Advertisement

basel For Members

13 essential apps that make life in Basel easier for foreign residents

Helena Mannion
Helena Mannion - [email protected]
13 essential apps that make life in Basel easier for foreign residents
A view of Basel. Photo by Chris Boese on Unsplash

Whether it's public transport, culture, city guides or car parking, there are plenty of apps to help international residents settle into life in Basel.

Advertisement

As Switzerland's third most populous city (after Zurich and Geneva) - and home to a thriving jobs scene, Basel is a magnet for international residents.

But settling into new place can be difficult. The good news is that there are smartphone apps that can help make life a little easier for foreigners finding their feet in this Swiss city which lies close to the German and French borders. 

We've put together a guide to some of the most useful apps to help you make the most of Basel - and Switzerland in general. 

READ MORE: Is Basel the best Swiss city for foreigners and Geneva the worst?

BVB App (Basler Verkehrs-Betriebe) 

The BVB app provides public transport information for the Triregion of Basel (North-western Switzerland region, South Baden and the Alsace). With the BVB app you can plan ahead of your journey and buy tickets in advance. Additionally, the app will tell you in case your tram or bus is late (a rare occurrence). 

Art Basel   

If you are an art enthusiast, the Art Basel app may be of use to you! 

Art Basel brings together the leading international gallery owners and collectors, offering visitors art from the world's best galleries. The app also offers online viewing rooms – so you can browse artworks and create your own collection. You can also discover galleries, museums, cultural institutions, restaurants and bars and much more.

iTour Basel City guide (audio guide) 

Discover Basel’s old town through the Basel City Guide in audio format. If you are a tourist or a local wanting to find out more about Basel and its history, this app can give you more of an insight. It encourages you to walk to different stations around the city and takes you through an independent journey to discover Basel. 

Advertisement

ParkSmart Basel

It can be a pain to look for parking in a busy city, fearing you will lose time circling round and round waiting for a free spot. Parksmart is the official parking app of Basel Stadt. It allows you to pay for parking, find points where you can park so you can plan in advance and be sure you will find a place to park. 

A woman with a phone

Here are apps that make life in Switzerland easier for foreigners. Photo by Paul Hanaoka on Unsplash

Pick-E-Bike

Pick-e-Bike is your sharing system for e-bikes and e-scooters in the Basel region. Having the choice to spontaneously pick up an E-bike will give you liberty and security to arrive to your destination on time. A map within the app will show you where the nearest bike pick-up is. The fair is charged by the minute, making it a cheap and efficient option. 

READ ALSO: 10 essential apps that make life in Zurich easier for internationals

Apps for Switzerland: 

Meteo Schweiz 

Meteo is a Swiss weather app that gives accurate weather reports up to a week ahead of time. One impressive feature of the app is the precipitation radar, which, from a satellite perspective, shows how affected you may be by upcoming bad weather. If you are planning a trip to the mountains, make sure to check on the meteo app for good weather for your skiing holidays!

SBB (public transport app) 

The SBB app is the swiss national transportation app that provides information on a ranging form of transport: whether it be by tram, train, bus, ship or even a gondola. With this app you can be sure to be recommended the best and most efficient connections for your journey. As with the BVB app, you can buy tickets ahead of time and the app will alert you of any delays. 

Uber 

As it is in other countries, Uber can be an efficient and quick way to get from destination A to B. It is especially handy in later hours as trains, trams and buses end their working day. If you decide to stay out longer, do not fret - Uber drivers are available throughout the night.

Just Eat.ch (food delivery service) 

Just Eat is one of the convenient food delivery services that will bring food right to your door. Indian, Thai, Chinese or Swiss cuisine are amongst the options offered from a range of restaurants local to you. Additionally, it will tell you how long it will take to prepare your meal and an estimated time of arrival. You can also track your delivery, so you are sure when your food is arriving. 

Advertisement

Vivino app (wine and reviews of wine) 

Navigating and pairing wine to food is always a challenge - especially when it comes to Swiss wines. Vivino will let you know if you’re making the right choice right away. Photographing the label will bring up information about the wine, its rating and the most important wine characteristics. This allows for you make a more accurate pairing with your rösti, raclette or fondue.

Ricardo (swiss Ebay) 

Ricardo is the place to list items, clothing, and furniture that you would like to sell. If you are interested in buying a certain product, you can select your location and filter this product out – guaranteeing that you will find what you are looking for. It could be compared to something like Ebay, as they work in a similar way. 

Advertisement

Mobility Car-Sharing

Switzerland’s public transport is extremely efficient and reliable, which means it is not completely necessary to own a car. But if you need a car and don't have one, don’t panic! In the event of wanting to go for an extra large shopping trip or fetching a friend from the airport, mobility car sharing is the solution. Mobility cars can be found in various areas around - not just Basel - but in the whole of Switzerland and can be picked up spontaneously or booked beforehand. This means instead of owning a car permanently, you can own one for just a couple of hours and get your most important chores completed. 

TWINT 

TWINT is a very popular mobile payment method in Switzerland. It allows users to connect their bank account (Post-Finance, UBS, Migrobank and many more) with the TWINT app to make secure payments. Additionally, it is very easy to send money to your friends or loved ones, to pay bills and so on.

More

Join the conversation in our comments section below. Share your own views and experience and if you have a question or suggestion for our journalists then email us at [email protected].
Please keep comments civil, constructive and on topic – and make sure to read our terms of use before getting involved.

Please log in to leave a comment.

See Also