How do you get from Basel airport to Colmar, and back again?

Updated on October 7, 2026

In brief

EuroAirport Basel-Mulhouse-Freiburg (BSL/MLH) is about 60 km south of Colmar, about 40 minutes to 1 hour by road on the A35 motorway.
Distribus bus 11 (3 euros) and a TER train from Saint-Louis take about 1 hour in total from EuroAirport Basel-Mulhouse-Freiburg to Colmar station.
An FJ13 airport pick-up includes 30 minutes of waiting after the actual landing, for 1 to 7 passengers in one van.
EuroAirport Basel-Mulhouse-Freiburg recommends arriving at least 2 hours before departure, so leave a Colmar hotel about 3 hours before your flight.

Why book a private transfer between Basel airport and Colmar?

A private transfer between Basel airport and Colmar makes sense when you land late, travel with children or heavy bags, or are a group of four or more. EuroAirport Basel-Mulhouse-Freiburg has no train station, so public transport means a bus and then a train, with your luggage, in both directions.

This page covers both directions. Arriving, you want to get from baggage claim to your hotel in Colmar without bus tickets and platform changes. Leaving, you want to reach the terminal from Colmar with time for check-in, without a dawn walk to the station.

The honest summary: one or two people with light bags landing by day should take the bus and train, which cost a small fraction of any car and take only a little longer. A private van wins when the group is larger, the flight is late, or you would rather be met in the arrivals hall and driven door to door. FJ13 runs this transfer in vans only, for 1 to 7 passengers, and works from the French side of the terminal, so the price is in euros.

EuroAirport Basel-Mulhouse-Freiburg is one terminal on French soil, run jointly by France and Switzerland, with a French sector and a Swiss sector. That detail shapes every choice below.

What to know at Basel airport before the drive to Colmar

Arriving at EuroAirport Basel-Mulhouse-Freiburg for Colmar comes down to one rule: leave the baggage hall through the French exit. Every option to Colmar, including bus 11, FlixBus, French taxis, and your FJ13 driver, starts on the French side. Departing, you simply need to reach the French sector in time for check-in.

EuroAirport Basel-Mulhouse-Freiburg has a single terminal.
After baggage claim, the arrivals hall splits into a French exit and a Swiss exit, both clearly signed, and for Colmar you take the French exit.
FJ13 always works from the French side, so the price is in euros.
Your FJ13 driver waits in the French sector arrivals hall with a name sign, and you get a message with the meeting details before landing.
If the arrivals hall is not accessible, you meet your driver at an agreed point outside the terminal.
Your driver tracks your flight, so pick-up follows the actual landing time, with 30 minutes of waiting included for baggage and passport control.
Flights from outside the Schengen area, such as the UK, go through passport control, where non-EU travelers now register fingerprints and a photo under the EU Entry/Exit System.
For the return, leave your Colmar hotel about 3 hours before a Schengen flight, and earlier for non-Schengen or early-morning flights.

How do you get from Basel airport to Colmar, by road or by rail?

From EuroAirport Basel-Mulhouse-Freiburg, the road to Colmar is the A35 motorway north, past Mulhouse, for about 60 km. The drive takes about 40 minutes to 1 hour door to door. From the French side there is no border crossing: the airport access road joins the French motorway network directly, in both directions.

You leave the French sector, join the A35 near Saint-Louis, and follow it north to Mulhouse, where the A35 shares a stretch with the A36, the busiest part of the trip at rush hour. North of Mulhouse, the A35 runs straight up the Rhine plain, with the Vosges mountains on your left, to the southern exits for Colmar.

By public transport, Distribus bus 11 leaves the French sector forecourt for Saint-Louis station, about 10 to 15 minutes away, then TER Grand Est trains reach Colmar in about 35 to 40 minutes, mostly direct. A rail link to the terminal is planned, but EuroAirport Basel-Mulhouse-Freiburg does not expect it in service before 2034/35.

EuroAirport Basel-Mulhouse-Freiburg and Colmar: the honest alternatives
Option	Pros	Cons
Bus 11 and TER train	Cheapest, about 1 hour in total, trains about every 30 minutes	A change with luggage, thin connections late in the evening
FlixBus coach	Direct to Colmar station in about 45 minutes, low fares	Very few departures, check the timetable against your landing time
Rental car	Freedom for several days on the Alsace Wine Route	Limited parking near Colmar's old town, and you drive after a flight
Taxi	No booking needed on the French side	About 125 to 135 euros by day and 170 to 180 euros at night, per EuroAirport
FJ13 private van	Met in the arrivals hall, flight tracking, room for 7 passengers and luggage	Booked ahead, and more than one person with a backpack needs

If you walk out the Swiss exit by mistake, you are in Switzerland. BVB bus 50 runs to Basel SBB station, where TER trains to Colmar also leave.

When does timing matter between Basel airport and Colmar?

Timing matters most for late-evening landings, dawn departures from EuroAirport Basel-Mulhouse-Freiburg, and weekday rush hours around Mulhouse. Midday flights are the easiest in both directions: the A35 is clear, buses and trains run often, and the drive to or from Colmar stays close to 40 minutes.

Bus 11 runs until about midnight, but its last runs may not meet a train to Colmar: after about 22:00, book a car before you fly. For a dawn flight, check the first trains on SNCF Connect.

In December, the Colmar Christmas market fills hotels and streets, especially on weekends, so book early and expect slower traffic near the old town. A 20% surcharge applies to any FJ13 service between 21:00 and 06:00.

Basel airport to Colmar transfer with FJ13 private driver

FJ13 is a private transport company with driver, based in Entzheim, next to Strasbourg. For a Basel airport to Colmar transfer, your FJ13 driver meets you in the French sector arrivals hall of EuroAirport Basel-Mulhouse-Freiburg and drives you to your Colmar hotel, or picks you up there for your flight home.

The price is per van, not per person, and on quote only. Send your flight number, date, passengers, and luggage through the quote configurator, and FJ13 replies within 24 hours as standard. Included: private driver, van, tolls and parking, bottled water, flight tracking, and 30 minutes of waiting. Tips are not included. Baby seats and boosters are available on request; FJ13 has no wheelchair-accessible vehicle. Payment is by secure link at least 72 hours ahead, fully refundable up to 48 hours before.

Landing in the morning? With your bags in the van, the Colmar, Riquewihr and Haut-Koenigsbourg day tour or, in December, the Alsace Christmas markets private tour can start on arrival day and end at your Colmar hotel.

Frequently asked questions

How long before my flight should I leave Colmar for Basel airport?

Plan on about 3 hours. The drive from Colmar to EuroAirport Basel-Mulhouse-Freiburg takes 40 minutes to 1 hour, and EuroAirport recommends arriving at least 2 hours before departure. Leave earlier for non-Schengen flights and in December.

Will the driver wait if my flight into Basel airport is late and I am going to Colmar?

Yes. Your FJ13 driver tracks your flight, so the pick-up moves with the actual landing time, and the 30 minutes of included waiting start after that landing at EuroAirport Basel-Mulhouse-Freiburg.

Is there a direct bus from Basel airport to Colmar?

Yes, but rarely. FlixBus runs a direct coach from the French side of EuroAirport Basel-Mulhouse-Freiburg to Colmar station in about 45 minutes, with very few departures. The everyday option is bus 11 to Saint-Louis station, then a TER train to Colmar.

Do I go through passport control at Basel airport before heading to Colmar?

Only on a flight from outside the Schengen area, such as the UK, where non-EU travelers now register under the EU Entry/Exit System. From a Schengen country, you walk from baggage claim to the French exit and on to Colmar.

Can we stop in Eguisheim on the way from Basel airport to Colmar?

Yes, Eguisheim is just south of Colmar, close to the route. Ask for it in your quote request: the price depends on the duration of the service. See Eguisheim.