Basel

Day One: Dec 8, 2023

We arrived in Basel late in the evening after a flight from the UK, we took a train from the airport to the main city centre and was actually a little disappointed, the station and the city as a whole was filled to the brim with beggars and dodgy looking characters as well as mess and graffiti near the station too.

Hungry and in search of food. We took a bus to a neighbourhood near our apartment and decided to grab a kebab, but to our shock, it cost us £30 for two tiny kebab boxes with a handful of chips, some gristly meat, a bit of salad, and some sauce. It was not the best start to our Swiss adventure, and little did we know, it would also be our last hot meal for the entire trip, we also got accosted by more beggars as we left to walk to our apartment too.

Our accommodation for the trip was a hostel apartment, the cheapest we could find in the city at £100 a night, which was quite a departure from the £19 per night we had in Bosnia and £25 in Croatia, where we rented an entire house! The apartment did come with its own bathroom and balcony, so we counted our blessings—it could have been worse.

The trip almost didn’t happen, though, thanks to an elaborate scam we narrowly avoided. We had booked through Booking.com, and a few days before our stay, we received an email from what we thought was the hostel saying there was an issue with our payment and that we needed to authorise the card they had on their system again otherwise they would have to cancel our booking. The email looked legitimate and came directly through the Booking.com mail system itself, and they assured us no charge would be made until we arrived so we didn't think we had any reason to be concerned as at the time we had used Booking.com many times and had nothing but positive experiences so trusted them as a provider...wrongly as it turns out!

You see, thankfully, Bobby had an authorization system set up for payments over a certain amount via his bank, when the charge came though instead of the £0 hold they said they'd place, we saw an attempt to charge the full £300! That’s when we knew something was off.

Bobby cancelled the transaction and called out the scammer, who quickly blocked him. It was a close call, and from then on, our trust in Booking.com was pretty much gone, we actually heard that this was a problem that they were aware of that they were openly ignoring, see here for an news article about it affecting others too!

We ended up booking the hostel from their own website and actually ended up saving some money as the middle man was now removed. As a result we use Booking.com as more of a search engine these days but we will occasionally book from them with great caution if they have a deal or two on.

After settling into the apartment, we tried to make the best of things, but Basel was proving to be a tough nut to crack. Between the high costs and the near scam, it was one of the more stressful starts to a trip we’ve had in a while!

Day Two (Morning): 9 Dec 2023

We awoke at 6 a.m. to catch an early train to Lauterbrunnen, eager to explore the Swiss Alps. On our way to the bus stop, we were approached by a beggar—something that had become a regular occurrence in Basel. Fortunately, though, we didn't have to worry about bus fares, as the Swiss government provides a free city travel card when you book a hotel or apartment. A great perk that helped us save on transportation costs!

Arriving at the train station was an experience of contrasts. The outside was a bit rough around the edges, but once inside, it was like stepping into another world—beautiful architecture, plenty of facilities, and a sense of history that gave it charm. It was a shame the exterior didn’t reflect the beauty within.

Booking our train tickets, however, had been a saga in itself. We had initially tried to purchase them through the SBB website, but after they took our money without giving us a ticket, we discovered that foreign cards don’t play well with their split fare saver system. We suspect it’s reserved for locals, so our foreign payment was likely blocked. Thankfully, we got our money back and ended up booking through TrainLine instead, which offered the same price and, more importantly, accepted our payment without a hitch.

One surprise bonus was that the railcard also included access to the cable cars and public transport in Lauterbrunnen. The Swiss government really does try to make travel a bit more affordable, despite the high cost of living. We had to give them credit for that.

The train ride through the Alps was spectacular, with the scenery becoming more and more breathtaking the closer we got to Lauterbrunnen. This trip was particularly special for Bobby, as his late Granny had jokingly shared a picture of the village with him on social media, telling him he should visit. After she passed away last year, Bobby made it his personal mission to go in her memory and it just so happened to be that we were going there on what would have been her 71st birthday too!

Stepping off the train into Lauterbrunnen felt like the culmination of that goal. After all the stress with the apartment and the challenges booking the train, everything felt worth it, even if it was just for a few precious hours in such a stunning place.

You can read about the trip to Lauterbrunnen here.

Day Two (Evening): 9 Dec 2023

After a stunning day in Lauterbrunnen, we returned to Basel eager to experience the Christmas market. The moment we arrived, the festive atmosphere enveloped us with twinkling lights and cheerful music. However, our excitement was quickly tempered by the prices. Determined to try at least one local delicacy, we decided on raclette—a Swiss specialty made by melting cheese and scraping it onto boiled potatoes and pickles. For £10, we got a slice of cheese melted over two tiny potatoes and a pickle, served on a flimsy paper plate. It was a meager portion, and we couldn’t help but chuckle at how absurd it was. With our appetites barely satisfied and our wallets significantly lighter, we made the decision to leave the market.

Despite the high prices, the atmosphere was delightful, with locals and tourists mingling, laughter echoing through the stalls, and the scent of roasted chestnuts wafting in the air. But as the chill of the evening settled in, our focus shifted to finding something more filling and affordable.

We wandered to a nearby Co-op and spent the last of our money on snacks. The haul included a big bag of crisps, some cake, chocolate, and a sandwich, which set us back around £35. It felt like we were on an extravagant shopping spree, but in reality, it was just the bare minimum we needed to survive.

Reflecting on our journey, we were amazed to discover that we had each lost 5 pounds over the trip—largely due to the minimal amounts of food we had been able to afford!

As we headed back to our apartment, skint and tired, we couldn’t shake the happiness we felt from witnessing the breathtaking beauty of the Alps with our own eyes. The experiences, laughter, and memories we had created were priceless, and despite the challenges, we were grateful for the adventure we had shared.

Day Three: 10 Dec 2023

On our final day in Basel, we decided to venture into the suburbs, eager to see what life was like outside the tourist hotspots. Before that, we explored the city a bit more, making our way to Münsterplatz and its surrounding areas. However, to be honest, we weren’t particularly impressed. The city felt rather dull, and given the high cost of living, we had found ourselves spending more time indoors than we would have liked.

In many ways, we were relieved it was a short trip. The main reason we had come to Basel was to use it as a launchpad for our visit to Lauterbrunnen, which had been the highlight of our journey. That said, we could still appreciate the architectural beauty of the city, and the river flowing gently nearby was lovely to watch.

In the residential areas, we dug into the snacks we had left over from the previous day’s dinner for breakfast. It was an unconventional meal, but with limited options, it did the trick. The suburbs were charming—clean, safe, and a refreshing change from the city’s hustle and bustle, much like the rest of Switzerland.

After our exploration, we made our way back to the airport. That’s when things got a little chaotic. Tammy found herself literally strip-searched after setting off the security alarms. It turned out that a particular decal on one of her clothing items didn’t sit well with the scanning system. We were puzzled at first, wondering why she kept triggering the alarms, but it made for quite a story! Since then, she has retired that item of clothing for future trips.

Getting the bus to the airport was an adventure in itself, as we had to cross from Switzerland into France. The Basel to Mulhouse airport is unique in that it straddles both countries, so we had a light border crossing. Thankfully, there were no border checks, and we made it to the airport without any issues.

As we prepared for our flight home, we reflected on our trip. Despite the ups and downs, the memories we made, particularly in Lauterbrunnen, would stay with us forever.