Situated 5 kilometres north of Basel in France, the Euroairport Basel-Mulhouse-Freiburg (to give it its full name) is the world’s only multi-national airport, serving Basel (Switzerland), Mulhouse (France) and Freiburg (Germany). This can cause some confusion: on some tickets the airport destination code will read BSL (Basel), while others will read MLH (Mulhouse); also, be careful to exit through Swiss passport control to avoid unwittingly ending up in France. Both British Airways and Easyjet fly to the airport from the UK.

A special toll-free fenced road links the Swiss terminal with Switzerland proper. To reach Basel easily and fairly cheaply, take bus #50, which runs all the way to the Swiss train station, Basel SBB. The bus runs daily four times an hour from 05.00 to 23.30 and takes 15 minutes. Bear in mind, however, that the bus cross two city zones (10 & 13) so you need to purchase a two-zone ticket at the airport bus stop for 3.80 Swiss francs (CHF) or the equivalent amount in Euros (only coins accepted). There’s also a slower, slightly less frequent city bus (#30) that follows the same route. It runs daily from 06.00 – 20.00, costs 3.60 CHF and takes 20 minutes. Taxis are also plentiful but expensive, costing about 40 CHF.

Given its geographical location, Basel has long fulfilled an important role as a railway hub. Two railway stations — servicing the German, French and Swiss networks — lie within the city’s boundaries. Indeed the Swiss (Basel SBB) and French (Bâle SNCF) stations are actually in the same complex, albeit separated by Customs and Immigration facilities. The German station – Badischen Bahnhof (DB) – is in a separate location.

As you might expect, public transportation within Basel itself – run by BVB, part of the TNW Tarifverbund Nordwestschweiz – operates with impeccable Swiss efficiency. There is an extensive network of trams and buses. The trams are powered by overhead lines, and the bus fleet is mix of electric and conventional fuel-powered vehicles.

The green BVB trams are the ideal method for getting around the centre of Basel, being prompt, clean, relatively inexpensive and very convenient. Each tram stop has a map of the network and a digital display informing you how much time will elapse before the arrival of the next service. Almost all the trams pass through Barfüsserplatz, the focal point of the Old Town. Buses serve outlying neighbourhoods of Basel only.

Every tram and bus stop has a green ticket vending machine. Most accept Swiss francs only. Tickets for a four-stop journey within one zone cost 1.80 CHF (the whole of the city centre is in Zone 10). Longer journeys within one zone cost 2.80 CHF. Journeys across two zones cost 3.60 CHF. A day pass, valid for Zones 10, 11 and 13, costs 8.00 CHF. All tickets are valid for unlimited changes between trams, buses and local trains within the zonal boundaries.

Within city limits, five bridges connect greater and lesser Basel: Schwarzwaldbrücke, Wettsteinbrücker, Mittlere Brücke, Johanniterbrücke, and Dreirosenbrücke. However a more picturesque way to cross the Rhine, and one still favoured by many locals, is on a Fähri, one of Basel's cable ferries, which, attached to a steel rope, are silently drawn by the current between the two banks of the river. One river crossing costs 1.20 CHF for adults and 0.60 for children. The most popular one departs from Grossbasel just below the Münster.