Book your Christmas and winter holiday trains. Read COVID-19 updates on European train services here. Buche deine Zugreise für Weihnachten und die Winterferien. Lies Coronavirus-Updates über Zugverbindungen in Europa hier. Réservez vos trains pour les vacances de Noël et d'hiver. Lisez notre page dédiée aux nouvelles sur le Covid-19 et les conditions de circulation en Europe ici. Prenota il tuo viaggio per Natale e le vacanze d’inverno. Leggi gli aggiornamenti COVID-19 sui servizi dei treni in Europa qui. Reservan sus trenes para las vacaciones de Navidad y del invierno. Lea las actualizaciones sobre COVID-19 y los servicios de trenes europeos aquí. Reservem seus trens de Natal e de inverno. Leia as atualizações sobre o Covid-19 e os serviços ferroviários europeus aqui.

Basel to Milan by train

Prices explained

Prices explained

At Rail Europe we believe in price transparency. We use real data from Rail Europe searches to estimate the cheapest fares you should be able to find for your journey.

The cheapest price is the lowest fare we've ever found for this journey. These prices can usually be found by searching when booking opens but they vary due to availability, which depends on factors like the day of the week or time of year.

More popular journeys include 30 day advance and 7 day advance prices. These are updated every two weeks using prices we've found by searching exactly 7 or 30 days from the most recent Thursday (we picked Thursday because this is when average prices are usually found).

30 day and 7 day prices fluctuate based on demand and availability at the time of search. For example, the 7-day price in summer is likely to be more expensive than the same journey in winter.

Prices are sourced in GBP and converted to other currencies using the daily market exchange rate.

We're always seeking to improve how price-checking works, and we welcome feedback on how we can make it better.

More advice about how to find the cheapest tickets can be found in our infographic.

  1. Cheapest Price $44.12
  2. 30 day advance $46.79
  3. 7 day advance $64.70
Trustpilot logo 89% based on 52,371 reviews
  • First train
    06:28
  • Last train
    17:31
  • Avg changes
    0
  • Fastest journey
    4hr 6m
  • Distance
    263 kilometres
  • Trains per day
    9
  • Avg. journey time
    4hr 27m
  • Train operators

Travelling from Basel to Milan by train

Fast trains from Basel to Milan take around 4 hours and 6 minutes, covering a distance of approximately 263 kilometres. There are frequent services on the rail route between Basel and Milan.

1. Are there direct trains from Basel to Milan?

Direct trains from Basel to Milan have been found.

We usually find around 9 direct trains on the route from Basel to Milan every weekday.

Trains usually run with a similar frequency on weekends.

2. How long is the train journey from Basel to Milan?

The Basel to Milan train travel time is normally about 4 hours and 6 minutes, whatever time you make the journey.

3. What are the Basel to Milan train times and schedule?

On weekdays the earliest direct train to Milan is usually scheduled to depart Basel around 06:28 and the last train is around 17:31. This is the same at the weekend.

What's the Basel to Milan train price?

The earlier you book the better, and the cheapest tickets we've found for trains from Basel to Milan are $44.12.

Trains departing 30 days in advance will cost around $46 while booking 7 days in advance the price is around $64. Booking on the day of travel is likely to be more expensive, so it is worth booking in advance if you can to save money.

When to book Basel to Milan train tickets?

Trains for this journey usually open for booking around 6 months in advance. If booking is not yet open for your dates then you can set a booking alert to receive an email on the day that the cheapest tickets are released for your journey from Basel to Milan by train.

Help with booking alerts

Which train companies operate between Basel and Milan?

More than one train company operates on the route from Basel to Milan, so you’ll be travelling with one or more of the following rail operators:

  • ETR
  • EuroCity
  • Eurocity (EC)
  • InterCity
  • Intercites
  • Intercités

You can check which train you’ll be travelling on by looking for the train name in search results.

Milan to Basel by train

Other journeys to Milan View all journeys to Milan

EuroCity via Simplon Tunnel

Take a comfortable EuroCity train from Basel to Milan, cruising from the Rhine Valley through the Alps and the Simplon Tunnel to the plains of Lombardy.

There are additional options that require just one change of train – usually in Zurich, Arth-Goldau or Lugano. The onward journey to Milan is then on a EuroCity service via the Gotthard route to Italy. Note that the change adds more than an hour to the journey time and you may lose out on the cheaper fares which are often available on the direct train from Basel to Milan.

The direct train from Basel to Milan takes in two long tunnels on this route through the Alps: the Lötschberg Base Tunnel (34 km) and the Simplon Tunnel (20 km). Once in Italy, the train cuts through a corner of Piedmont with marvellous views of Lake Maggiore on the left before dropping gently down to the plains of Lombardy and Milan. All in all, a route with some good views of Alpine scenery, but few serious close encounters with the hills.

Basel SBB to Milan Centrale

The direct EuroCity trains to Milan leave from the Swiss station in Basel (a station often referred to as Basel SBB). In Milan, these trains arrive at Centrale, from where there is a good choice of onward connections to cities across Italy. The Basel to Milan trains make eight or nine stops along the way. The main stations on the route are the Swiss capital Berne and the town of Brig, where the train pauses just before diving into the Simplon Tunnel to Italy.

Buy train and bus tickets for UK and Europe - the easy way

  • Easy, fast and cheap
  • Pay in EUR, GBP, USD or CAD
  • Cheaper UK tickets with Pricehack

Blog posts featuring Basel or Milan

Launch of Swiss Travel Pass

Explore the beauty of Switzerland with a Swiss Travel Pass. Read more below about how a pass gives access to Switzerland's world famous public transport network.

Booking fees on hold

Booking fees put on hold at Rail Europe until end of year

Cheap high-speed train tickets between France and Switzerland this summer

** This special offer is no longer available **

Subscribe to our newsletter

Subscribe to receive top tips, train news and travel inspiration straight to your inbox

By continuing to browse this website, you agree to the use of cookies from Rail Europe and third parties to provide you with products and services suited to your interests. To learn more and customise cookie settings, see our cookie policy.

Child and youth passengers

The definition of "Child" and "Youth" varies by country and operator. This is why we ask for the age of young passengers.

Sometimes children below a certain age can travel without a seat for free. If you want to guarantee a seat for child passengers, enter '6' as the age of the child.

Read more about child and youth passenger ages. See also youth discounts and railcards.