Hotel recommendation/airport for Basel Switzerland

[need2travel1]

Hi All,

We just booked Castles on the Rhine w/ Uniworld from Basel to Amsterdam-can anyone recommend a hotel in Basel?  Also, we're thinking of flying into Zurich as we live in NY & Zurich is a direct flight for us while Basel is not.  We figure we can book a car service thru Viator or thru the hotel to get us from the Zurich airport to our hotel in Basel.  Has anyone does this?  How easy/hard is it?  

Thanks in advance!!

[Rrebeck]

Hi guys! We're doing Castles along the Rhine, too, April 21! Coming up fast! I have friends who now live in Basel, (they are from Orlando, where we're traveling from) and they recommended the Novatel, which is where we've booked. It looks gorgeous, it's near the Rhine and about 15 minutes from the airport. I'll let you know how it is, we're doing the reverse trip as you, starting in Amsterdam and ending in Basel. We're staying at the Doubletree by Hilton in Amsterdam which is a 5minute walk from the train station and a 10 minute walk to the river cruise! I've booked a Craft Beer + Storytelling tour in Amsterdam the day before we leave on the SS Antionette. Let me know if you'd like that info. We're all going to have an amazing time, I'm sure!

 

becky

 

https://www.accorhotels.com/gb/hotel-8215-novotel-basel-city/index.shtml

[skinnylegs]

We did the Castles along the Rhine last year with Uniworld and had a great time!  We stayed at the Hotel Spalentor, a quick walk to historic Basel, and were very pleased with it.  It was reasonably priced with good sized contemporary rooms.  We got the recommendation from several posters on this board.  I want to say this was a 15 - 20 minute taxi to where the S.S. Antoinette was docked.

 

https://hotelspalentor.ch/?lang=en

 

If you really want to splurge, Le Grand Hotel Les Trois Rois, is spectacular, and right on the Rhine.  

Edited April 1, 2019 by skinnylegs

[TGBoss]

Another vote for the Hotel Spalentor - really enjoyed our stay there!

[Hoyaheel]

We stayed at Spalentor as well (post-cruise, and we had a SUPER early flight from Basel/Mulhouse but the hotel pre-ordered a taxi for us and it was there at 4am...) Wish we had more time in Basel - the hotel was perfect!

[Rrebeck]

1 hour ago, skinnylegs said:

We did the Castles along the Rhine last year with Uniworld and had a great time!  We stayed at the Hotel Spalentor, a quick walk to historic Basel, and were very pleased with it.  It was reasonably priced with good sized contemporary rooms.  We got the recommendation from several posters on this board.  I want to say this was a 15 - 20 minute taxi to where the S.S. Antoinette was docked.

 

https://hotelspalentor.ch/?lang=en

 

If you really want to splurge, Le Grand Hotel Les Trois Rois, is spectacular, and right on the Rhine.  

Hi, were you on SS Antionette? I've heard mostly wonderful things, a few naysayers on the boards but mostly good. We are in a suite so I'm extra excited.

[jpalbny]

We loved this cruise! It was our first European River Cruise back in 2014 and our first Uniworld. The ship was great and the food, service, and itinerary all came together into a very memorable week of vacation. Add us to the positive comments column.

 

That said, we also flew into Zurich because it was easier, and we chose to spend the night there. If your choice is between a direct flight to Zurich, vs a multiple-leg itinerary to Basel, I'd pick the direct flight especially if the cost is comparable.

 

I think Zurich is very underrated. The scenery was pretty, food was nice, and there was plenty to do. It's not Lucerne, but it's hardly a bad place to spend a day!

 

We rented a car so when we landed, we simply drove to our hotel, parked, checked in, then went out "on the town" for the remainder of the day.

 

The next day (embarkation day), we drove to Basel in the morning, making a few scenic stops along the way. As I recall it was only an hour to get there, and it was a very easy drive. The hardest part was finding the rental car return at the Basel Airport. From the airport, we grabbed a Uniworld transfer to the ship.

 

We were early enough that we had a few hours to go explore Basel (the ship was about 1/2 mile from a tram stop which took you right into town).

 

Going back to spend more time in Basel is still on our "to-do" list but we keep missing it for other stops. Have driven by it a few times on subsequent trips but haven't had time to stop. What we saw in just a few short hours was nice.

[orchidj5]

We stayed at Hotel Basel in the historic old town.  Nice, quiet and an amazing breakfast.  Easy walking to see the Old Town and the Christmas Markets ( we were there in December). We also had an amazing meal at the historic Resturant Schanbel which was about a blocks walk from the Hotel.

[skinnylegs]

We did the Castles along the Rhine last year with Uniworld and had a great time!  We stayed at the Hotel Spalentor , a quick walk historic Basel, and were very pleased with it.  It was reasonably priced with good sized contemporary rooms.  We got the recommendation from several posters on this board.

 

https://hotelspalentor.ch/?lang=en

 

If you really want to splurge, Le Grand Hotel Les Trois Rois, is spectacular, and right on the Rhine.  

[skinnylegs]

Hi Rrebeck, yes, we were on the S.S.Antoinette (loved it) in a Balcony room but the same floor as the suites.  The pool and spa are down the hall.  Book any massages or spa treatments earlier than later.  They fill up.  We liked going up to the Leopard Bar, on the top deck after dinner for drinks.  We had friends in a suite.  I would recommend doing some of the special dinners or activities that have only for the folks in the suites.  Our friends did not take advantage of that.  

 

A note about the Hotel Spalentor - it's just across the street from the gates to the old city.  Breakfast was included.

 

There is a type of hop on hop off type of bus in Basel that actually stopped right near where the S.S. Antoinette was docked.  It gave a nice overview of Basel.  I think we got discount coupons from the hotel.  

 

They only thing I wished we had done was to stay in Heidelberg for dinner and take a taxi or Uber back to the boat.  I looked like a fun town to spend a little more time in.

[texasstar]

Another idea... Fly in to Zurich.  The train station is in the airport.  Take a train to Lucerne, stay a few days, then take a train for Basel.  That is our plan for our trip this fall.

[djh1959]

We are booked on a Scenic River Cruise from Amsterdam to Basel in October.

 

We are booked into the Hotel Krafft, which is right on the river with a balcony overlooking the Rhine.  It is only a short walk to the old town, so the river view suits us.

 

I was also recommended Des Trois Rois, but the price was eyewatering for a quick one night stay!

 

We too have stayed in Zurich for one night and two full days and agree with jpalbny that it is very underrated.  It is expensive, but so is all of Switzerland, but there was plenty to do and see in our time there.  Lucerne is an excellent option, we had five nights there and it was beautiful, especially the mountain excursions.

[tfred]

another vote for Hotel Spalentor.  Great staff and location.

 

while we are at it - eat here.  It is a few blocks from the hotel and is excellent.  Family owned with a outdoor garden

https://www.kornhaus-basel.ch/

[tfred]

you can always rent a car, but i would look into the train.  It is about an hour ride and would be the cheapest and fastest method

[jpalbny]

You are right, tfred, the train would likely be easier (I hesitate to use the word "cheaper" to describe anything in Switzerland, haha).

 

Forgot to explain that the main reason that we rented a car was to make stops on the way, which we couldn't reach by train. Augusta Raurica, for one. A cool Roman ruin, but hard to reach without a car.

 

And, we had to figure out how to get on the Uniworld airport transfer despite not flying in that day. 😄

Edited April 2, 2019 by jpalbny

[Judy1985]

Hello

We stayed at the following hotel:

Hotel Victoria

in Basel, Switzerland.  Nice hotel, great bead.  It did cost about $35 for an uber from the airport, but after that we could take the free shuttle to the Viking ship.  It is across from a train station and has shops near by.

 

Judy

[Kylie]

On 4/1/2019 at 12:08 PM, TGBoss said:

Another vote for the Hotel Spalentor - really enjoyed our stay there!

 

On 4/2/2019 at 7:44 AM, tfred said:

another vote for Hotel Spalentor.  Great staff and location.

 

 

How did you get from the airport to here?

[TGBoss]

we came from the train station, not the airport. so we took bus #30. there is a bus stop right across the street from the hotel, stop "Spalentor"

[Hoyaheel]

43 minutes ago, Kylie said:

 

 

How did you get from the airport to here?

 

We arrived via river cruise - hotel manager arranged taxis for those of us who needed them (he surveyed passengers ahead of time and worked out all the transfers). When we left Basel (for the airport) the hotel arranged a taxi to pick us up at 4am....

[tfred]

taxis are at the airport to take you to the hotel.  10 minute ride - probably around $30.  More than you think but that is Switzerland

 

there is a French side and a Swiss side to customs - make sure you look for the signs after baggage claim and head in the correct direction.  Taxis are separated by country