Venue & Travel

VENUE

The conference will take place in Hörsaal 116 and Hörsaal 117 at the University of Basel in the main building (Universität Basel, Petersplatz 1 4001 Basel, Switzerland) as well as in the Vesalianum, Grosser Hörsaal (EO.16), accessible via the side entrance at Vesalgasse 1. 

TRAVELLING TO BASEL

Basel is centrally located in Europe and well-connected by buses, trains, and airplanes. The Basel Tourism office has published a detailed guide to travel options and distances, available online.

Arrival by Air

The EuroAirport Basel-Mulhouse-Freiburg is the nearest airport to Basel, and it offers many international connections, generally served by budget airlines. When exiting, use the Swiss exit to avoid entering France. A bus (line 50) departs every 10 minutes to Basel Central Station (SBB), taking about 20 minutes. Travelers can use their booking as a free bus ticket within Basel. Be aware that the bus can fill quickly, and seats are limited. 

For connections not available via EuroAirport, Zürich Airport is the second-closest alternative, with regular train connections to Basel throughout the day. The travel time from Zürich Airport to Basel varies, but the connection generally takes between 1 hour and 10 minutes and 1 hour and 30 minutes. After luggage claim, please make your way to the train station at the Airport indicated by signs with SBB/S-Bahn. From there, you have a direct connection to Basel SBB with the Flugzug (IR 36), which departs hourly or less often. If you've missed the Flugzug (IR 36) consider taking any train in direction Zurich Hauptbahnhof (Zürich HB) and taking the direct train from Zurich Hauptbahnhof (Zürich HB) to Basel SBB that runs every half an hour either under the operation of the SBB (as IC, EC), SNCF (as TGV lyria), or DB (as IC(E), EC). In any case, your ticket is valid on all trains to Basel. For more information on the train service in Switzerland, see above under By train from or via Switzerland (and Italy and Austria).

For travelers departing from Albania or North Macedonia, direct flights are available, such as routes from Tirana to Basel and from Skopje to Basel, operated by Wizz Air. Additionally, those traveling from Kosovo may utilize direct flights from Pristina to Basel with easyJet.

Arrival by Train

Basel has three main train stations: Basel SBB, Basel SNCF, and Basel Badischer Bahnhof. Basel SBB and SNCF are in the same building in central Basel; SBB is the Swiss station, SNCF the French. Basel Badischer Bahnhof is in Kleinbasel, on the Rhine's other side, serving Germany. All stations are accessible from abroad and well connected to Basel by tram, bus, or on foot. Railway savings cards for France or Germany may influence your choice of station for better deals. 

All three train stations are easily reachable from connections abroad and well connected to Basel itself via tram, bus, or on foot. However, travellers who own special railway savings cards for France and/or Germany might want to consider which station offers the best deal.

•  If you are travelling from or via Germany, you will arrive (first) at Basel Badischer Bahnhof (Basel Bad Bf) on the right-hand side of the Rhine (Klein-Basel). The train might(!) proceed to Bahnhof Basel SBB (Basel SBB) on the left-hand side of the Rhine (Gross-Basel). Please book your train tickets for the station you'd like to get out at. From both stations, you have access to tram and bus lines. If you get out at the wrong station, Bus 30 (Basel SBB–Basel Bad Bf) is the main bus line connecting both stations. 

• If you are travelling from or via France: The train will arrive at Bahnhof Basel SBB (Basel SBB) on the left-hand side of the Rhine (Gross-Basel). From there, you have access to nearly all tram lines and some bus lines.

• If you are travelling from or via Switzerland (and Italy and Austria): The train will arrive at Bahnhof Basel SBB (Basel SBB) on the left-hand side of the Rhine (Gross-Basel). From there, you have access to nearly all tram lines and some bus lines. 

In contrast to other countries' rail services, reservations are rare and expensive on Swiss trains. Consider only reserving seats during rush hour. Unlike rail services in other countries, prices are fixed and do not increase the later you book. However, if you want to save money, you can buy a Super Spar Ticket in advance, which is less expensive than the fixed price. Please be aware that there is only a limited contingent.

Arrival by Coach

Basel is served by several international budget coach companies, including FlixBus, Infobus, and Sindbad. Please check with the bus company you have booked where they will drop you off, as Basel does not have a central bus station. The arrival point for most of these buses is Basel SBB, next to the train tracks at ground level. The point is located on the same side of the station as the Mediamarkt shop inside the train station, on Meret Oppenheim Strasse. 

Arrival by Car

Basel is an old city, and driving through the town can be somewhat complicated. There are many one-way streets, and the trams also use these roads. While a GPS or Google Maps should easily handle this, we recommend entering Basel via the main access route closest to your destination rather than driving through the city centre. 

Be advised that a vignette (road toll sticker) is required to travel on Swiss motorways. If you do not have one, you can purchase one at the customs office.

For parking houses not connected to specific hotels, we advise you to consult the Basel Tourism Website.

Getting around Basel 

The conference venues are centrally located in Basel. They are easily reachable on foot if you reside in the city centre. However, it should be noted that the slope between the old city and the university is relatively steep. To avoid it, you can take the bus 34 from Schifflände to Universität. Basel has a reliable, well-connected public transport network comprisingtrams, buses, and trains (S-Bahn). Participants staying in a hotel, hostel, or Airbnb in Basel-Stadt generally receive a BaselCard. This card gives you free access to public transport within Basel-Stadt, including the bus to the EuroAirport (Bus 50). While the BaselCard makes buying tickets unnecessary, we still recommend installing the “SBB Mobile” app to check times and connections for all forms of Swiss public transport. Bear in mind that the app requires an internet connection.

Paying in Switzerland 

Venues in Switzerland usually accept digital payment solutions. In most restaurants and shops, you can pay with Visa, Mastercard, Apple Pay, Google Pay, and many others. However, we recommend carrying cash, e.g., 50 CHF, to cover emergencies, such as a taxi ride within the city or payment at restaurants that do not accept cards. Switzerland also has its own digital payment solution, Twint, but it's not easily accessible to non-residents. Nota bene, "twint" is now a fully lexicalized verb, "twintä."

Tipping is not mandatory in Switzerland; however, it is common to round up the sum or, in some cases, even tip between 5% and 10%.