Local Tip
Staying in a Basel hotel or Airbnb? Your booking confirmation doubles as a free ticket from EuroAirport or the station to your accommodation, so you won't need francs for the ride in. The Basel SBB ticket hall has an exchange counter open daily.
Where to change money in Basel
Switzerland Tourism names banks, exchange offices, the airport, major hotels and SBB stations as places to change money. In its view, dedicated bureaux de change tend to give better rates than banks, and it suggests weighing up both the rate and any fee before you exchange.
- Currency exchange, Basel SBB station SBB lists a counter in the ground-floor ticket hall, open 08:00 to 19:00 Monday to Friday, 09:00 to 18:00 on Saturday and 09:30 to 18:00 on Sunday.
- Change Group, EuroAirport The airport's exchange operator has desks on level 3 (departures, public area, Swiss and French sides), on level 2 (arrivals) and airside by gate 46.
Changing money at the airport
EuroAirport Basel-Mulhouse-Freiburg has a Swiss and a French sector, and bus 50 to Basel SBB leaves from the arrivals forecourt on the Swiss side. Change Group's desks on level 3 (08:00 to 18:00) and level 2 (08:30 to 18:00) close in the early evening, so a late arrival may find them shut; the airside desk by gate 46 runs 04:30 to 20:00. Crédit Mutuel and CIC cash machines work around the clock on levels 2 and 3 in the public areas of both sectors, and Change Group has machines airside at gates 80 and 82. Switzerland Tourism warns that exchanging at an airport can cost slightly more than in town.
ATMs and cards in Basel
Switzerland Tourism says cards work almost everywhere and that Apple Pay and Google Pay are an option, though cash is still widely used. Before you travel, check what your bank charges for payments and withdrawals abroad. Even though euros are often accepted, keep card payments and withdrawals in Swiss francs (CHF): MoneySavingExpert says a conversion into pounds offered at the till or machine usually works out worse than leaving it to your card provider.
Paying for transport in Basel
Anyone staying overnight in Basel-Stadt gets a BaselCard, funded by the city tax, giving free second-class public transport for up to 30 days across the same area as a Basel day ticket, EuroAirport included. Bus 50 links EuroAirport and Basel SBB every 7-10 minutes between 04:30 and midnight and takes about 20 minutes. Without a BaselCard or booking, buy a single ticket from a TNW machine, in the TNW Tickets app or at Basel SBB. The airport puts a taxi between central Basel and the terminal at roughly CHF 50.
Good to know
- Tips are not compulsory, though in many restaurants people add about 10 per cent or round the bill up, according to Switzerland Tourism.
- The BaselCard does not cover trips into France, other than to EuroAirport, or to the Vitra Design Museum, so budget for a separate fare.
- Visitors from abroad can have Swiss VAT refunded on purchases over CHF 300 (VAT included), as long as the goods leave Switzerland within 30 days.
Key Areas in Basel
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Exchange bureaux, banks and cash machines, as mapped by OpenStreetMap. The map loads only when you ask for it.
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Basel travel money FAQ
Where is the best place to exchange money in Basel?
In the city, the counter in the Basel SBB ticket hall opens every day, Sunday included. Switzerland Tourism reckons exchange offices usually beat banks and airports can cost a little more, so compare the rate and fee before you change.
Is the bus from EuroAirport free if I'm staying in Basel?
Yes, if you have a hotel or Airbnb booking in Basel: the confirmation is your ticket for the journey there, and the BaselCard then covers local transport during your stay. Otherwise, buy a bus 50 ticket from a TNW machine or the TNW Tickets app.
Can I pay in euros in Basel?
Often, yes: Switzerland Tourism says many places show prices in both currencies and accept euros, but any change comes back in francs. Cards are an alternative almost everywhere.
Checked September 2026. Fees, fares and opening times change, so check locally before relying on them. Sources: SBB · Switzerland Tourism · EuroAirport · Basel Tourism · BVB (Basler Verkehrs-Betriebe) · MoneySavingExpert
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