Basel to London - easiest route?

[Islineclear3_1]

Myself and a family of 4 need to travel from Basel to London in June. One of our passengers is very elderly

Any tips on hassle-free mode of transport, e.g. is it easier to fly (providing it is direct) or do TGV to Gare de Lyon and Eurostar from Gare de Nord to London? Given the fact our elderly passenger can't walk far, we're happy to get a taxi between the two stations

Just looking at options/ticket prices etc

 

[cactustwirly]

Myself and a family of 4 need to travel from Basel to London in June. One of our passengers is very elderly

Any tips on hassle-free mode of transport, e.g. is it easier to fly (providing it is direct) or do TGV to Gare de Lyon and Eurostar from Gare de Nord to London? Given the fact our elderly passenger can't walk far, we're happy to get a taxi between the two stations

Just looking at options/ticket prices etc

If you want to avoid the change in Paris, then I'd suggest ICE to Brussels, changing at Frankfurt, for Eurostar to London from there.
Brussels and Frankfurt are easy stations to change at, and is probably better than getting the Metro across Paris.

 

[Mag_seven]

Basel to London is extremely civilised by rail as there is a two hourly TGV from Basel to Paris Gare de Lyon. As you note you will need a taxi from Gare de Lyon to Gare de Nord for your elderly passenger.

 

[Adlington]

Check easyjet's flights Basel - Gatwick. Some £30 (£50 Saturdays). Probably hand luggage only at these prices.

 

[30907]

I would make sure you book assistance whichever route you choose - in particular, Gare du Nord Eurostar is reportedly horrendously crowded, and being looked after might help.

If you go for the Brussels route, Frankfurt Flughafen is the easiest place to change at as it's only 4 platforms or so.

On the other hand, I would treat the group to the "old" route via the Rhine Valley which normally means a change at Mannheim (there is EC8, a through train formed of Swiss stock and with restaurant and panorama cars, but it leaves at 12.20 and would only get you to London around 21.30).

 

[Please Explain]

My personal recommendation would be to take the TER200 at 13h21 from Bâle SNCF, arriving into Strasbourg: 14h39 and changing onto the TGV to Brussel, departing: 14h59, arriving at Lille Europe: 17h57 . This is a safe connection as these are the official "replacement" services for the twice daily direct Basel-Brussel EuroCity connections; EC 90 Vauban at 13h21 and EC 96 Iris at 16h21 respectively, which were sadly permanently cancelled in 2016..
From Lille you have a direct ES to London at 18h35, arriving into Saint Pancras: 19h10 local.
Indeed, this is probably the fastest connection at only 6h49m, less than seven hours end-to-end journey time with the help on the new LGV Est Européenne:

Bâle SNCF voie 31: 13h21 (TER 96282)
Strasbourg: 14h39
-
Strasbourg: 14h59 (TGV 9894)
Lille Europe: 17h57
-
Lille Europe: 18h35 (ES 9153)
London St. Pancras International: 19h10

You can sit in the voiture-pilot on the TER200 -(located at the rear of the train, where the guard is located and is wheelchair accessable), its usually a cross-platform change from this train to the TGV at Strasbourg, but there are lifts located on all platforms should the TGV depart from another, you can make an assistance booking with SNCF anyway as others have suggested above. If you want a relaxing, stress-free journey avoiding Paris then this is the way to go.

In the opposite direction (EC 97), the Iris made London-Basel possible in a day with just one easy change at Brussel Zuid, and was a most enjoyable run through Wallonia, Luxembourg and Lorraine until the train was deleted in April 2016, months before this "replacement" service even started..
Progress...

EDIT: -(it slipped my mind that England is one hour behind and with the time difference it is actually six hours, forty-nine minutes and not five... Dèsolé! )

 

[paddington]

Check easyjet's flights Basel - Gatwick. Some £30 (£50 Saturdays). Probably hand luggage only at these prices.

Where in London do you wish to end up? BA can have cheap flights from BSL to LHR as low as 40 CHF. The BA sale ends around the end of the month.

As there are 5 of you even if you aren't completely hand baggage only, not everyone needs to purchase a fare that allows hold baggage.

If wanting to end up in west London or Paddington, flying to LHR may be easier than arriving into St Pancras, somewhere more central then St Pancras may be best.

 

[30907]

My personal recommendation would be to take the TER200 at 13h21 from Bâle SNCF, arriving into Strasbourg: 14h39 and changing onto the TGV to Brussel, departing: 14h59, arriving at Lille Europe: 17h57 . This is a safe connection as these are the official "replacement" services for the twice daily direct Basel-Brussel EuroCity connections; EC 90 Vauban at 13h21 and EC 96 Iris at 16h21 respectively, which were sadly permanently cancelled in 2016..
From Lille you have a direct ES to London at 18h35, arriving into Saint Pancras: 19h10 local.
Indeed, this is probably the fastest connection at only 6h49m, less than seven hours end-to-end journey time with the help on the new LGV Est Européenne:

Bâle SNCF voie 31: 13h21 (TER 96282)
Strasbourg: 14h39
-
Strasbourg: 14h59 (TGV 9894)
Lille Europe: 17h57
-
Lille Europe: 18h35 (ES 9153)
London St. Pancras International: 19h10

You can sit in the voiture-pilot on the TER200 -(located at the rear of the train, where the guard is located and is wheelchair accessable), its usually a cross-platform change from this train to the TGV at Strasbourg, but there are lifts located on all platforms should the TGV depart from another, you can make an assistance booking with SNCF anyway as others have suggested above. If you want a relaxing, stress-free journey avoiding Paris then this is the way to go.

In the opposite direction (EC 97), the Iris made London-Basel possible in a day with just one easy change at Brussel Zuid, and was a most enjoyable run through Wallonia, Luxembourg and Lorraine until the train was deleted in April 2016, months before this "replacement" service even started..
Progress...

EDIT: -(it slipped my mind that England is one hour behind and with the time difference it is actually six hours, forty-nine minutes and not five... Dèsolé! )

Good one. And Basel to Strasbourg is hourly, so you could always go earlier and get some lunch there instead of on the TGV.

 

[Gerald Fiennes]

I have done this trip a few dozen times over the past five years. In all honestly, depending on how elderly your party member is I would go by plane to LGW (Easyjet) or LHR (BA).

This is really because the rail interchanges in France all have drawbacks and, should things go wrong (strikes, breakdowns, security alerts, it all happens on this route!) it's really a challenge to get help or know what to do next. I know that ES has a 'hop the next train service' but not that many SNCF conductors are fully bought into the concept (although they have normally been quite helpful at explaining one has few options other than sit it out and hope... ) and the ES team at Gare du Nord are not always all that helpful if you are delayed meaning that one needs to allow c. an extra contingency time for making the connection from either Gare de Lyon or Gare de l'Est. Yes, one could pay up and have an argument with ES customer service afterwards but, really, one is wanting to have a holiday not an email assault course. And ES times aren't that well integrated into the SNCF timetables so a wait of 90 minutes to 2 hours in Paris can sometimes be needed.

Further, Paris is always a little challenging and Gare du Nord still hard to use when ES is reasonably busy (ie most days other mid-weeks after 1800 or so). The checkin lines are long, the lounge full and despite it being upgraded twice since 1994 it never looks in as good a shape as the StP departure area.

Basel airport is very easy to use and both London area airports are well set up for persons of reduce mobility.

The least worst train option IMHO is the TER to Strasbourg (at c.1220 from memory); TGV from there to Lille Europe (2tpd); ES from there (at c. 1835). On this route, at least the interchange to ES is in the same station and I think the route from Strasbourg-Lille is quite interesting to travel along (the Saverne tunnel, rivers near Nancy, and the landscape of the Champagne-Ardenne region). If you have the time, the ICE via Koln is quite good although again is not immune from delays.

 

[Islineclear3_1]

Thanks for all your help guys. We might consider flying purely for the convenience and not having to worry about interchanges or our 88yr old confused elderly passenger wandering off and getting lost. And Gatwick would be easier for us so that we can get an onward train with GTR home.

But I just have a hunch with easyjet after hearing lots of horror stories. Just hope I am wrong and they have upped their game with respect to customer experience...

 

[Mag_seven]

But I just have a hunch with easyjet after hearing lots of horror stories. Just hope I am wrong and they have upped their game with respect to customer experience...

For what its worth I've never had any issues whenever I have flown with them.

 

[Islineclear3_1]

For what its worth I've never had any issues whenever I have flown with them.

That's good to know, thanks