5 minutes to switch in Basel train station
 

Hi;
I am going to be travelling from Paris to Interlaken and need to change trains in Basel. I will only have 5 minutes. Will this be enough time? Is it hard to find your way around? We will only have a backpack.

Possible but you got to run. If trains are side by in the same platform, otherwise it is bit tight. Depending upon which car you are in, you may have to run to the end to crosswalk bridge and it may take more than 5 mins.

First, the on time case.
Look at the map: http://www.sbb.ch/en/station-service...b-station.html. See the "Station Plan, 1MB" link at the right?

You move from one platform to another, if necessary,using an overpass. Even if you have to do this, with a backpack only, this is not difficult provided that you don't need to get CHF until Interlaken.

To find out what kind of transfer you are looking at, use www.sbb.ch. It shows you "planned" track usage. They "try" to make this kind of connection to land on different tracks on same platform, but it is not possible if there is a delay. To get the last minutes info, while your train approaches Basel, if you have a data connection, use SBB app on your smartphone to find out the latest track info. The SBB app have trip progress bar showing you how the train is progressing against the schedule as well as the latest track numbers at upcoming stations including the French segment. It is an invaluable tool for this kind of trip.

In my experience, the Swiss trains are more on time than the French trains. This is obviously not in your favor.

what's the rush -miss one just hop the next one leaving for Bern in a half-hour- better yet stash your bags in a station locker and have a nice stroll around a surprisingly nice city - on the Rhine - short walk from station to town center - one of the nicest Swiss cities IMO.

On the TGV side, there are certain car that favors shorter transfer time. This depends on which track in Basel you are arriving. Try to be in somewhat middle of the train composition. This is not necessarily the same as the position as the train leaves Paris. It can shed off cars as it travels from Paris to Basel. The extreme front or back of the train tend to add to the walking time. You can ask the ticket inspector, if he/she feels like helping you, which car would align to the overpass, if you have to used one, in Basel and move yourself to the exist area of that car as the car approaches Basel (before the announcement is best). The business people around you are usually familiar with transfer logistics.

Looking at schedules it seems trains leave for Interlaken twice an hour - some requiring a change at Bern but getting there about as quick - just can't see why you must rush for a 5 minute connection or even stress over it - just hop the next train - unlike in France reservations are not required on Swiss trains and a valid ticket can be used on anyone that day I believe.

Why the stress? Put angst to rest - if you have to wait 20 minutes have a cup of coffee in the station, etc. Relax - you're worrying about nothing but arriving perhaps 30 minutes later in Interlaken.

will you be havign a Swiss Pass? If so you must activate it before boarding the Swiss train and then can use it on any train anywhere - or do you have a through discounted ticket to Interlaken - those may be train-specific in France but I think you can take any train once in Switzerland - meaning no rush as your ticket is valid on other trains to boot.

I am wondering if the OP already has a ticket which incorporates this connection and didn't realize it was probably wiser to modify it before purchase OR if she is simply looking at timetables and doesn't realize there will be frequent later conncections.

Even in Switzerland trains can sometimes be late and Basel with those many platforms and connecting bridges is NOT a station I would choose in which to make a close connection and my luggage has wheels and I run fast, too.

The app isn't always up to date -- Basel is our home station and there are often delays of a minute or two as you head into the station.

As a rule, we never go for such short transfers. We always choose to have at least 10 minutes (usually 15) between trains because we want to enjoy the ride and not stress about whether we'll make our train.

If your TGV is on time and your train to Interlaken is on the adjacent track (sharing the same platform), then it shouldn't be a problem.

If you miss the connection, there are plenty of places to grab a drink or a snack in Basel SBB or right outside the station. Or you could opt to take a break of a couple of hours and explore our handsome city.

How about Neuchatel and Bern stations? Same advice - 10-15 minutes at least? I can't find any info on these stations so looking for info from people who have been there.

Bern I'm familiar with - there are just several mainline tracks all clustered together but in Switzerland what's the rush? Trains go every 30 minutes everywhere - miss one have a cuppa at a station bistro and pop onto the next train. Why the angst?