From France to Switzerland: TGV trains and all other travel modes explained 

Paris-Switzerland, TGV train route 1: to Basel-Zurich

The high-speed TGV Lyria train offers direct services from Paris Gare de Lyon to and from the Swiss city of Basel. These trains continue to Zurich. There are 5 to 6 direct connections each day.

Planning details

• Departure station in Paris: “Paris Gare du Nord”
• Arrival stations in Switzerland: “Basel SBB”, “Zürich HB”
• Travel duration Paris-Basel: 30h5
• Travel duration Paris-Zurich: 4h05
• Number of changes: 0 if you choose one of the direct trains. Alternatively: 1 to 3 changes in Dijon, Mulhouse, and/or Basel

Route details

• The trains pass Dijon and Mulhouse in France. They enter Switzerland just north of Basel, at the station of Basel St. Johann. The trains don’t stop there.
• After Basel, they continue to Zurich. Find details in the full Basel-Zurich travel guide.
• The TGV trains run close to the international Basel-Mulhouse Airport, but there’s no rail station there. Travel between the airport and Switzerland must be done by bus as explained here.

Paris-Switzerland, TGV train route 2: to Geneva

7 direct trains a day service the route from Paris Gare de Lyon to Geneva.

Planning details

• Departure station in Paris: “Paris Gare du Nord”
• Arrival station in Switzerland: “Genève”
• Travel duration Paris-Geneva: 3h10 – 3h15
• Number of changes: 0

Route details

• From Paris, the TGV train heads south for Bourg-en-Bresse. There, it heads east toward south-western Switzerland.
• The train enters Switzerland at the small town of La Plaine just north-west of Geneva. It doesn’t stop at La Plaine.
• The TGV then heads for Geneva. It runs close to the airport of Geneva, but not does pass it and it does not stop there.

Paris-Switzerland, TGV train route 3: to Vallorbe-Lausanne

3 direct trains a day run between Paris Gare de Lyon and Lausanne, via Vallorbe at the French-Swiss border.

Planning details

• Departure station in Paris: “Paris Gare du Nord”
• Arrival station in Switzerland: “Lausanne”
• Travel duration Paris-Lausanne: 3h45
• Number of changes: mostly 0. In some cases, the TGV stopt at Vallorbe, where you can change for a regional train to Lausanne.

Route details

• The trains pass Dion and Mouchard in France. They enter Switzerland at the town of Vallorbe. There, you’ll head south for Lausanne.
• These trains don’t pass Geneva or the airport of Geneva. Nor will you ride along Lake Geneve. You’ll only see the lake once you’re in Lausanne.

2026 maintenance works between Paris and Switzerland

Limitations Paris – Saint-Louis – Basel (route 1): year-long

Due to maintenance works between Saint-Louis (just north of the French-Swiss border) and Basel, a few regional trains between these towns won’t operate. This does not affect the TGV Lyria trains from Paris.

Limitations Paris – La Plaine – Geneva – Lausanne (route 2): year-long and mainly in July-August

In 2026, there are maintenance works between La Plaine (at the French-Swiss border) and Geneva. As a result:

• the TGV trains Paris-Geneva (route 2), which normally continue to Lausanne, stop in Geneva during all of 2026. in Geneva, you can board another train to Lausanne. There are still direct connections Paris-Lausanne via Vallorbe (route 3).
• from 27 July until 17 August, the station of La Plaine is entirely closed. Instead of trains, there will be replacement buses between Bellegarde and Geneva.

Limitations Paris – Vallorbe – Lausanne (route 3): Febrary, March, and October

• From 1 February to 22 March 2026, one out of the 3 daily direct trains Paris-Lausanne via Vallorbe will not operate.
• From 10 to 25 October 2026, there will be no direct trains Paris-Lausanne via Vallorbe. Take route 2 via Geneva instead, and board a train to Lausanne there.

Train rides between other French and Swiss destinations

Train trips from French towns other than Paris

Paris offers the best direct high-speed trains to Switzerland. But you can easily reach Switzerland by train from other French towns too. Examples:

• Strasbourg to Basel: 1h20 (direct regional trains)
• Lyon to Geneva: 2h00 (direct regional trains)
• Marseille to Geneva: 4h00 to 4h35 (TGV and regional trains, mostly with a change at Lyon Part Dieu)
• Bordeaux to Basel or Geneva: 6h45 – 7h20 (TGV trains with a change in Paris or Strasbourg)
• Nice to Geneva: 7h10 to 7h40 (TGV or regional trains with changes in Marseille and/or Lyon)

Train trips from France to other Swiss destinations

You’ll first travel by train to Basel, Geneva, Zurich, or Lausanne. There, you can switch trains to reach other Swiss towns.

A few examples of minimum travel times:

• Paris to Montreux: 4h15 to 4h50 (route 2, with a change in Geneva or Lausanne)
• Paris to Interlaken: 5h50 to 5h40 (route 1, with a change in Basel)
• Paris to Lucerne: 4h35 to 4h50 (route 1, with a change in Basel)
• Paris to Zermatt: 7h35 (either route 1, with changes in Basel and Visp, or route 2, with changes in Geneva and Visp). If you travel via Geneva, check my separate travel guide Geneva-Zermatt.

Bus rides between France and Switzerland

International journeys by private bus companies

Getting from Paris to Switzerland by bus is possible too. A few commercial operators offer direct bus transfers, or journeys with just 1 change, from Paris to larger Swiss cities. Some rides take place overnight. Examples:

• Paris to Basel (about 09h00 to 12h30)
• Paris to Geneva (about 6h30 to 10h30)
• Paris to Zurich (about 10h30) or Zurich Airport (10h00 to 14h00)

Note that such buses don’t necessarily leave from the center of Paris.

Find commercial bus rides here.

Regional border-crossing buses

In addition, there are regional and local buses between France and Switzerland that are part of regular public transport. An example is the bus from the airport in France to Basel. Likewise, there are frequent buses between Geneva and nearby French towns, such as Annemasse and the towns on the southern French shore of Lake Geneva.

These can all be found in the Swiss timetable.

Driving between France and Switzerland

If you plan to travel from France to Switzerland by car, note that you’ll need a car vignette for Switzerland, and sometimes for France too. Also, reconsider whether you want to navigate the busy city traffic of Paris and other larger cities.

Toll stickers required for France and Switzerland

You require a motorway vignette (“Autobahnvignette”) to use the Swiss highways and motorways. For several French urban regions, you require an environmental “Crit’Air” sticker as well. This concerns Paris, Lyon, and Marseille for example. Find more information through these websites.

Rental cars mostly include the vignettes or stickers required for the country you rent them in. But they don’t necessarily contain them for surrounding countries. So check what is and is not included in your rental car.

The main car routes from Paris to Switzerland

A car trip from Paris to Basel takes roughly 5h45, excluding breaks and possible delays. It’s 5h20 to 6h10 to Geneva. You’ll have to add additional travel time to reach your destination in Switzerland.

The main driving routes to Basel are:

1. over the A5, passing Vesoul, Belfort, and Mulhouse
2. over the A6 (south from the A5), passing Dijon, Belfort, and Mulhouse
3. over the A4/N4 (north from the A5), along Bar-le-Duc, Nancy, and Colmar

The main car routes to Geneva are:

1. over the A6, along Auxerre, Beaun, Mâcon, and Bourg-en-Bresse
2. over the A77/A40 (south from the A6), passing Moulins, Mâcon, and Bourg-en-Bresse
3. over the A5 (north from the A6), along Troyes, Chaumont, and Besançon

Find exact driving directions through our helpful links.

Flights between France and Switzerland

Traveling by plane between Paris and Zurich, Basel, or Geneva

There are direct flights from the Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG) to Swiss airports. Examples are:

• Paris Charles de Gaulle to EuroAirport Basel Mulhouse Freiburg (BSL): a bit over 1h00 flight time
• Paris Charles de Gaulle to Geneva International Airport (GVA): about 1h10 flight time
• Paris Charles de Gaulle to Zurich Airport (ZRH): 1h15 to 1h20 flight time

There are no direct flights from Paris to the smaller airport of Bern that we know of.

Why I suggest you don’t fly between France and Switzerland

I advise against flying between Switzerland and France, especially if you travel to or from Paris. Here’s why:

1. These short-distance flights have a relatively large CO2 footprint and are not environmentally friendly.
2. You’ll have to add the time required for check-in and check-out procedures, and for traveling between the town centers and the airports. This results in a total estimated travel time of about 3h10 to 3h30 between Paris and the Swiss cities mentioned. This is no time saving, or only a very minimal one, compared to the TGV Lyria trains.
3. The direct TGV Lyria trains from Paris and other French cities are quick and comfortable alternatives. You can just board and get off in the centers of the towns, without flight check-in procedures.

France-Switzerland travel: FAQ