Airport Guide to EuroAirport Swiss (BSL)

Airport Overview

Terminal Transfer | Getting into Town | Car Parking | Information Desks | Airport Facilities

EuroAirport Basel-Mulhouse-Freiburg (BSL) is 6km (3.7 miles) northwest of Basel, Switzerland. It’s also 22km (14 miles) southeast of Mulhouse, France and 70km (43 miles) south of Freiburg, Germany – very much at the crossroads of these three countries. Flights to EuroAiport Basel-Mulhouse-Freiburg can be confusing as some airlines will list it as BSL (Basel), while flights from France will list it as MLH (Mulhouse). The airport also has a third code, EAP, although it’s used less often. It can be confusing, but don’t worry – all three codes really do refer to the same airport.

The airport is run jointly by France and Switzerland. Although technically in France, Swiss International Airlines has headquarters here, and all three countries access the airport without customs or border restrictions. The arrivals, departures and parking terminals are divided into two – the Swiss side is to the south and the French side to the north. On arrival you go through either Swiss or French customs.

Basel, the closest town to the airport, shares its borders with France and Germany. It is rich in medieval architecture and has several art museums, and also hosts an art fair and a world-class carnival. The airport also acts as a gateway to the Alsace region from the French side.

The airport is generally well-run and well-equipped to handle the four million passengers who arrive on flights to EuroAirport Basel-Mulhouse-Freiburg each year.

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Terminal Transfer

When you get off the plane and go through security, you’ll have the choice of going through either the Swiss or French check points. The airport is basically split down the middle, with a French side and a Swiss side. The ground floor is the arrivals section, and the first floor the departures section. Level 3 and 4 are the gates for all airlines. There’s a border passage and security check between the two sides in the public area on the arrivals level.

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Getting into Town

Train: There’s no train station at EuroAirport, although there is a railway ticket desk in the Swiss arrivals sector, near the lifts. You can catch a bus or taxi to the train stations in Freiberg, Basel or Mulhouse.

Taxi: A taxi to Mulhouse will cost €45-60, and one to Freiberg is a hefty €110. Basel is close, but it’ll still cost at least €40 to get there. Remember to add a 10-15 per cent tip too.

Bus: Basel’s BVB Bus No. 50 links the Swiss section of the airport to the Bahnhof SBB, the main Swiss and French railway station in Basel. If you’re booked into a hotel, try showing your driver the hotel booking – you might get a ride for free. Otherwise you’ll need to buy a two-zone ticket at the bus stop for €5, which is valid anywhere in Basel, including on the trams. The French side has a less direct service. The Distribus No. 11 connects to the Saint-Louis railway station, where you’ll need to get a different train to Mulhouse.

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Car Parking

There are several parking options, depending on which side of the airport you’re on.

On the French side, you can drop people off and pick people up without paying as long as you don’t leave the car. Follow the signs for departures or arrivals, and park directly outside the terminal. Or you can park in the “minute stop” car park nearby, where you’ll be charged €0.60 for every ten minutes and can’t stay longer than two hours. Then there are short-stay car parks F1, F2 and F3. F1 (€3.70 for the first hour) is a covered parking lot right below the terminal, while the slightly cheaper F2 and F3 are open-air, next to F1. There are also long-term car parks F5 and F6 (€30 for four days).

On the Swiss side, there’s a similar system, a free drop-off point and a free pick-up point outside the relevant terminals with minute-long car parks (€0.80 for ten minutes) a little further away. The short stay car parks are S1 (€5.20 for one hour), S2 and S5. Long-stay car parks are S3 and S4 (€48 for four days).

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Information Desks

The main information desk is in the middle of the arrivals hall, in between the Swiss and French sector, and is open from 5:30 am until midnight.

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Airport Facilities

Money and communications: ATMs and currency exchange on both Swiss and French arrival and departure levels. There are also internet kiosks and stations with USB points throughout the airport.

Luggage: The information desk also doubles as a lost property desk. You’ll be charged €3 when you pick up whatever you’ve lost. If you’ve lost luggage, you should deal directly with your airline.

Conference and business: There is no business centre at the airport, but internet facilities and telephones are readily available. There’s also a photocopier on the arrivals level of the French section.

Other facilities: There are travel agents in the departure areas, and photocopy machines at various points in the departures and arrivals sections.

Wi-Fi: You can access the internet in both sides of the airport wherever you see a Wi-Fi symbol – generally in busy places like the lounges and check-in halls. You can pay by credit card or buy a pre-paid card at a Relay outlet.

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