bad Bf station before going on to terminate at Basel SBB station.

If you want to travel to Basel Bad Bf, which is the city centre station then select it from the station options in the 'To' Box.
However, tickets booked to Basel Bad Bahnhof are not valid to Basel SBB station, so work out which of the two main stations in Basel suits your needs BEFORE you buy a ticket.
If you want to travel to Basel SBB, select this station in the 'To' box.

However, because DB categorises the journey on to Basel SBB as an international journey, tickets can be more expensive if you book to Basel SBB.
In contrast, despite its location in Switzerland, DB applies the same fare rules for journeys to Basel Bad Bf as it does to other journeys wholly within Germany; hence tickets to Basel Bad Bf being cheaper.

This train is usually scheduled to depart from Hamburg Hbf at 22:07 and to arrive in Basel Bad Bf station shortly before 08:00.

Before arriving in Hamburg Hbf, the train will have commenced its journey at Hamburg-Altona - and will have also called at Hamburg-Dammtor.

Final Destination: Zurich

The train also calls at: Hannover and Basel SBB

If you're heading to Basel city centre, the quickest journey is usually to leave this train at Basel Bad bf.
There are easy tram connections from Basel Bad bf station to the central area.

After the train departs from Basel Bad Bf it will go on to call at Basel SBB station.
Remain on the train until it arrives at Basel SBB if your final destination is to the south of the city centre, or if you will be connecting into trains to other destinations in Switzerland - including Brig, Luzern, Interlaken and Visp

Book early and save: Yes

Online bookings open:
6 months ahead of the travel date on OBB
3 months ahead of the travel date on DB Bahn

Our guide to booking night train tickets on the OBB (Austrian national railways) website is available HERE.

Our guide to booking night train tickets on the DB (German national railways) website is available HERE.

The train conveys:

- Compartment Seats (Sitzwagen)
- Couchettes (Liegewagen); 4 berths AND 6 berths
- Standard sleeping cars (Schlafwagen) with 3 bed, 2 bed and 1 cabins
- Deluxe sleeping cars (Schlafwagen) with 3 bed, 2 bed and 1 cabins

The first price you will see on the OBB ticketing site will be for the compartment seats.

Click the train button above for more info including the rail pass reservation fees:

Using rail passes:

Rail pass users must reserve before boarding this train.

However, these rail pass reservations can NO longer be booked online the DB website, but you can now book rail pass reservations without paying booking fees on the OBB website (OBB operates these trains).
Though the process for doing so isn't particularly obvious, hence this step-by-step guide.

Or you can avoid the booking fees by arranging the reservations when you arrive in Germany, by purchasing them at a Reisezentrum travel desk, which you will find in any hauptbahnhof.
Though it's best to do this at the first hauptbahnhof (city centre station) that you will arrive at, the later you leave booking your accommodation, the more likely it is that your preferences will be sold out.