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April 2023 Rhine cruise ends in Basel...now what?

April 2023 Rhine cruise ends in Basel...now what?

Old Sep 12th, 2022, 01:52 PM
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April 2023 Rhine cruise ends in Basel...now what?

We are two active seniors taking our first river cruise from Amsterdam to Basel in April, 2023. We have reserved 4 extra days in Amsterdam to take in the sights. The cruise stops in Cologne, Koblenz, Rudesheim, Boppard, Mannheim, Kehl/Strasbourg, Freiburg and finally Basel.

As we have never been to Switzerland, we are looking for suggestions on how to spend an extra day or two in the area. We enjoy picturesque towns and snow-capped mountains. Ideally, we'd like to have a good train connection to a major airport. We will be flying into Detroit.

Thanks in advance for any advice.

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Old Sep 12th, 2022, 02:23 PM
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How late in April? Depending on the date, it may be too early for some options, like mountain towns in the Berner Oberland. For (possibly) more reliable/enjoyable conditions, I'd think about a city destination with some excursion options. Luzern is good for a 1-2 day visit. So is Basel. Both are closer to Zurich than Geneva, and trains rides from either city to the Zurich Airport can be 90 minutes or less.

Personally, I'd rather have more time in Switzerland after the cruise than Amsterdam before the cruise, but your interests may vary.
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Old Sep 12th, 2022, 04:00 PM
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We arrive in Basel on April 29th. Would you use Basel as a home base and do a day trip or two?

Last edited by marlene_; Sep 12th, 2022 at 04:04 PM.
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Old Sep 12th, 2022, 04:33 PM
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Basel is a great city with a ton of museum choices. Definitely worth a day or two at least.
But for mountains, Luzern is a great place to visit. By train, there are direct routes of just over one hour and slower trains at 1 hr 45 m.
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Old Sep 13th, 2022, 02:14 AM
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Originally Posted by marlene_
We arrive in Basel on April 29th. Would you use Basel as a home base and do a day trip or two?
We live in Basel. It's definitely worth at least a day (we think it's worth much more, but there is a lot to see in the rest of Switzerland too). What are your interests? What would you like to do if it's sunny? Or if it's raining?
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Old Sep 13th, 2022, 09:57 AM
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Alsace
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Old Sep 13th, 2022, 03:51 PM
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Lauterbrunen Valley.
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Old Sep 13th, 2022, 05:54 PM
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Any thoughts on taking the train to Wengen immediately after disembarking from the ship? We could spend 2 nights there, train back to Basel and spend one night in Basel before our return flight home to the US.
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Old Sep 13th, 2022, 06:01 PM
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We love the outdoors and beautiful vistas, so snow-capped mountains are on our list! If it rains?…not sure what we would do. Any indoor suggestions?
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Old Sep 14th, 2022, 12:53 PM
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Basel is a great choice for indoor options. They have several excellent museums, including the Kunstmuseum and the Foundation Beyeler. We took a day trip from Luzern to see a Gaugin exhibit at the Foundation Beyeler. We were very taken with Basel and would have liked to spend more time there.
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Old Sep 17th, 2022, 12:34 PM
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Staying in Basel would be fine. I’d try to stay at least 3 nights if you can. Luzern would be my first choice for a day trip. Colmar is a good choice and other parts of Alsace, depending on what you did on your Strasbourg stop. I assume you will fly out of Zurich?
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Old Sep 18th, 2022, 01:27 AM
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Stay in Basel and do some day trips into the mountains, if the weather is fine.
Some suggestions:
Basel dp 7.56 - Zermatt ar 11.14
Basel dp 7.56 - Riedealp (Aletsch Glacier) ar 10.49
Basel dp 7.27 - Rochers de Naye ar 11.06
If the weather is fine in the South, you may visit Lake Lugano or Lake Maggiore:
Basel dp 8.03 - Lugano ar 10.58 resp Locarno ar 11.14
All these itineraries aare very scenic.
Trains run at least every hr. The last trains back arrive at Basel around midnight.
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Old Sep 18th, 2022, 03:14 AM
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Originally Posted by bigtyke
Staying in Basel would be fine. I’d try to stay at least 3 nights if you can. Luzern would be my first choice for a day trip. Colmar is a good choice and other parts of Alsace, depending on what you did on your Strasbourg stop. I assume you will fly out of Zurich?
that’s what wee were thinking…flying home from Zürich .
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Old Sep 18th, 2022, 11:06 PM
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Colmar is about 20 kms from the cruise stop Breisach (Freiburg) and about 80 kms by train from Basel.
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Old Sep 19th, 2022, 12:59 AM
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Mulhouse is just over the border and has some fantastic museums https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mulhouse
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Old Sep 19th, 2022, 02:33 AM
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Originally Posted by bilboburgler
Mulhouse is just over the border and has some fantastic museums https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mulhouse
Mulhouse is not quite just over the border but is close (roughly 20 miles away) -- St. Louis, Leymen and Huningue are the communities right on the border, all of which have some good restaurants for anyone who want to have lunch or dinner in France.

If the OP opts to overnight in Basel, recommend booking a room at the Maerthof, a newish hotel that is popular, well-reviewed and located right on Marktplatz. Other good hotels (besides Les Trois Rois, a true 5-star property on the Rhine; it has been voted the best urban hotel in Switzerland) include the Hotel Basel (a block from Marktplatz in a pretty historic area) and Motel One for a less expensive option. The Maerthof has become the default choice for business and leisure travelers not staying at Les Trois Rois. https://www.hotel-maerthof-basel.ch/en.html
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Old Sep 19th, 2022, 02:45 AM
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FWIW, although the Kuntsmuseum and the Beyeler are the most well-known museums in Basel and justifiably so (well, our interest in the Beyeler varies depending on the main exhibition, but the Kunstmuseum is always terrific), our favorites are the lesser-known Haus zum Kirschgarten and Antikenmuseum (antiquities). Basel punches well above its weight when it comes to museums. The newest and one highly recommended for anyone with an interest in science and medicine is the Novartis Pavillon. Located at the edge of the Novartis campus (a 2-minute walk from the Novartis tram stop) it's very, very well done and is highly interactive. https://www.campus.novartis.com/en/novartis-pavillon Note: it does not promote its products, with one exception that dates back to the days when it manufactured colors and dyes, something it no longer does. They invented the distinctive red color for Ferrari, so they show a small Ferrari model convertible in that red with a tube of the pigment used to create the paint.
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Old Sep 19th, 2022, 04:34 PM
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Thanks for your help. A friend suggested going to Wengen and take the cable car up the mountain. I wasn’t sure this was a doable day trip from Basel. Thoughts?
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Old Sep 19th, 2022, 04:39 PM
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WeisserTee..thanks for the hotel and museum suggestions!
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Old Sep 20th, 2022, 12:44 PM
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Originally Posted by marlene_
Thanks for your help. A friend suggested going to Wengen and take the cable car up the mountain. I wasn’t sure this was a doable day trip from Basel. Thoughts?
Stay in Wengen and the Lauterbrunnen Valley. So beautiful!
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