Basel or Zurich for extra day?

[puppers]

We’ve booked an Amsterdam to Basel river cruise (Avalon) for 2010 and will probably fly out of Zurich. Our cruise gets in on a Sunday and we were wondering if it would be better to book a hotel in Basel and then go to Zurich the following morning or just book a hotel in Zurich and go directly there when disembarking the boat? I’ve read there is a train that goes often from Basel to Zurich and that is probably what we would take. We’ve never been to either city so our extra day would allow us to check one of them out but we’re not sure which way to go. Any suggestions?

[pjtraveler]

We spent a pleasant Sunday afternoon in Basel before we embarked on a cruise from Basel to Amsterdam with Uniworld. We had been in Lucerne for a pre-cruise extension, arrived in Basel, quickly ate lunch on board, and shared a cab to and from town with another couple. There are many things to see in Basel, including an interesting old town hall, some cathedrals, and art museums, and lovely old homes from the 1300's and 1400's. There were not many people around because it was a Sunday, but the museums and cathedrals were open. You can easily walk around in the town.

 

Others will be able to help you with Zurich.

[taxatty]

Either city has more than enough to spend a pleasant day. Both of them have excellent museums and many things to do. Basel has an excellent zoo if you like them, as well as an excellent art museum. Shopping is better in Zurich but you'd have to see what is open on a Sunday. The train station in Zurich is a great starting point for walking around the city (do also consider a boat tour) and has a TI that offers guided tours. Basel may be a bit more attractive, but takes a little more walking to get around, and the Swiss train station is not as centrally located as the one in Zurich. You can get a direct train that takes around 1 1/4 hours from Basel directly to the Zurich airport (one of the world's best). I suggest doing some more research and pick what you like best.

 

Just to confuse you further, if I wanted to spend a day in what I thought was the nicest city within a short train trip from the Zurich airport, I'd pick Luzern. :D

 

Les

[usavvy2]

personally I get a little nervous if I have too far to go to catch my return flight home from outside the USA so I'd pick Zurich for that reason. Besides it's a walkable city. You can stroll the city, see Marc Chagall's windows, watch the locals play lawn chess, go to a museum and more.

[mzblizz]

If you happen to be looking for a hotel near the airport in Zurich, we just spent last Sunday night at the Park Inn Hotel. We had a light, airy room with a view of a huge grassy area with the planes landing beyond. The rooms are quite funky -- there's a McDonald's attached to the hotel and the color scheme in the rooms takes on that theme. One wall was red, in a wavy shape, and the headboard was in the shape of the McDonald's logo. There was a small sink in the separate toilet room, as well as a sink in the main part of the room. The shower stands alone in a rounded space like a large phone booth. Really unique and a fun change from a standard hotel room. There's a lovely lobby and very nice restaurant with a view. A shuttle leaves every half hour for the airport. We signed up for it the night before to be sure there would be enough space. The best part -- it was only 116 swiss francs. Unless you prefer a more lavish hotel, we can highly recommend the Park Inn. You can check them out on the internet.