There are 8 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 47 - SFr 205
7 alternative options
Fly to Zurich, train • 6h
SFr 67 - SFr 165
Fly to Strasbourg, train • 6h 59m
SFr 134 - SFr 344
Train • 12h 54m
SFr 260 - SFr 470
Bus • 23h 20m
SFr 76 - SFr 94
Bus via Bilbao • 25h 10m
SFr 154 - SFr 217
Bus #2 • 3 days 5h
SFr 250 - SFr 350
Drive • 14h 55m
SFr 180 - SFr 270
Madrid to Basel by train
The train journey time between Madrid and Basel is around 23h 54m and covers a distance of around 1693 km. The fastest train normally takes 22h 58m. Operated by Renfe AVE, Renfe SNCF, TGV inOui and others, the Madrid to Basel train service departs from Madrid-Puerta De Atocha and arrives in Basel Sbb. Typically six trains run weekly, although weekend and holiday schedules can vary so check in advance.
Train route overview
First and last trains
The schedules shown below are for the next available departures.
Madrid to Basel train schedules
Trains departing Sunday, June 20, 2021
Trains departing Monday, June 21, 2021
Trains departing Tuesday, June 22, 2021
Trains departing Wednesday, June 23, 2021
Trains departing Thursday, June 24, 2021
Trains departing Friday, June 25, 2021
Renfe AVE
Renfe AVE
Renfe AVE
Renfe SNCF
.jpg "Renfe SNCF")
Renfe SNCF
Renfe SNCF
TGV inOui
TGV inOui
TGV inOui
Swiss Railways (SBB/CFF/FFS)
Swiss Railways (SBB/CFF/FFS)
Swiss Railways (SBB/CFF/FFS)
SNCF
SNCF
SNCF
Travel safe during COVID-19
International entry into Switzerland from Spain
- Entry is partially open for citizens and permanent residents of Spain
Conditions of entry into Switzerland from Spain
- Pre-departure COVID-19 test (with a negative test result) taken 3 days before boarding for all arrivals by air
- A negative result for COVID-19 is a condition to end the quarantine obligation earlier. It is tested in quarantine on day 7
- Health declaration required
- Entry is dependent on the visitor residing at least 10 days in a non high-risk area
- Arrivals vaccinated against COVID-19 are exempted from compulsory quarantine
- Travellers with a certificate of vaccination are exempted from providing a negative COVID-19 test
- Proof of a negative test is not required if the traveller has recovered from COVID-19 in the past 6 months (certificate needed)
- Quarantine is not required if the traveller has recovered from COVID-19 in the past 6 months (certificate needed)
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- 10-day mandatory quarantine and a negative COVID-19 test issued at most 3 days before arrival
France: Paris, Centre-Val de Loire, Hauts-de-France, Normandy, Pays de la Loire
This applies to arrivals from Andorra, Argentina, Bahrain, Belgium, Brazil, Cabo Verde, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Egypt, Estonia, Georgia, India, Kuwait, Latvia, Lithuania, Maldives, Mexico, Mongolia, Nepal, Netherlands, Paraguay, Seychelles, Slovenia, South Africa, Sweden, Tanzania, United Kingdom and Uruguay
- Pre-departure COVID-19 test (with a negative test result) taken 3 days before boarding for all arrivals by air
- A negative result for COVID-19 is a condition to end the quarantine obligation earlier. It is tested in quarantine on day 7
- Health declaration required
- Entry is dependent on the visitor residing at least 10 days in a non high-risk area
- Arrivals vaccinated against COVID-19 are exempted from compulsory quarantine
- Travellers with a certificate of vaccination are exempted from providing a negative COVID-19 test
- Proof of a negative test is not required if the traveller has recovered from COVID-19 in the past 6 months (certificate needed)
- Quarantine is not required if the traveller has recovered from COVID-19 in the past 6 months (certificate needed)
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Rules to follow in Switzerland
2m
Mandatory
Considerations leaving from Spain
The official advice is to avoid non-essential international travel to high risk countries
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, but conditions apply when entering Switzerland from Spain.
Explore options for future travelDomestic travel is not restricted, but some conditions may apply
- Face masks are mandatory
- There is a social distancing requirement of 2 metres
- Observe COVID-19 safety rules
The national COVID-19 helpline number in Basel is 0041 58 463 00 00.
Wearing a face mask on public transport in Basel is mandatory.
The social distance requirement in Basel is 2 metres.
Make yourself known to an official member of staff and/or call the national coronavirus helpline number on 0041 58 463 00 00.
No, but conditions apply when returning to Spain from Switzerland.
See options for return travel.
Last updated: 14 Jun 2021
Exceptions may apply, for full details: Swiss Federal Office of Public Health.
We're working around the clock to bring you the latest COVID-19 travel updates.
This information is compiled from official sources. To the best of our knowledge, it is correct as of the last update.
Visit Rome2rio travel advice for general help.
Questions & Answers
The cheapest way to get from Madrid to Basel is to fly which costs €40 - €190 and takes 4h 58m.
The quickest way to get from Madrid to Basel is to fly which costs €40 - €190 and takes 4h 58m.
Yes, there is a direct bus departing from Madrid and arriving at Basel. Services depart once daily. The journey takes approximately 3 days 5h.
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 12h 54m.
The distance between Madrid and Basel is 1200 km. The road distance is 1544.7 km.
The best way to get from Madrid to Basel without a car is to train which takes 12h 54m and costs €230 - €430.
It takes approximately 4h 58m to get from Madrid to Basel, including transfers.
Madrid to Basel bus services, operated by ALSA, depart from 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 €40 - €190. Alternatively, you can train, which costs €230 - €430 and takes 12h 54m, you could also bus, which costs €65 - €90 and takes 23h 20m.
- Distance: 1199.7 km
- Duration: 4h 58m
What companies run services between Madrid, Spain and Basel, Switzerland?
easyJet, Air France and five other airlines fly from Madrid to Basel every 4 hours. Alternatively, you can take a train from Madrid to Basel via Barcelona-Sants, Lyon Part Dieu, and Mulhouse Ville in around 12h 54m.
- Website
- iberia.com
Flights from Madrid to Basel via Barcelona
- Ave. Duration
- 4h 50m
- When
- Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Sunday
- Estimated price
- SFr 80 - SFr 400
Flights from Madrid to Zurich
- Ave. Duration
- 2h 25m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- SFr 40 - SFr 160
Flights from Madrid to Zurich via Barcelona
- Ave. Duration
- 4h 15m
- When
- Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday
- Estimated price
- SFr 110 - SFr 280
Flights from Madrid to Strasbourg
- Ave. Duration
- 2h 10m
- When
- Monday to Friday
- Estimated price
- SFr 150 - SFr 270
- Website
- klm.com
Flights from Madrid to Basel via Amsterdam Schiphol
- Ave. Duration
- 5h 10m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- SFr 95 - SFr 360
Flights from Madrid to Zurich via Amsterdam Schiphol
- Ave. Duration
- 5h 10m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- SFr 100 - SFr 300
Flights from Madrid to Strasbourg via Amsterdam Schiphol
- Ave. Duration
- 5h 5m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- SFr 100 - SFr 280
- Website
- vueling.com
Flights from Madrid to Basel via Barcelona
- Ave. Duration
- 4h 50m
- When
- Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Sunday
- Estimated price
- SFr 80 - SFr 400
Flights from Madrid to Zurich
- Ave. Duration
- 2h 25m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- SFr 40 - SFr 160
Flights from Madrid to Zurich via Barcelona
- Ave. Duration
- 4h 15m
- When
- Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday
- Estimated price
- SFr 110 - SFr 280
- Website
- lufthansa.com
Flights from Madrid to Basel via Munich
- Ave. Duration
- 5h 10m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- SFr 140 - SFr 290
Flights from Madrid to Zurich via Frankfurt
- Ave. Duration
- 4h 57m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- SFr 130 - SFr 290
Flights from Madrid to Zurich via Munich
- Ave. Duration
- 5h 10m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- SFr 130 - SFr 290
- Website
- easyjet.com
Flights from Madrid to Basel
- Ave. Duration
- 2h 15m
- When
- Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Sunday
- Estimated price
- SFr 40 - SFr 150
Flights from Madrid to Zurich via London Gatwick
- Ave. Duration
- 5h 30m
- When
- Monday and Friday
- Estimated price
- SFr 55 - SFr 200
- Website
- britishairways.com
Flights from Madrid to Basel via London Heathrow
- Ave. Duration
- 5h 5m
- When
- Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Sunday
- Estimated price
- SFr 110 - SFr 250
Flights from Madrid to Zurich via London Heathrow
- Ave. Duration
- 5h 10m
- When
- Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Sunday
- Estimated price
- SFr 110 - SFr 390
- Website
- swiss.com
Flights from Madrid to Zurich
- Ave. Duration
- 2h 15m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- SFr 85 - SFr 600
- Website
- aireuropa.com
Flights from Madrid to Zurich
- Ave. Duration
- 2h 20m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- SFr 29 - SFr 140
- Website
- airfrance.com
Flights from Madrid to Basel via Paris CDG
- Ave. Duration
- 4h 20m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- SFr 130 - SFr 700
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
- 54 min
- Frequency
- Every 4 hours
- Estimated price
- SFr 26 - SFr 40
- Website
- Deutsche Bahn
#/media/File:ICE_4_Berlin_Hauptbahnhof_(3).jpg)
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)
Train from Strasbourg to Basel SBB
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 17m
- Frequency
- 3 times a day
- Estimated price
- SFr 45 - SFr 85
- Website
- Swiss Railways (SBB/CFF/FFS)
Train from Lyon Part Dieu to Mulhouse
- Ave. Duration
- 3h 24m
- Frequency
- Twice daily
- Estimated price
- SFr 120 - SFr 220
- Website
- Swiss Railways (SBB/CFF/FFS)
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
- 54 min
- Frequency
- 4 times a day
- Estimated price
- SFr 27 - SFr 40
- Website
- Oui.SNCF
- 2nd Class
- SFr 33 - SFr 39
- 1st Class
- SFr 27 - SFr 32
Train from Lyon Part Dieu to Mulhouse Ville
- Ave. Duration
- 2h 46m
- Frequency
- 5 times a day
- Estimated price
- SFr 75 - SFr 95
- Website
- Oui.SNCF
- 2nd Class
- SFr 75 - SFr 90
- 1st Class
- SFr 80 - SFr 95
France’s state-owned railway company is a fast and efficient way of travelling around the country, with over 14,000 trains operating daily. SNCF runs the country’s extensive rail network, including the high-speed TGV network, regional TER trains and local Intercités. It also operates international routes including Eurostar and Thalys, as well as the low-cost, long-distance Ouigo services that run on limited routes across France. Book up to 3 months in advance for the cheapest fares. The railway network consists of about 32,000km in total, of which 1800km are high-speed lines and 14,500km are electrified.
Rome2rio's guide to SNCF
Contact Details
- Phone
- +33 9 70 60 99 70
- Website
- sncf.com
Train from Strasbourg to Basel Sbb
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 17m
- Frequency
- Hourly
- Estimated price
- SFr 20 - SFr 45
- Website
- en.oui.sncf
- 2nd Class
- SFr 20 - SFr 29
- Rail 1st Class
- SFr 30 - SFr 45
Rome2rio's guide to Renfe AVE
Contact Details
- Website
- renfe.com
Train from Madrid-Puerta De Atocha to Barcelona-Sants
- Ave. Duration
- 2h 30m
- Frequency
- Hourly
- Estimated price
- SFr 65 - SFr 130
- Website
- Renfe AVE
- Promo
- SFr 65 - SFr 90
- Promo+
- SFr 75 - SFr 81
- Flexible
- SFr 95 - SFr 130
- Website
- renfe-sncf.com
Train from Barcelona-Sants to Lyon Part Dieu
- Ave. Duration
- 5h 5m
- Frequency
- Once daily
- Estimated price
- SFr 65 - SFr 95
- Website
- renfe-sncf.com
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 to Lyon Perrache
- Ave. Duration
- 16h 35m
- Frequency
- Once daily
- Estimated price
- SFr 60 - SFr 75
- Website
- flixbus.co.uk
- Phone
- +420 542 42 42 42
- info@regiojet.cz
- Website
- regiojet.com
Bus from Lyon, de Perrache - Galerie A to Basel, Meret Oppenheim-Strasse
- Ave. Duration
- 5h 45m
- Frequency
- Twice a week
- Estimated price
- SFr 13 - SFr 19
- Website
- RegioJet
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 Bilbao
- Ave. Duration
- 4h 10m
- Frequency
- 5 times a day
- Estimated price
- SFr 30 - SFr 50
- Website
- alsa.com
Bus from Bilbao to Basel
- Ave. Duration
- 20h
- Frequency
- Once daily
- Estimated price
- SFr 120 - SFr 170
- Website
- alsa.com
Bus from Madrid to Basel
- Ave. Duration
- 3 days 5h
- Frequency
- Once daily
- Estimated price
- SFr 250 - SFr 350
- 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 ALSA, arrive at Basel station.
Madrid to Basel train services, operated by TGV inOui, arrive at Mulhouse Ville station.
Yes, the driving distance between Madrid to Basel is 1545 km. It takes approximately 14h 55m to drive from Madrid to Basel.
easyJet, Air France, British Airways and four other airlines offer flights from Madrid Airport to Basel Airport.
Book your Madrid to Basel bus tickets online with Omio and Busbud.
There are 142+ hotels available in Basel. Prices start at SFr 87 per night.