Geneva - Basel driver/tour/transfer
 

Wondering if anyone has a recommendation for a driver who could take us from Geneva to Basel with a day of touring along the way?

We fly into Geneva from the US in August and will there for a few days. Prefer to use trains/public transit to get around the lake. But then we eventually need to make our way up to Germany and rent a car for the rest of our time in Europe (and have to pick the car up in Germany to avoid the huge drop fees).

My current itinerary gives us a day to make our way from Geneva to Basel. Seems like there is plenty to see along the way - i.e. Gruyere and Bern. And we could rent a car for a day and drive ourselves. But by the time I rent an automatic, pay for gas, and park it for a night at the hotel in Basel it is looking like a $400 cost plus the hassle of getting and returning it. That still might be a lot less than a driver/tour guide will cost given how expensive Siwtzerland is, but want to get a few quotes and see what the difference is?

Goal would be to leave Geneva early and arrive in Basel with enough time to walk around for a few hours in the evening. Next day we will be taking a train from Basel to Freiburg to pick up the car.

I'm afraid that in one day you would be hard-pressed to see both Bern and Gruyere and get to Basel in time to see anything (this is a city in which the street are rolled up at 6 pm).

Maybe that is a parallel question - what are the most interesting things to see in between or in Basel itself? How should I structure this day? Was not necessarily thinking we would see both Gruyere and Bern. Just using those two as examples of what is potentially in between.

Just to add - was assuming I am probably choosing between sights in Basel and Bern if we stop there, and in reading the posts here it seems Bern is preferred. Understand everything might be closed in Basel by the time we get there, but even walking around late evening and having dinner is better than nothing. We need to be in Basel for the train the next day.

Hi dbuckho,

I don't understand why you think you need a car/driver for this trip. You can easily take the train and make as many stop-overs enroute as you like. Your train ticket is good for the whole day, so long as you take the route that is indicated on the ticket.

You can either send your bags separately on the train (about 20 chf per bag, I think) using the Fast Baggage Service of the SBB, or you can use the luggage lockers at the train station where you want to spend time.

Gruyeres is out of the way for your trip to Basel. Yes, Bern is a good choice, and it's enroute. Another option would be Fribourg/Freiburg.

Have fun as you plan!

s

As swandav notes, you can easily take a train from Geneva to Basel direct (2 Hr 40 min) or disembark in Bern, store your luggage in train lockers downstairs, and spend as much time as desired exploring my lovely Bern. From Bern to Basel, the next train takes approximately one hour to Basel. Direct fare starts at 36.50 CHF per person. Bern is very walkable, and you can check online for info on walking tours of the Altstadt, the clock tower, etc. The TI is on the first floor of the station as well. I spent 8 days there last October. Click on my name for more Bern info!

NYtraveler continues to plug the absolute garbage that Basel rolls up at 6 pm. She is, bluntly, an ill-informed blowhard on this topic. I live in Basel and find plenty of things to do in the evenings.

NYT will bleat (as she always does) that she had clients in Basel and knows people living there (most of them probably out in the suburbs).

No, Basel is not a city where you will find people out drunkenly shouting and wearing lampshades on their heads at 4 am, but it has a excellent cultural scene with concerts, plays, etc and there are many pockets of the city that offer a lively nightlife. Not to mention a full schedule of festivals and fairs.