It’s something Swiss fans of Europa-Park have been crying out for: from May 2024, Swiss Federal Railways (SBB) will start to run a special rail service direct from Switzerland to the German theme park and back. The RailCoaster train and public transport ticket will also include entry to the iconic park.
For most living in Switzerland, getting to Europa-Park is an exercise in patience. Up until now, day trips to the theme park meant bracing yourself for either a 7am three-and-a-half hour bus journey from Zurich, a trundling two-and-a-half hour train ride from Basel or a drive of at least an hour.
Now, SBB has confirmed that adrenaline junkies from across the alpine nation will be able to avoid the early-morning buses and traffic jams by taking a new direct train service to Europa-Park and the Rutlantica water park. “The gate to Europa-Park is now located in Switzerland directly in the Basel SBB train station,” the company wrote.
From May 18, 2024, the special “RailCoaster” service will run every weekend and during public holidays in Switzerland. The train to the park will leave Basel SBB at 7.33am, arriving at Ringsheim / Europa-Park at 8.50am. Passengers will then be taken by a dedicated shuttle bus to Rutlantica and the main entrance of Europa-Park.
The return shuttle buses from Europa-Park and Rutlantica will then depart at 6.30pm, just in time for the direct return train that leaves Ringsheim at 6.57pm and arrives back at Basel SBB at 8.27pm. In all, the train and shuttle service is around an hour quicker in each direction than most rail services between the park and Basel.
What’s more, the RailCoaster ticket includes an entry pass to the park itself. Second-class return RailCoaster tickets to Europa-Park will cost 89 francs per person, increasing to 99 francs for those wanting to travel in first class.
In the statement, SBB said the new service was an example of “environmentally friendly mobility” - the service will be run by SBB Germany, a cross-border rail provider that uses 100 percent green energy to power its trains. For more information about the service, check out the official website.
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