polly229

We prefer to get cash from ATMs on debit cards since that's usually cheaper. (And we do get rid of currency we don't want to take home to pay some of the hotel bill when we check out.) It's mainly a question of finding an ATM close by the boat in Basel to get taxi money. Wasn't sure asking a taxi driver to stop at an ATM was a good idea since we avoid taxis when possible and probably half of our life's total of taxis has been in NYC; I suspect half of those drivers would have stoned or strangled us if we'd asked for anything out of the ordinary. (That said, I do usuall find taxi drivers in Europe to be more congenial.)

The other taxi concern is whether we can find a larger taxi that will hold 4 adults and luggage or if all are sedan types. Since the other two adults are my daughter and her husband and the trip is a gift, if I have to pay what I read described somewhere as "extortionate" taxi fares for two cabs, I may be so distraught that I will have to take to my bed with cold compresses on my forehead for the rest of the day.

WeisserTee

yes you can. it would be a shuttle van type taxi. i have the number at home of the taxi company i use most often and they do take credit cards. you could book it in advance.
(sorry i can't give it to you now, i'm sitting in a cafe in solothurn)

(sent by iPhone)

kappa1

No, you wrote above " ...EVEN ticket windows ..." that imply you are mainly talking about money exchange that's part of CFF/SBB office.

In any case, large stations have separate windows for ticket purchase and exchange currecy but at small ones like Interlaken, it might be that the same windows sell tickets and exchange currencies. And in the latter case, the same fee of CHF5 should apply even if you have not noticed it.

> Switzerland IMe is one place where you can change a few euros or dollars for CHfrancs without having a transaction fee - I have done it often right at train stations - even ticket windows

WeisserTee

Hi polly, as I posted above, this company has a large van that could handle the four of you and your luggage AND it takes credit cards. http://www.taxi-zentrale.ch/ Their number is +41 (0) 61 222 2222.

Someone on your cruise should be able to call them and book the van taxi for you. That way you can step off your cruise, find a van waiting for you that will whisk you to your hotel. All you need to do is suck it up and have your credit card ready to pay the bill.

StCirq

Why don't you call the cruise line and ask if they know of an ATM close to the port in Basel?

PalenQ

kappa - I should not have said anything because I have not had to exchange money in quite a while but last I did at Interlaken West I got about the official rate for a $20 exchange - about $20's - but things change and I'm behind the times on that so thanks for the correcto - next time in Interlaken I'll check it out.

The simple solution for the OP is to use euros for the cab.

polly229

Thanks for all the suggestions. And especially thanks to WeisserTee with the phone number for the taxi van. That should work out well. Once we get to the hotel, we can find a nearby ATM - maybe closest one will be at the station - and pick up enough money to get us through the day.

neckervd

There are more than 100 bancomats/postomats all over Basel, 4 of them alone in and around the SBB railway station

PalenQ

Colmar, France is just a short train ride from Basel and it is a wonderful small town in the Alsace Wine district - one of the prettiest towns in France - can go there for the day and use eutros! Basel's train station no doubt takes credit cards - well small doubt or perhaps even euros since trains to Colmar depart from the French part of the station (French in French railways) - though perhaps that designation has been blurred with the Swiss going into the Schengen Accords - use to be you had to pass thru Customs to get to trains going into France leaving from Basel SBB.

WeisserTee

"4 of them alone in and around the SBB railway station"

To be a little more specific, go in the main entrance to the train station (under the clock) on the right hand side (if you're facing the station from the main tram stop, Starbucks and the hotel cluster). After you get in, on your immediate left, there's a Raiffeisen ATM -- it's right by the Western Union desk.

If you turn right after you get in the station and go past the Kiosk newspaper/magazine stand and the Migros, there's a Kantonal Bank ATM facing the brasserie.

I guess you'll be in Basel in early December, correct? That means the Christmas market will be in full swing. Basel has rather a nice one. Of course, you may have seen plenty of Christmas markets with your cruise, but if you do go to the Basel one, check out the hot chocolate stand in the Barfusserplatz part. Three kinds of rich, creamy hot chocolate (usually it's your choice of regular, dark or white hot chocolate) with or without whipped cream. Yummm!

Finally, if you're in the mood for good pizza or Italian food and a good selection of Italian wines, check out Prima. It's located near the Bankverein tram stop, which is halfway between the Barfusserplatz tram stop and the train station tram stop. Bonus: on week-ends all pizzas are only 15 francs. Their selection of homemade pizzas is tasty but note: you can't get pizza before 6 pm.

polly229

Originally I had planned to go to the Tinguely Museum because we flew into Basel at the start of a May Rhine cruise and I guess I was too jet-lagged to notice it on the map. Mid-afternoon on a walking tour the 2nd day we stopped at a kinetic fountain and I suddenly thought "wow, this looks like Tinguely". Hadn't thought of Tinguely since art history classes in college decades before. Then learned that there was a museum. And then the boat sailed. So I thought we'd do that. But the other day I read that Basel has an excellent zoo and we really like zoos, too. Now Colmar sounds inviting.

Because we're taking a cruise that leaves 27 Nov., some of the Christmas Markets early on will likely not be open, so we may not be "marketed out" by Basel. DH would be in heaven at the hot chocolate stand. So here's a 4th thing to fit into the afternoon.

Now I feel doubly bad because of something stupid I did. About 7 years ago because of equipment problems that delayed our first leg of the flight, we were going to miss our connection to A'dam, so we came back home and tried again (successfully) the next day. So I wanted to arrive a day early so as not to "miss the boat" (literally). Was rushing to book flights since I had good fares and itineraries and they can disappear right before your eyes. Misinterpreted "Day 1" on the cruise website (and should have known better, it's not like I haven't done this before) and next day discovered that we are going to have, assuming we don't have a repeat of our '06 experience, an afternoon, all of the following day, and most of the 3rd day before the boat sails in A'dam. The others have spent much less time (son-in-law never) in A'dam, so they're fine with my mistake. But I've spent days and days during several years in A'dam or towns in the area (while poor DH was working a convention). If I had to make a scheduling mistake, I wish I'd done it on the other end. To paraphrase W.C. Fields, "on the whole, I'd rather be in Basel."

Michael

With only 20 hours, I would forget Colmar. There is an interesting museum of Basel specific historical musical instruments in the old city jail up the hill from Barfusserplatz.

This is only one of several museums in addition to the Tinguely that can be visited.

PalenQ

Colmar is all of 44 minutes away by train and is a delightful small city easily managed in a half day.

https://www.google.com/search?q=colm...bih=1075&dpr=1

Not necessarily recommending it over Basel though the typical traveler I think would enjoy a smaller gorgeous town over a large busy city no matter how good the museums are. Just presenting it as an option - easily done in 4-5 hours let along 20!

neckervd

Basle and surroundings have of course much more fine museums than only Tinguely and tons of other sights up to medieval fortresses and roman theatres.

But if you prefer to go to Colmar, there is no problem.

kja

I really enjoyed Basel. I found more than enough to keep me happily busy for the 1.5 days I had there, and there were still many things on my wish-list when I left.