Basel to Lugano 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 $89.64
  2. 30 day advance $92.45
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  • First train
    09:03
  • Last train
    21:04
  • Avg changes
    0
  • Fastest journey
    3hr 13m
  • Distance
    200 kilometres
  • Trains per day
    12
  • Avg. journey time
    3hr 17m
  • Train operators

Travelling from Basel to Lugano by train

Fast trains from Basel to Lugano take around 3 hours and 13 minutes, covering a distance of approximately 200 kilometres. There are frequent services on the rail route between Basel and Lugano.

1. Are there direct trains from Basel to Lugano?

Direct trains from Basel to Lugano have been found.

We usually find around 12 direct trains on the route from Basel to Lugano every weekday.

Trains usually run with a similar frequency on weekends.

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

The Basel to Lugano train travel time is normally about 3 hours and 13 minutes, whatever time you make the journey.

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

On weekdays the earliest direct train to Lugano is usually scheduled to depart Basel around 09:03 and the last train is around 21:04. This is the same at the weekend.

What's the Basel to Lugano train price?

The earlier you book the better, and the cheapest tickets we've found for trains from Basel to Lugano are $89.64.

Trains departing 30 days in advance will cost around $92, 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 Lugano 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 Lugano by train.

Help with booking alerts

Which train companies operate between Basel and Lugano?

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

  • 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.

Lugano to Basel by train

Other journeys to Lugano View all journeys to Lugano

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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.