Boat trips on the Rhine from Basel

• Attraction type: Scenic trip, By boat;
  Natural site, Other
• Escort: independent (no guide)
• Region: Basel and surroundings (North-West Switzerland)
• Duration: 1 day or less

The boat trips

There are several types of boat trips. Apart from the little ferries, they all depart from the dock in the center of town, called 'Schifflände'. These are the trips:

• A quick Rhine crossing with one of the four little pedestrian ferries in Basel.
• City and port cruises: round trips to the city, the harbor and the border with Germany and France.
• Lock cruises or 'Schleusenfahrten': trips from Basel to Rheinfelden. During this trip, the ship needs to pass through a lock ('Schleuse') twice. You will see the pretty old town center of Basel, but also industrial activity, farmland and a few towns. A single trip takes 2.5 to 3.5 hours.
• Brunch, dinner and evening cruises.

Combine boat and train

If you want to make the trip from Basel to Rheinfelden (or vice versa), you can do a round trip or a single trip.

In case of a single trip from Basel, we recommend to get off the boat in either Kaiseraugst or Rheinfelden. In Kaiseraugst, it's a 10-minute walk to the train station. It's a 15-minute train ride back to Basel.

In Rheinfelden it takes 8 minutes to reach the station on foot. Train rides back to Basel take about 15 minutes. Be sure to visit the historical town center of Rheinfelden before taking a train back.

About the river Rhine

Basel is split into two parts by the Rhine: 'Kleinbasel' (Lesser Basel) in the North and 'Grossbasel' (Greater Basel) in the South. There are five bridges connecting both parts of town. The middle one ('Mittlere Rheinbrücke') is the picturesque one, dating back to 1226, but replaced in 1905.

All boats departs from the dock 'Schifflände', right next to this bridge. Outside of the city, the river marks the border of Switzerland and Germany.

Preparation

Although sunshine is great for a boat trip, it's still worth it if it's cloudy or drizzling. Take along sun glasses and sunscreen. Check the timetable, as the number of boat services is limited.