Basel, Switzerland

Tips: 

-Ask your hotel about the Mobility Ticket. Our hotel gave us one for free for the entire weekend. It allows you free access to the public transit system which goes to the airport too. 

-While the city center is very easily walkable, hopping on one of the trams is a great way to venture into new neighborhoods and check out the local scene (my personal fav). 

 

Common Phrases:

Although Switzerland is small, there are different versions or dialects spoken throughout the country. Wiki-Travel gives you the basics for the Swiss-German dialect most commonly spoke in Basel. Oh also, everyone speaks English.

 

Unique:

 -Klybeckstrasse is a street with cool second hand stores and unique cafes. The tram stop Kaserne leaves you at a small park/square with restaurants alongside and a space for live entertainment. This neighborhood is called Kleinbasel and is the more artistic and diverse neighborhoods. It is definitely worth walking around.

-Nomad Hotel was where we stayed and it was one of our favorite hotels we have been. It is small so its certainly not because of the size but its definitely because of the design and quality. There was a coffee, tea and water station in the hallway for you to use 24-7. The bed linens were so amazing that we actually asked where they purchased them in hopes to buy them ourselves (too bad they were made in Switzerland and it was Sunday so everything was closed). They also provided us the free mobility ticket and were very helpful if we needed. 

-The beauty of Switzerland is how small the country is and how you can site see in other cities so easily. We managed to take a day trip out of Basel to Mount Titlis. This was amazing because the weather was extremely different at the bottom of the mountain versus the top. It is a fun ride to see the transition from lush green to 100% snow. There is also a pretty scary bridge that you can cross at the peak if you want a good photo (I passed it was too scary). It is a popular ski destination so you can also plan a ski day if you are interested but we just wanted to go and check out the views and experience the Alps.

-A funny experience while walking around Basel is noticing all of the cars. If you love luxury cars then you will love visiting Switzerland. I have never seen more luxury cars in my life and it was a majority of the cars on the road.

 

Food & Drink:

 -While in Kleinbasel, stop by Flore for a coffee, drink or snack. This cafe/bar is the perfect vibe for the chilled out alternative. The music is dope, decor is unique and the employees are super friendly. They don’t have a kitchen so their snacks are limited. You can get a damn good hummus or olive tapenade though.

-As Americans living abroad, we often look for the good ol pub in every city where we can find other expats and hear more people speaking English. Flanagans Irish Pub was that place. Luckily it was right across the street from our hotel. They have a quiz night (in English) and most of the staff is Irish. This place has tons of local expats and regulars to make you feel right at home.

-Namamen is a great Ramen bar with a few locations. It s simple place with a simple menu. It is certainly not owned by Japanese and a true ramen lover will say it isn’t authentic but its delicious nonetheless.

-Tidbits is a great vegetarian restaurant. It serves buffet style and you pay by weight. They also have delicious fresh pressed juices. I had a sparkling ginger juice and it was refreshing.

 

Budget:

-Head to the Markthalle for your budget browsing. It’s an indoor food hall and market. Here is where you will get the most affordable food and there are sometimes other goods for sale. Check the website to see what days have different activities so you can go on the best day while you are visiting.

-I mentioned wandering the Kleinbasel neighborhood earlier and I really think this is a great budget activity.

 

Shopping:

 -The entire city center is a shopping district and there are common shopping streets. Ask the locals for the shopping street that has more local businesses. This one is worth checking out.

 

Downfalls:

-Price. This place is expensive. All of Switzerland is. Unless you are living in Scandinavia, the price tags will come as a shock.

-Another downfall for a busy person like me was the size of the city. I felt like we had seen all of it (except the museums) in a 3 day weekend.

 

Travel Details:

March 2017

3 days- Friday-Sunday

Personal travel