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Basel to Zurich 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 $34.67
  2. 30 day advance $36.01
Trustpilot logo 89% based on 52,371 reviews
  • First train
    04:37
  • Last train
    00:13
  • Avg changes
    0
  • Fastest journey
    52m
  • Distance
    74 kilometres
  • Trains per day
    61
  • Avg. journey time
    1hr 1m
  • Train operators

Travelling from Basel to Zurich by train

Fast trains from Basel to Zurich take around 52 minutes, covering a distance of approximately 74 kilometres. There are frequent services on the rail route between Basel and Zurich.

1. Are there direct trains from Basel to Zurich?

Direct trains from Basel to Zurich have been found.

We usually find around 61 direct trains on the route from Basel to Zurich every weekday.

There are typically fewer departures at weekends, when we found around 60 departures.

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

The Basel to Zurich train travel time is normally about 52 minutes, whatever time you make the journey.

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

On weekdays the earliest direct train to Zurich is usually scheduled to depart Basel around 05:33 and the last train is around 00:13. At weekends the first train of the day leaves Basel around 04:37, and the last at 00:13.

What's the Basel to Zurich train price?

The earlier you book the better, and the cheapest tickets we've found for trains from Basel to Zurich are $34.67.

Trains departing 30 days in advance will cost around $36, and when booking 7 days in advance the price is usually the same. Booking on the day of travel may be more expensive.

When to book Basel to Zurich train tickets?

Trains in Switzerland usually open for booking around 2 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 Zurich by train.

Help with booking alerts

Which train companies operate between Basel and Zurich?

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

  • Euro City
  • EuroCity
  • Eurocity (EC)
  • IC 3
  • ICE
  • ICE 3
  • ICE 71
  • IR 36
  • IR 37
  • Inter City
  • Inter City Express
  • Inter Regio
  • InterCity
  • Intercites
  • Intercity-Express
  • Intercity-Express (ICE)
  • Intercités
  • Interregio
  • Lyria
  • Regional Train
  • Schnellzug
  • TGV
  • Zug

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

Zurich to Basel by train

Other journeys to Zurich View all journeys to Zurich

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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.