A Travel Price Comparison for Switzerland Lausanne vs. Basel for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

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Should you visit Lausanne or Basel?

Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?

If you're trying to decide where to visit between Lausanne or Basel, this travel comparison, which includes costs, can help. The overall cost of travel is usually a consideration when deciding where to go next, and the cost comparison down below can help you decide based on the average prices from other travelers along with your own travel budget.

Where Should I go: Lausanne or Basel?

Lausanne

Located on Lake Geneva, Lausanne is the capital city of French-speaking region of Vaud, Switzerland. The slopes of Lake Geneva's shores are known for growing wine, while the city of Lausanne sprawls across three hills. The city is also home to the International Olympic Committee, the Olympic Museum, and lakeshore Olympic Park, as well as an old town that dates to medieval times.

Basel

Basel is often overlooked as a tourist destination in Switzerland, but despite this, it does have a lot to offer visitors as well as a beautiful medieval historic center. Every year it also hosts a Carnival festival that is one of the most popular in Europe, competing with those in Venice and Rio de Janeiro in its popularity. There are also some excellent museums and great examples of regional architecture around town. Basel also serves as an excellent entry point to the Swiss Jura mountains and a jumping off point to visit more popular cities such as Zurich or Lucerne.

Which place is cheaper, Basel or Lausanne?

These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.

The average daily cost (per person) in Lausanne is $229, while the average daily cost in Basel is $237. These costs include accommodation (assuming double occupancy, so the traveler is sharing the room), food, transportation, and entertainment. While every person is different, these costs are an average of past travelers in each destination. What follows is a categorical breakdown of travel costs for Lausanne and Basel in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Lausanne $137
    Basel $144
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Lausanne $274
    Basel $288
Compare Hotels in Lausanne and Basel

Looking for a hotel in Lausanne or Basel? Prices vary by location, date, season, and the level of luxury. See below for options and compare which is best for your budget and travel style.

Hotels in Lausanne


Hotels in Basel


Kayak helps you find the best prices for hotels, flights, and rental cars for destinations around the world. Compare prices for multiple destinations when planning your next trip.


Our Analysis
We've analyzed the average and typical hotel prices based on guest reviews, star ratings, and hotel amenities here: Lausanne Hotel Prices and Basel Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Lausanne $41
    Basel $46

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Lausanne

Some specific examples of transportation prices in Lausanne:

  • Limousine Transfer & Chaplin's world visit: $111
  • Private Transfer: Lausanne to Geneva Airport (GVA): $249

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Basel

Some specific examples of transportation prices in Basel:

  • Arrival Private Transfers from Basel Airport BSL to Basel City in Business Car: $100
  • Arrival Private Transfers from Basel Airport BSL to Basel City in Luxury Van: $103
  • Basel Airport Transfers : Basel Airport BSL to Basel City in Business Car: $100
  • Basel Airport Transfers : Basel Airport BSL to Basel City in Luxury Car: $142
  • Basel Airport Transfers : Basel Airport BSL to Basel City in Luxury Van: $98
  • Basel Airport Transfers : Basel City to Basel Airport BSL in Business Car: $95
  • Basel Airport Transfers : Basel City to Basel Airport BSL in Luxury Car: $149
  • Basel Airport Transfers : Basel City to Basel Airport BSL in Luxury Van: $98
  • Basel to Basel Airport - Departure Private Car Transfer: $50
  • Premium 1-Way Private Transfer to/from Bern: $194
  • Departure Private Transfer from Basel City to Basel Airport BSL by Business Car: $98
  • Departure Private Transfer from Basel City to Basel Airport BSL by Luxury Car: $108

Is it cheaper to fly into Lausanne or Basel?

Prices for flights to both Basel and Lausanne change regularly based on dates and travel demand. We suggest you find the best prices for your next trip on Kayak, because you can compare the cost of flights across multiple airlines for your prefered dates.





Food
  • Food Meals for one day
    Lausanne $62
    Basel $61

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Lausanne

Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Lausanne.

  • Swiss Dinner in an Igloo tour with transport & shopping opportunities: $173
  • Lavaux Panoramic Dinner Tour: $201
  • Lavaux: Panoramic Dinner Experience: $251

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Basel

Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Basel.

  • Self-Guided Food Tour: $36
  • Taste My Swiss City Self Guided Food Tour: $38

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Lausanne $38
    Basel $37

Tours and Activities in Lausanne

Here are a few actual costs in Lausanne for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:

  • Medieval Tour this historic city & its architecture on an audio walk: $5.20
  • The Olympic Museum Entrance Ticket in Lausanne: $21
  • Lavaux Panoramic Tour from Lausanne: $59
  • Art and Culture Tour with a Local Guide: $83
  • Riviera Col du Pillon & Glacier 3000: High Level Experience Swiss Alps from Lausanne: $91
  • Photogenic City Tour: $103
  • Glacier 3000 High Level Experience in the Swiss Alps from Lausanne: $114
  • Riviera line to Vevey, Chaplin, Montreux, Lavaux tour and optional cruise from Lausanne: $130
  • Architectural Walking Tour: $135
  • Riviera tour with long cruise in Montreux and Lavaux Unesco Tour from Lausanne: $156
  • Past and Present Walking Tour: $162
  • Montreux: Swiss Fondue Experience with Panoramic Tour: $175

Tours and Activities in Basel

Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Basel are as follows:

  • City tour Basel: $21
  • Basel City Sightseeing Bus Tour: $28
  • Basel Adventure Tour - The city quiz: $38
  • 1-Hour Must-See Express Tour: $72
  • Basel Selfie Tour 7 Attractions in 90min: $85
  • Basel Zoo Entrance Ticket with Hotel Pick and Drop Off Included: $98
  • Adventure Pool with 7 slides Entrance 4 hour Ticket with Hotel PickUp & DropOff: $105
  • Mount Rigi with Lake Cruise Small Group Tour from Basel: $132
  • Schilthorn Piz Gloria (James Bond Location) Small Group Tour from Basel: $179
  • Luzern City Tour with Lake Cruise Small Group Tour from Basel: $190
  • From Basel to Freiburg:The full day tour to the Black Forest!: $194
  • Basel City Center Private Tour: $204

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Lausanne $27
    Basel $33

About these numbers

When comparing the travel costs between Lausanne and Basel, we can see that Basel is more expensive. However, the two cities are actually relatively comparable in price, as the difference is somewhat minimal. Generally, this means that you could travel with generally the same travel style and level of luxury in each place. Since both cities are in Europe, it's no surprise that their costs are relatively close, as many destinations here have somewhat similar travel prices overall.

Budget Your Trip

Budget Your Trip has average travel costs for thousands of cities around the world, all provided by other travelers. You can also register to organize your spending by category and location with graphs, maps, charts, and tables.
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Lausanne vs. Basel Travel Comparison

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