How to take the rail journey from Milano to Basel

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Milano / Milan / Mailand to Basel / Bâle by train

Travelling between Milan and north-west Switzerland by train is not only straightforward thanks to the direct rail services, it's also a lovely journey.

Connect in Basel for trains to destinations without direct services from Milan including Cologne/Koln, Mainz, Koblenz and Strasbourg.

Routes you can take to go from Milano / Milan / Mailand to Basel / Bâle

When travelling between most cities by train there is only one logical option, though on other journeys there is a choice between different trains or alternative routes. If different options are available you can use the info to decide which is best for you.

Choose one of the following options:

Looking for connections?

Journey guides for travel to Milano / Milan / Mailand Journey guides for travel from Basel / Bâle

Route Information

Station Guides

The central roof span of Milano Centrale viewed from the departure concorse

Milano Centrale Rail Station Guide

The view towards Basel SBB from the tram stops in front of the station

Basel SBB / Bâle CFF Rail Station Guide

Travel Time (approx)

from 4hr 15min (approx)

Frequency

Daily

Travel Info

5 x trains per day

Is the journey from Milano to Basel direct?
Yes, there is no need to make a connection when taking this route.

Is the journey scenic?
Yes - See the Journey Information below for images and videos captured by ShowMeTheJourney on this route.

What other tourist locations are along the route from Milano to Basel?
On the route via Brig - these trains call at Stresa, Brig, Visp - connect for Zermatt, Spiez - connect for Interlaken, Thun and Bern.

When is the usual approximate earliest arrival at Basel-SBB from Milano Centrale on this journey option?
Shortly after 11:30
Source = European Rail Timetable

How easy is it to travel on from the station in Basel?
Multiple tram routes link Basel-SBB station to the city centre.
See the Station Guide above for more info, plus easy access to multiple options for booking somewhere to stay in the neighbourhood.

When is the usual approximate latest departure from Milano Centrale to Basel on this journey option
Around 18:20 daily
Source = European Rail Timetable

How easy is it to get to the station in Milano?
Milano Centrale is served by two Metro lines, the M2 and the M3.
There are also typically 2 x trains per hour from Malpensa Airport.
See the Station Guide above for more info, plus easy access to multiple options for booking somewhere to stay by Milano Centrale.

Are tickets cheaper if booked in advance for these Milano to Basel trains?
Yes, and they can be purchased from a choice of booking agents - see below.
Click on the 'Good to know info' to access a guide to how rail tickets are managed in France, plus step-by-step guides on how to make a booking.

How soon ahead of travel are tickets typically placed on sale for these Milano to Basel trains?
Typically up to 4 months ahead of the travel date; though this period of time can be shorter, particularly when searching for journeys more than three months ahead during October and March.

What are the child ticket terms for these Milano to Basel trains?
Children aged 6 -15 receive a 20% discount, those aged 5 and under aren't charged for a ticket.
Note that these terms are different to the national child ticket policies in Italy and Switzerland.

Does the ticket for these Milano to Basel trains include assigned seats?
Yes - See the Train Guide in the Journey Information for insights on how to board the train.

Do rail pass users need to book reservations for these Milano to Basel trains?
Yes - See the rail pass reservation guide for info on the multiple booking options.

Is catering available on the Milano to Basel trains on this journey option?
Yes, there is a bar/bistro car and a restaurant.
See the Train Guide in the Journey Information.

What else is good to know about Italian rail travel?
Check out the guide to travelling by train in Italy.

What else is good to know about Swiss rail travel?
Check out the guide to travelling by train in Switzerland.

Travel Information

Final Destination: Basel or Frankfurt (Main)

The direct trains from Milano to Basel take three different routes, according to the departure time.

1: Three trains, those which are usually scheduled to depart from Milano Centrale at 07:05; 15:10 and 18:20, also call at ** Spiez (change for Interlaken) and Thun and Bern.
They take the route which passes by Lake Maggiore and travels through the Simplon Tunnel and the Lotschberg Base Tunnel and have a journey time of around 4hr 25mins.
They also reverse direction on departure from Bern.

2: A daily train, which is typically scheduled to depart at 10:10, takes a route through the Gotthard Base Tunnel and calls in Luzern - where it reverses direction on departure.
It has a journey time of around 4hr 45min.

3: A daily train, which is typically scheduled to depart at 11:10, takes a route through the Gotthard Base Tunnel and calls in Zurich - where it reverses direction on departure.
It has a journey time of around 4hr 10min.

This is a direct journey

You will be travelling on one of these trains...

Two train units can be joined together on some departures to form an exceptionally long train

EC Astoro Train Guide

Exterior view of the EC trains used on routes through The Gotthard Base Tunnel

EC (Switzerland/Italy - ETR 600) Train Guide

Journey Features

Scenic - YesLandscape (Hills / Mountains)Lake viewsNot High Speed

Good to Know

The railway between Arona and Stresa is closed completely from June 9th to September 8th, so during these dates the EC express train services will be turning around in Domodossola and won't be serving Milano.

Journey description:

If you're a fan of engineering achievements then this is an awe-inspiring journey.

After Domodossola the train travels through The Simplon Tunnel and after Visp it will travel through The Lötschberg Base Tunnel - both of which were previous holders of world's longest railway tunnel honors.

If your reserved seat is on the right of the train (when facing the direction of travel) the first highlight from a scenic point of view are the fabulous views over Lake Maggiore.
They can be seen north of Arona...

but what's particularly worth looking out for is when the train departs from Stresa.

...and shows the beautiful islands in the lake - and it also showcases why ShowMeTheJourney has tried and failed to photograph these islands, they can only be glimpsed through the trees. (These videos above and the video below were taken from trains travelling in the opposite direction).

The part of the journey between Domodossola and The Simplon Tunnel is also fabulous, as the train will thread through a valley as it approaches the tunnel.

The other scenic highlight is the part of the journey between exiting the Lotschberg Base Tunnel and arriving in Thun station.
The beautiful Thunersee comes into view on the right as the train arrives in Spiez.

Between Speiz and Thun the train travels by the shore of Lake Thun.

The lake is on the right when heading north.

The train will reverse direction on departure from Bern.

The view over Lake Maggiore

North of Stresa

The ascent from Domodossola

Approaching The Simplon Tunnel

Between Thun and Spiez

How to take a rail based holiday in Basel

Holiday in Basel by train Why Basel can be a great base for exploring Switzerland, France and The Black Forest by train

The general guide to Swiss rail travel Discover what's good to know about riding the trains, taking popular journeys, using the major stations, booking tickets and travelling with rail passes

Tickets

Check that you're booking for the direct trains - using the journey time to guide you.
Trains usually depart Milano Centrale at 07:20; 15:20 and 18:20.

If the departure/arrival times don't suit, then take trains that have a connection at Brig - which typically depart Milano Centrale at 08:20, 17:20 and 19:20.

Via Luzern or Basel:

There are also usually direct trains from Milano Centrale which travel via Luzern, they have a longer journey time (4hr 40 min) and departs from Milano at around 08:10 and 10:10.

These trains can be worth taking if they're cheaper, or if you have previously travelled this route via Brig and Bern, but you have yet to travel that alternative route via Lugano and Luzern.

Book early and save: Yes

Online bookings open: Up to 180 days / 6 months ahead of the travel date - though booking periods will be shorter when travelling after the second Sunday in December.

Three types of ticket will typically be made available, Standard, Saver Flex and Saver - all types of ticket are only valid on the specific departure selected when booking.

The very cheapest type of ticket, Saver tickets, are taken off sale 7 days prior to departure.

The mid-price type of ticket, Saver Flex, are taken off sale 3 days prior to departure.

Exchanges

Up until departure, the most expensive type of ticket, Standard tickets, can be for exchanged for another day of travel or travel time on the exact same route without paying any additional fees.
Up until departure, the mid priced type of ticket, Saver Flex tickets, can be for exchanged for another day of travel or travel time on the exact same route, but the price difference with Standard tickets, at the time of exchange, will need to be paid.
The cheapest type of tickets, Saver tickets, cannot be exchanged.

Additional information is available on the SBB website.

Refunds

Up until departure, the most expensive type of ticket, Standard tickets, tickets can be returned and purchasers will receive 80% of the price paid.
The mid priced type of ticket, Saver Flex tickets, cannot be refunded.
The cheapest type of tickets, Saver tickets, cannot be refunded.

Seat reservations

Reservations are mandatory on the Italian section of the journey, so seats are assigned when booking all types of tickets.

Child tickets

Children aged 6 -15 receive a 20% discount, those aged 5 and under aren't charged for a ticket.
Note that these terms are different to the national child ticket policies in Italy and Switzerland.
And the terms are also different for Swiss children travelling with a Junior Travelcard.

Bike tickets

When travelling with a non-folding bike, spaces must be reserved, but you need to make a simultaneous purchase of your travel ticket + the bike reservation on the Trenitalia website.

Dog tickets

Dog tickets seemingly aren't available for this end-to-end international journey, a dog pass will need to be purchased for the Swiss part of the trip and a dog ticket is required for the Italian section of the journey, see the dogs on trains guide.

Rail Pass Users:

If you will be travelling with a valid Eurail or InterRail pass, you will have a choice of :

(1) paying the reservation fees to travel on these direct trains - our guide to using using rail passes to travel from Italy has all the info you'll need, including fees and step-by-step instructions on how to book.

(2) avoiding all reservation fees by taking a regional 'Ticino' train from Milano to Lugano and making a simple connection there into a train on to Basel.

Take the stress out of your journey Everything planned to your specification, so sit back and relax… Try Concierge

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