Basel / Bâle to Engelberg by train

How to take the rail journey from Base to Engelberg, where easy access is available to the Engelberg-Titlis ski resort

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Routes

From Basel SBB/Bâle CFF to Engelberg

Journey Summary

Travel Time
1hr 49 min
Frequency
Daily
Travel Information

Take the trains which depart Basel at 04mins past each hour.
The transfer time in Luzern will only be 5mins, but it's a connection that can usually be relied upon, in terms of the train from Basel arriving in time.

So if you will be travelling with a rail pass, including Saver Day passes, or have booked tickets for the end-to-end journey from Basel to Engelberg, you should make the connection.

If need be use the passage under the platforms/tracks at Luzern station to make the transfer, it can be quicker than making the transfer via the main concourse.
Though the concourse at Luzern station, enables a step-free connection; and this will be adjacent to the front of the train from Basel.
While the passage beneath the tracks, will be towards the middle of the train when you arrive in Luzern.

1 x connection per hour

Change trains in: Luzern

Tickets

Booking Tickets:

SBB and Trainline will sell tickets for the end-to-end journey which involve taking a SBB train + a train operated by ZB (Zentralbahn)

‘Individual tickets’ can be used on any train(s) on your travel date, but they tend to be comparatively expensive.

Supersaver tickets are cheaper, the portion of the journey by the SBB train can be discounted by up to 50%, but these tickets are train departure specific - see our Swiss Tickets guide for more advice on how to book these tickets

If you book a Supersaver ticket and a flight delay etc, causes you to miss a train you are booked on to, you will have to book another full-price ‘Individual Ticket(s).
You can then apply for a refund of the Supersaver ticket, but the application costs CHF 10.

Hence it’s worth comparing the ticket price of a journey with the price(s) of  Saver Day Passes (see below) they might save you money and can also allow for a less stressful journey.

Using Saver Day Passes:

A Saver Day Pass is likely to save you money if you will be making a day return trip between Basel and Engelberg, if you can book ahead and obtain them at a discounted rate.

They can be used on;

  • the trains between Basel and Luzern
  • the trains between Luzern and Engelberg

However, they need to be booked at least a day ahead of your travel date, so won't be an option if you book tickets at the station on arrival in Switzerland.
They're also cheaper the further ahead that you book.

Additional Information:

More general info is available on our GUIDE to taking the train to Swiss Ski Resorts.

Where to book
Ticket Provider Approximate Cost
SBB *

SBB Guide

SBB is the main national rail operator in Switzerland, but tickets for journeys by the other significant operators including BLS and SOB can be be booked on the SBB website.

SBB also sells tickets for journeys to many destinations which involve a combination of SBB trains and services provided by the many independent operators who serve the Alpine resort towns.
However, if you will be making a long-distance return day trip, look out for he possibility of SaverDay passes being cheaper than tickets.

Though if you download the SBB app, booking tickets on SBB's mobile services can be simper than using the website.
Also watch out for the fact that booking international tickets can be comparatively quirky.

Trainline *

Trainline Guide

Happyrail *

Happyrail Guide

Happy Rail is a Netherlands rail ticket agency which sells tickets for both national and international journeys within a range of countries including Belgium France, Germany, Sweden, Switzerland.

HappyRail doesn't charge booking fees in the conventional sense, but if you're not Dutch you can expect to pay additional transaction fees, which will be added to the total cost.
That's because the most common form of online payment used in The Netherlands is 'iDEAL' and HappyRail doesn't charge a transaction fee for 'iDEAL' payments, but only Dutch residents can sign up to 'iDEAL'.
Other forms of payment include Visa debit cards will incur a fee.

Good to Know

The trains which usually depart from Basel at 04 mins past each hour are a mix of services, heading to different destinations beyond Luzern, including Chiasso, Locarno or Lugano and Milano.

Journey Features

Scenic - YesLake viewsMountain views

Good to Know

Final Destination: Engelberg.

The station in Engelberg is 5 -10 min walk from the base station of the Titlisbahn cable car, which gives access to the Engelberg-Titlis ski resort area.

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