Minibus Services Across Switzerland

EuroAirport by minibus: take the Swiss exit and Basel is 15 minutes away

Basel's airport, EuroAirport Basel-Mulhouse-Freiburg, sits on French soil, with a French side and a Swiss side under one roof. For a group staying in Switzerland the one thing to remember is the exit: after baggage claim, everyone goes out by the exit for Switzerland.

One building, two sides

Each sector has its own forecourt, car parks and access road. Your minibus reaches the airport from Basel by the customs road, and the Swiss side is where it parks up for you. Inside the airport there is no road between the two forecourts: a driver who ends up at the French one must exit and loop back through customs, and your afternoon gets shorter.

Tell everyone before the flight: exit for Switzerland. If someone walks out on the French side by mistake, a border crossing for people on foot, upstairs on level 3 where departures are, links the two sides from 04:00 until about half an hour after the last arrival. Carry a passport or identity card, as border checks can happen.

Executive Sprinter van interior with leather seats
Executive Sprinter van interior with leather seats

Where the minibus waits

The airport publishes no stop for coaches or groups, so the operator confirms the meeting point and where the vehicle stands when you book. On the Swiss side, private cars have not been allowed up to the terminal since 2019; buses, taxis and authorised vehicles still are.

Only light vehicles below 3.5 t may use the car parks, and S1 beside the terminal stops anything taller than 1.90 m, which rules out plenty of high-roof minibuses. For a smaller party in a car with driver, the Express car park right outside keeps some bays for limousines.

Arrival areas at a glance

  • Departures on level 3, where a pedestrian border passage links the two sectors
  • After baggage claim, arriving passengers choose the exit for France or the exit for Switzerland; both are clearly marked
  • One terminal building on French territory, divided into a French sector and a Swiss sector, each with its own forecourt, car parks and road access

Good to know: EuroAirport Basel-Mulhouse-Freiburg

  • Interlaken (Höhematte) is about 156 km by road from the Swiss sector, about 2 h 30 min by coach in light traffic.
  • Luzern (Schwanenplatz) is about 104 km by road from the Swiss sector, about 1 h 45 min by coach in light traffic.
  • Zürich (Paradeplatz) is about 92 km by road from the Swiss sector, about 1 h 30 min by coach in light traffic.
  • Messe Basel is about 9 km by road from the Swiss sector, about 15 min by coach in light traffic.
  • Passengers on foot can cross between the French and Swiss sectors through the border passage on level 3 (departures), open from 04:00 until 30 minutes after the last arrival (about 00:30), with a valid passport or identity card; border controls may be carried out.
  • From the French sector, bus line 11 runs to Saint-Louis station (France), bus line 220 to Weil am Rhein and Lörrach (Germany), and an hourly coach to Freiburg im Breisgau bus station.
  • There is no railway station at the airport. Bus line 50 runs from the Swiss-sector terminal forecourt (Arrivals zone) to Basel SBB station every 7 to 10 minutes from 04:30 to midnight, in about 20 minutes; trains from Basel SBB serve Zürich, Bern, Lausanne and Luzern.

Into Basel

The Marktplatz is about 7 km from the Swiss sector, around 15 minutes; Messe Basel is about 9 km. Bus 50 runs from the Swiss forecourt to Basel SBB in about 20 minutes, fine for light travellers; with children, older relatives or a pile of cases, the minibus is the gentler start.

Further into Switzerland, and over the borders

Zurich is about 92 km, around 1 h 30 min. Lucerne is about 104 km, around 1 h 45 min, for a boat on the lake and Pilatus or Rigi above it. Interlaken is about 156 km, around 2 h 30 min.

From Basel itself, the Roman town of Augusta Raurica is about 14 km. Colmar in Alsace and Freiburg in the Black Forest are each about an hour away, and a Swiss-based minibus can take your group across and back in a day.

Questions travellers ask

Is EuroAirport in Switzerland?

No. It lies on French territory; its Swiss sector connects to Basel through a customs road. Under a 1949 Franco-Swiss treaty, French law applies even in the airport car parks.

A relative wants to meet us by car. Where should they go?

To the Swiss side. Entering 'Flughafen Basel-Mulhouse' in the satnav leads there; the French name, 'Aéroport Bâle-Mulhouse', leads to the French sector. Short stays use the Express car park.

Is there a railway station?

Not at the airport. Bus 50 leaves the Swiss forecourt for Basel SBB several times an hour, from early morning until midnight, and trains from there serve Zurich, Bern, Lausanne and Lucerne.

More places for your group

Other vehicles with a driver

Book a minibus from EuroAirport

Give the flight, landing time, group size, luggage and first address in Switzerland, and remind everyone about the Swiss exit. A licensed partner operator sends the minibus and driver.

Request a quote or call 35227647770