There are 7 ways to get from Madrid to Basel by plane, train, bus or car
Select an option below to see step-by-step directions and to compare ticket prices and travel times in Rome2rio's travel planner.
Recommended option
Fly to Basel • 4h 58m
SFr 130 - SFr 304
Cheapest option
Fly to Zurich, train • 6h 21m
SFr 75 - SFr 320
5 alternative options
Fly to Mulhouse • 6h 33m
SFr 170 - SFr 494
Train • 13h 32m
SFr 209 - SFr 337
Bus via Lyon • 23h 50m
SFr 83 - SFr 101
Bus • 26h 41m
SFr 80 - SFr 190
Drive • 15h 9m
SFr 190 - SFr 280
Coronavirus (COVID-19) in Switzerland
There is widespread community transmission globally.
Some travel restrictions are being lifted in Switzerland. For the latest travel status, please check the official page for Switzerland.
For travel planning advice, please refer to our Rome2rio Coronavirus information page .
For the latest travel status, we recommend checking the official page for Switzerland.
Coronavirus (COVID-19) Travel Advice
Some international borders began to reopen in Switzerland from June 15.
Official Coronavirus (COVID-19) Information for SwitzerlandThere are currently lockdown measures within Switzerland to control the spread of Coronavirus (COVID-19). Domestic travel within Switzerland may be affected.
Official Coronavirus (COVID-19) Information for SwitzerlandInternational flights leaving Spain are suspended as part of the response to Coronavirus (COVID-19). Restrictions may also be in place for other modes of transport.
Official Coronavirus (COVID-19) Information for SwitzerlandQuestions & Answers
The cheapest way to get from Madrid to Basel is to bus via Lyon which costs 75€ - 95€ and takes 23h 50m.
The quickest way to get from Madrid to Basel is to fly which costs 120€ - 290€ and takes 4h 58m.
Yes, there is a direct bus departing from Madrid and arriving at Basel. Services depart once daily, and operate Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. The journey takes approximately 26h 41m.
No, there is no direct train from Madrid to Basel. However, there are services departing from Madrid-Puerta De Atocha and arriving at Basel Sbb via Barcelona-Sants, Lyon Part Dieu and Mulhouse Ville. The journey, including transfers, takes approximately 13h 32m.
The distance between Madrid and Basel is 1200 km. The road distance is 1551.1 km.
The best way to get from Madrid to Basel without a car is to train which takes 13h 32m and costs 190€ - 320€.
It takes approximately 4h 58m to get from Madrid to Basel, including transfers.
Madrid to Basel bus services, operated by FlixBus, depart from Madrid, Madrid station.
Madrid to Basel train services, operated by Renfe AVE, depart from Madrid-Puerta De Atocha station.
The best way to get from Madrid to Basel is to fly which takes 4h 58m and costs 120€ - 290€. Alternatively, you can train, which costs 190€ - 320€ and takes 13h 32m, you could also bus via Lyon, which costs 75€ - 95€ and takes 23h 50m.
- Distance: 1199.7 km
- Duration: 4h 58m
What companies run services between Madrid, Spain and Basel, Switzerland?
easyJet, Lufthansa and five other airlines fly from Madrid to Basel hourly. Alternatively, you can take a train from Madrid to Basel via Barcelona-Sants, Lyon Part Dieu, and Mulhouse Ville in around 13h 32m.
- Website
- lufthansa.com
Flights from Madrid to Basel via Munich
- Ave. Duration
- 4h 40m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- SFr 250 - SFr 550
Flights from Madrid to Basel via Frankfurt
- Ave. Duration
- 4h 56m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- SFr 250 - SFr 550
Flights from Madrid to Zurich via Munich
- Ave. Duration
- 4h 20m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- SFr 150 - SFr 260
Flights from Madrid to Zurich via Frankfurt
- Ave. Duration
- 4h 27m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- SFr 150 - SFr 260
- Website
- airfrance.com
Flights from Madrid to Basel via Paris CDG
- Ave. Duration
- 4h 20m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- SFr 150 - SFr 700
Flights from Madrid to Mulhouse via Paris Orly
- Ave. Duration
- 4h 46m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- SFr 35 - SFr 210
Flights from Madrid to Mulhouse via Toulouse, Paris Orly
- Ave. Duration
- 5h 45m
- When
- Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Sunday
- Estimated price
- SFr 210 - SFr 270
Flights from Madrid to Mulhouse via Marseille, Paris Orly
- Ave. Duration
- 6h 25m
- When
- Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday
- Estimated price
- SFr 30 - SFr 150
- Website
- swiss.com
Flights from Madrid to Zurich
- Ave. Duration
- 2h 15m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- SFr 65 - SFr 350
- Website
- iberia.com
Flights from Madrid to Zurich
- Ave. Duration
- 2h 23m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- SFr 40 - SFr 170
- Website
- easyjet.com
Flights from Madrid to Basel
- Ave. Duration
- 2h 15m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- SFr 40 - SFr 180
Flights from Madrid to Basel via London Gatwick
- Ave. Duration
- 5h 20m
- When
- Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday
- Estimated price
- SFr 50 - SFr 230
- Website
- klm.com
Flights from Madrid to Basel via Amsterdam Schiphol
- Ave. Duration
- 5h 5m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- SFr 210 - SFr 350
Flights from Madrid to Zurich via Amsterdam Schiphol
- Ave. Duration
- 5h 5m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- SFr 110 - SFr 230
- Website
- vueling.com
Flights from Madrid to Basel via Barcelona
- Ave. Duration
- 5h 5m
- When
- Monday to Friday
- Estimated price
- SFr 60 - SFr 260
Flights from Madrid to Zurich via Barcelona
- Ave. Duration
- 4h 30m
- When
- Monday, Thursday and Friday
- Estimated price
- SFr 65 - SFr 270
- Website
- aireuropa.com
Flights from Madrid to Zurich
- Ave. Duration
- 2h 20m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- SFr 30 - SFr 100
- Website
- britishairways.com
Flights from Madrid to Basel via London Heathrow
- Ave. Duration
- 5h
- When
- Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday
- Estimated price
- SFr 75 - SFr 390
- Website
- wizzair.com
Flights from Madrid to Mulhouse via Belgrade
- Ave. Duration
- 7h 5m
- When
- Friday
- Estimated price
- SFr 70 - SFr 200
- Website
- flytap.com
Flights from Madrid to Zurich via Lisbon
- Ave. Duration
- 4h 50m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- SFr 80 - SFr 370
The national railway company of Switzerland, Swiss Railways operates trains throughout the country and adjacent European nations including Germany, France, Italy and Austria. Tickets are sold in two classes - First and Second - with most long-distance trains offering a bistro car serving beverages and snacks. Individual tickets can be bought easily at stands, while a variety of travel passes are on offer to suit different travel needs.
Contact Details
- Phone
- +41 51 220 11 11
- Website
- sbb.ch
Train from Zürich HB to Basel SBB
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 14m
- Frequency
- Every 15 minutes
- Estimated price
- SFr 30 - SFr 60
- Website
- Swiss Railways (SBB/CFF/FFS)
German rail company Deutsche Bahn is known for its efficient and comfortable service. It offers many different types of rail transportation, including ICE or Intercity-Express for high-speed services between major cities and regions, IC (InterCity) for long-distance trains, RE (Regional Express) trains that connect regions and cities, and the S-Bahn rapid transit service. There are two main tickets on offer: the Flexpreis that has full flexibility, and the Sparpreis which is the cheaper, advanced fare (bookings usually open 6 months in advance for domestic tickets).
Contact Details
- Phone
- +49 0180 6 99 66 33
- Website
- bahn.com
Train from Zuerich Hb to Basel Sbb
- Ave. Duration
- 53 min
- Frequency
- Every 4 hours
- Estimated price
- SFr 25 - SFr 35
- Website
- Deutsche Bahn
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France’s high-speed TGV train network runs at speeds of up to 320km/h connecting major cities across France and into neighbouring countries. All TGV tickets include a seat reservation; seating is 1+2 in 1st class, 2+2 in 2nd class. Popular routes include Paris to Marseille and Paris to Strasbourg. Most TGVs have a cafe area, power points at each seat and WiFi.
Contact Details
- Phone
- 0033 892 353535
- Website
- en.oui.sncf
Train from Zuerich Hb to Basel Sbb
- Ave. Duration
- 53 min
- Frequency
- 3 times a day
- Estimated price
- SFr 26 - SFr 40
- Website
- Oui.SNCF
- 2nd Class
- SFr 32 - SFr 37
- 1st Class
- SFr 26 - SFr 31
Train from Lyon Part Dieu to Mulhouse Ville
- Ave. Duration
- 2h 46m
- Frequency
- 4 times a day
- Estimated price
- SFr 70 - SFr 95
- Website
- Oui.SNCF
- 2nd Class
- SFr 70 - SFr 85
- 1st Class
- SFr 75 - SFr 95
Deutsche Bahn’s EuroCity (EC) trains connect German cities to major cities in neighbouring European countries, and are operated in conjunction with their national train company. All EC trains offer First and Standard class; cars are air-conditioned and food and drinks are available onboard. Tickets can be booked up to 180 days in advance of travel. Seat reservations are not compulsory but are recommended for popular routes.
Contact Details
- Website
- bahn.com
Train from Zuerich Hb to Basel Sbb
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 5m
- Frequency
- Once daily
- Estimated price
- SFr 15 - SFr 22
- Website
- reiseauskunft.bahn.de
Austria's national railway system is not only punctual, reliable and efficient, but offers free wifi to boot. Choose from high-speed intercity Railjet trains, overnight Nightjet trains and regional services such as Cityjet. ÖBB also operates international routes that connect cities in Austria with adjacent European countries including Germany, Hungary, Liechtenstein, Czech Republic, Switzerland and Slovenia. If you're planning to be in Austria for a while, consider the ÖBB Vorteilscard, an annual railcard that offers discounts on routes within Austria and in neighbouring countries.
Contact Details
Train from Zuerich Hb to Basel Sbb
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 5m
- Frequency
- Twice a week
- Estimated price
- SFr 16 - SFr 22
- Website
- Austrian Railways
- Book at
- Austria Rail Pass
Rome2rio's guide to Renfe AVE
Contact Details
- Website
- renfe.com
Train from Madrid-Puerta De Atocha to Barcelona-Sants
- Ave. Duration
- 3h 10m
- Frequency
- Every 3 hours
- Estimated price
- SFr 65 - SFr 130
- Website
- Renfe AVE
- Promo
- SFr 65 - SFr 90
- Promo+
- SFr 74 - SFr 80
- Flexible
- SFr 95 - SFr 130
- Website
- renfe-sncf.com
Train from Barcelona-Sants to Lyon Part Dieu
- Ave. Duration
- 5h
- Frequency
- Once daily
- Estimated price
- SFr 65 - SFr 90
- Website
- renfe-sncf.com
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One of Europe’s leading bus companies, Flixbus serves 2000+ destinations in 29 countries, including Germany, France, Italy, Austria, the Netherlands and Croatia and into Scandinavia and eastern Europe, as well as some US cities. Coaches have toilets, free WiFi and power outlets, plus snacks and drinks for purchase on board. Flixbus is a good choice for the budget-conscious traveller; purchase tickets in advance for the cheapest fares (note: there is no option to reserve a seat in advance).
Rome2rio's guide to FlixBus
Contact Details
- Phone
- +49 1807 123 99 123
- info@flixbus.de
- Website
- flixbus.de
Bus from Madrid, Madrid to Lyon, Lyon Perrache
- Ave. Duration
- 16h 35m
- Frequency
- Twice daily
- Estimated price
- SFr 60 - SFr 75
- Website
- flixbus.co.uk
Bus from Lyon, Lyon Perrache to Basel, Basel SBB
- Ave. Duration
- 6h 15m
- Frequency
- Twice daily
- Estimated price
- SFr 22 - SFr 28
- Website
- flixbus.co.uk
- Phone
- 0041 (0) 844 257 224
- Website
- eurolines.ch
Bus from Madrid to Basel
- Ave. Duration
- 26h 41m
- Frequency
- 3 times a week
- Estimated price
- SFr 80 - SFr 190
- Book at
- eurolines.ch
A Spanish subsidiary of National Express, ALSA provides bus and coach services across Spain and neighbouring countries including Portugal, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Italy, Poland and Malta. Founded in 1923, ALSA values service and the customer experience. Buses are equipped with communal TV screens showing movies, individual behind-seat screens, ALSA radio, app for books and music, and free WiFi. ALSA services are accessible to people with disabilities, and guide dogs are welcome on all journeys. There are three types of tickets on offer (Frequent Traveller Pass, Share Pass and ALSA Pass), along with discounts for senior citizens, students and children.
Contact Details
- Phone
- +34 902 42 22 42
- Website
- alsa.es
Bus from Madrid to Basel
- Ave. Duration
- 3 days 5h
- Frequency
- Once daily
- Estimated price
- SFr 140 - SFr 200
- Website
- alsa.com
Want to know more about travelling around Switzerland
Rome2rio's Travel Guide series provide vital information for the global traveller. Filled with useful and timely travel information, the guides answer all the hard questions - such as 'How do I buy a ticket?', 'Should I book online before I travel? ', 'How much should I expect to pay?', 'Do the trains and buses have Wifi?' - to help you get the most out of your next trip.
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Read the travel guideMore Questions & Answers
The quickest flight from Madrid Airport to Basel Airport is the direct flight which takes 2h 15m.
Madrid to Basel bus services, operated by FlixBus, arrive at Basel, Basel SBB station.
Madrid to Basel train services, operated by TGV inOui, arrive at Mulhouse Ville station.
Yes, the driving distance between Madrid to Basel is 1551 km. It takes approximately 15h 9m to drive from Madrid to Basel.
Air France, British Airways, KLM and three other airlines offer flights from Madrid Airport to Basel Airport.
Book your Madrid to Basel bus tickets online with FlixBus and FlixBus.
There are 623+ hotels available in Basel. Prices start at SFr 87 per night.