How to travel between Basel and Zurich: all options explained 

The 2 train routes Basel-Zurich

Train route 1: via Aarau (quickest)

The quickest way to travel between Zurich and Basel is the direct train via Aarau. The quickest trains don’t stop at any of the stations between Basel and Zurich.

Details:

• Duration: 0h55 (without changes) to 1h10 (with a change)
• Number of transfers: 0 or 1, in Aarau
• How to find in the timetable: enter “Basel” as your departure and “Zürich HB’ as your destination.

Train route 2: via Frick and Brugg (direct regional trains)

Basel and Zurich are also connected by direct regional trains viaRheinfelden, Frick, Brugg, and Baden. This 1h15-route runs north of the main line via Aarau.

Details:

• Duration: 1h15
• Number of transfers: 0
• How to find in the timetable: enter “Frick” as a via-station.

Train routes from/to the airports of Basel and Zurich

How to get from Basel EuroAirport to Zurich

There are no direct trains between Basel Airport and Zurich. You’ll first have to travel from the airport to the main station of Basel. All details are in our airport guide.

Details:

• Duration: 1h20 – 1h40
• Travel modes: bus from Basel EuroAirport to the main railway station of Basel, train from Basel to Zurich
• Minimum number of transfers: 1, in Basel
• How to find in the timetable: enter “Basel EuroAirport” as your departure station and “Zürich HB” as your destination.

How to get from Basel to Zurich Airport

Option 1

Take the quick connection (train route 1) to Zurich via Aarau. At the main station “Zürich HB”, you’ll have to change for the last short stretch to the airport.

Details:

• Duration: 1h10 to 1h30
• Minimum number of transfers: 1, in Aarau or Zurich
• How to find in the timetable: enter “Basel” as your departure station, “Zürich Flughafen” as your arrival station, and “Aarau” as a via-station.

Option 2

Board a regional train via Frick and Brugg in Basel (train route 2). It provides a direct trip to the airport.

Details:

• Duration: 1h30
• Number of transfers: 0
• How to find in the timetable: enter “Basel” as your departure station, “Zürich Flughafen” as your arrival station, and “Frick” as a via-station.

Fidn more details about reaching Zurich Airport in our airport section.

Basel to Zurich by car

Car route 1: via the A3 highway (quickest)

The quickest way to drive between Zurich and Basel is via the A3 highway. A car journey between both city centers takes about 1h15. Note that this does not include possible delays and traffic jams. Urban traffic in Basel and Zurich can get pretty busy.

The A3 route runs pretty much parallel to the regional train line via Frick and Brugg (train route 2).

Car route 2: via Aarau (to visit Olten or Aarau)

If you’d like to visit some beautiful towns to take a break from driving, I suggest heading south over the A2 highway, or motorway (“Hauptrasse”) 2 that runs east of the A2 highway. Then bend east to visit Olten and/or Aarau. You can finish your journey via the A1 to Zurich.

A direct drive would take about 2h00. Of course, this does not include sightseeing time, traffic jams, and other possible delays.

Prepare for your car trip

Our car tips give you all the information you need before you start driving in Switzerland.

Scenic side trips along the routes

If time allows, you should definitely explore the town centers of Basel and Zurich on foot. In addition, you can pay a visit to the smaller towns below. They’re all lovely:

• Kaiseraugst, on the river Rhine and just east of Basel. The main trains between Basel and Zurich don’t stop in Kaiseraugst, but other regional trains in the directions of Laufenburg and Olten do. The village is very close to the A3 highway, and home to the Roman archeological site “Augusta Raurica”.
• Rheinfelden, which is a bit east of Kaiseraugst and located on the Rhine too.
• Olten, a beautiful Swiss village with an ancient town center and a pretty wooden bridge over the river Aare. Note that the quick trains via Aarau pass along the east of Olten, but don’t stop there. But other train from Basel and to Zurich do. Enter “Olten” as a via-station in the timetable to find all connections.
• Aarau, the capital town of the canton of Aargau. This small city is on the Aare river too and has a charming historic center. Be aware that you can’t get out at the Aarau train station if you pick the very quickest Basel-Zurich trains: they don’t stop anywhere on the route, so not in Aarau either. Enter “Aarau” as via-station in the timetable to specify your route.