Basel with kids

[lpm23]

Hello

We are doing the Rhine cruise in a few weeks and was wondering if anyone had found any activities to do with kids in Basel? thanks!

 

[OhanaCuz]

Hello

We are doing the Rhine cruise in a few weeks and was wondering if anyone had found any activities to do with kids in Basel? thanks!

Check out the "Tinguely Brunnen", it's a fountain that has the craziest moving metal contraptions spitting water around. If they like that there's a full museum devoted to his works!

There's also a Toy Museum.

 

[quinnc19]

I'm probably dragging mine to a design museum across the river in Germany, but she would probably prefer the toy museum : ) Which sailing are you?

 

[lpm23]

I'm probably dragging mine to a design museum across the river in Germany, but she would probably prefer the toy museum : ) Which sailing are you?

We are on the June 25th. How about you?

 

[quinnc19]

Too bad, the week before.

 

[sabrecmc]

Has anyone gone over to Lucerne and back the morning of departure? Looks like a quick trip, and I'd love to take my daughter to see the dying lion monument and the bridge, but I'm a little worried about the timing.

 

[*WDW*Groupie*]

Has anyone gone over to Lucerne and back the morning of departure? Looks like a quick trip, and I'd love to take my daughter to see the dying lion monument and the bridge, but I'm a little worried about the timing.

Do you mean travel from Basel to Lucerne? Or from Zurich to Lucerne? It's at least a 45 minute train ride to Lucerne from Zurich. If you left bright and early, maybe around 8:00am, then caught a train back to Zurich around noon? Then a train from Zurich to Basel (which is around an hour) and a cab to the ship. Personally I don't think it's worth it. Trains in Switzerland are expensive and I don't think 3 hours in Lucerne would justify the cost (the bridge is lovely -- the lion is okay but not worth the trip). But that's just me.

We stayed overnight in Zurich and caught a 10:00am train to Basel. We were permitted to board the ship, where they took our luggage and had food out in the lounge. Some of the guides were in the lounge so we were able to talk to Bette (who we knew from our Central Europe trip). Then my daughter and I walked to the Old Towne (my son stayed in the lounge) and wandered around; we also took the trolley to an open market where they had stands with various international foods and a band -- we ate there and stayed for a bit tn soak up the atmosphere. Around 2:30 we headed back to the ship and our room was ready.

Let me know if you have any questions.

 

[sabrecmc]

Do you mean travel from Basel to Lucerne? Or from Zurich to Lucerne? It's at least a 45 minute train ride to Lucerne from Zurich. If you left bright and early, maybe around 8:00am, then caught a train back to Zurich around noon? Then a train from Zurich to Basel (which is around an hour) and a cab to the ship. Personally I don't think it's worth it. Trains in Switzerland are expensive and I don't think 3 hours in Lucerne would justify the cost (the bridge is lovely -- the lion is okay but not worth the trip). But that's just me.

We stayed overnight in Zurich and caught a 10:00am train to Basel. We were permitted to board the ship, where they took our luggage and had food out in the lounge. Some of the guides were in the lounge so we were able to talk to Bette (who we knew from our Central Europe trip). Then my daughter and I walked to the Old Towne (my son stayed in the lounge) and wandered around; we also took the trolley to an open market where they had stands with various international foods and a band -- we ate there and stayed for a bit tn soak up the atmosphere. Around 2:30 we headed back to the ship and our room was ready.

Let me know if you have any questions.

Thanks for the info. I was meaning Basel to Lucerne. We arrive in Basel the night before the cruise, so was thinking of getting up early that morning to head over for a quick stop in Lucerne, one of my favorite places. I actually loved the dying lion monument, and it is stuck in my head as one of the coolest things I saw in Europe back when I was a college kid backpacking everywhere. I know the bridge burned after I visited, but I think it would be neat to see anyway. It just looks like there is more to see in Lucerne than Basel, but I've never been to Basel. A fountain doesn't particularly excite me, though, so...I don't know. Don't want to push it too much with timing, though I know those trains usually run pretty often and on schedule. Looks like it takes about an hour and the total round trip cost for myself and daughter is only about $160. I'm just a little nervous on the timing, but so much is pretty close to the Lucerne train station, I think it's doable? Seems like it could be.

 

[quinnc19]

You've got me thinking about this now also. We are staying 2 nights in Wengen in the Bernese Oberland region and it looks to me as though we could go from there to Basel via Lucerne in about the same time as we could via Bern, and it may be more scenic. Wondering about trying to sightsee with our bags though. We were planning to spend the night before the cruise in Basel, but I'm wondering if I should switch that to Lucerne?

Thanks for the info. I was meaning Basel to Lucerne. We arrive in Basel the night before the cruise, so was thinking of getting up early that morning to head over for a quick stop in Lucerne, one of my favorite places. I actually loved the dying lion monument, and it is stuck in my head as one of the coolest things I saw in Europe back when I was a college kid backpacking everywhere. I know the bridge burned after I visited, but I think it would be neat to see anyway. It just looks like there is more to see in Lucerne than Basel, but I've never been to Basel. A fountain doesn't particularly excite me, though, so...I don't know. Don't want to push it too much with timing, though I know those trains usually run pretty often and on schedule. Looks like it takes about an hour and the total round trip cost for myself and daughter is only about $160. I'm just a little nervous on the timing, but so much is pretty close to the Lucerne train station, I think it's doable? Seems like it could be.

 

[sabrecmc]

You've got me thinking about this now also. We are staying 2 nights in Wengen in the Bernese Oberland region and it looks to me as though we could go from there to Basel via Lucerne in about the same time as we could via Bern, and it may be more scenic. Wondering about trying to sightsee with our bags though. We were planning to spend the night before the cruise in Basel, but I'm wondering if I should switch that to Lucerne?

I mean, to me, Lucerne just has a lot more to offer, and if it is really just an hour or so to Basel, that's definitely doable. You used to be able to store luggage at the station. I googled it, and it looks like there are both luggage lockers and manned luggage storage, so that might be an option for you? Or your hotel, if you stay in Lucerne, could hold it? We're flying in to Basel, so I can't really change our hotel, but I'm still thinking it would be neat to head over to Lucerne embarkation morning. Just a little hesitant on timing.

 

[tanyajs]

Some of the guides were in the lounge so we were able to talk to Bette (who we knew from our Central Europe trip).

Does anyone know if Betti is still doing the Rhine river cruise itinerary? She was our guide for Central Europe as well, and she was fantastic.

 

[Shultz6]

We are on the June 25th. How about you?

We are on the June 24th sailing!

 

[Shultz6]

We are on the June 24th sailing!

And disregard my posting - I’m a year off