Basel stay safe · Basel travel safety advice
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Basel travel safety advice
Basel travel safety advice
As a rule of thumb, you are safe anywhere in Basel at any time. If you ever feel threatened, go into a restaurant or use a public phone: the emergency number is 117, and operators usually speak English.
Swiss police usually take on a relatively unobtrusive air. However, they are indeed serious about traffic violations: even jaywalking may be fined on the spot. The upside to stringent traffic rules is that drivers are generally considerate and will stop for pedestrians at crosswalks, even if there are no traffic lights.
Football (soccer) games are the only notable exceptions to the above rules. Because of an unfortunate history of hooligan violence, games are generally overseen by a large contingent of police officers in riot gear, in case of any major unrest. Nonetheless, it is generally safe to watch a game--just use common sense and stay away from the stadium areas where the hardcore fans congregate (usually the least expensive seats).
The biggest threat may be pickpockets. Be mindful of how you carry your valuables, particularly on trams and buses.
The drinking age for beer, wine, and similar low alcohol drinks is 16, while the age for straight liquor is 18. The public consumption of alcohol in Switzerland is legal so do not be alarmed if you see a group of teenagers publicly drinking a six-pack.
Watch out for the trams! Particularly the main downtown stops (Centralbahnplatz (Basel SBB), Barfüsserplatz, Marktplatz, Aeschenplatz, Messeplatz) can get very busy and be a bit of a maze. If you are not used to trams, you may easily be surprised by one sneaking up behind your back; their silent running makes them very difficult to hear at first.
If at night you feel uncomfortable alone on a tram or a bus, ride near the operator in the front. They are helpful if you run into any trouble or are lost. In case of an emergency, they can press a panic button to alert the police of the tram's location.
Be careful when swimming in the Rhine (see To Do, Sports) - it's not a lazy river! Don't go if you are a weak swimmer; ask locals for good and safe entry and exit points besides the ones mentioned above. Wear sandals or other footwear, as you may have to walk back up to 2 km (1.2 mi) to your point of entry. The tourist offices in Basel sell bright orange waterproof bags that allow you to take your clothing down the river as you swim and increase your visibility. The use of floating toys or swimming aids is forbidden by law. Stay clear of the many bridge abutments and the boat traffic, including the large commercial barges - they cannot and will not deviate from their course for you. Unless you are an experienced Rhine-swimmer, avoid the Grossbasel side of the river: the currents are very strong, exit points limited, and the section is part of the up-river bound trade shipping route. Swimming is safest along the Kleinbasel bank where the currents are weaker and there are many exits along the riverbank. Never try to swim across from one side to the other. Avoid overshooting the last bridge (Dreirosenbrücke): a large commercial port follows, without meaningful exit points but plenty of dangerous commercial boat traffic. If you do overshoot, pick your country of immigration: France to your left, Germany to your right. Jumping off bridges is not only forbidden but also dangerous and outright stupid, as is swimming the Rhine at night - don't do it!
The Most Frequently Asked Travel Questions about Basel
Where To Stay & Best Hotels in Basel - updated May 2024
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Basel Travel Guide from Wikitravel. Many thanks to all Wikitravel contributors. Text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0, images are available under various licenses, see each image for details.