Basel in November !

[Tissy]

I have to go to a conference in Basel from 14th - 16th November this year. It's usually cheaper to fly if you stay a Saurday night, and was toying with the idea of travelling out a day earlier.

I was wondering what the shopping was like!!

I'm expecting Switzerland to be expensive, but do they have anything (apart from Cuckoo clocks and chocolate) that would be worth going for?
Do they have a Christmas market, and would it be going in mid November anyway? Do they have Sunday shopping, as travelling on Saturday wouldn't leave much time for shoping unless the shops stay open very late!!

TIA

Tissy

I was in Basel last week, how wierd. It is really lovely, one of my 'could live here' places. Lots of shops, very smart and lots of very old buildings but not too large. We thought it was going to be hugely expensive (only went for teh day) but it was cheaper than, or at least the same as, France! That's mostly because France and England are now expensive countries I guess.

To answer your questions though - don't know about Christmas market but would think so but don't know when it would start. Don't know about Sunday shopping either. So not much use to you I'm afraid.

But is's still lovely

We live in near Zurich, although have only visited Basel a couple of times. The shopping isn't bad but the weather in November could be pretty bleak - damp and misty. Do bear in mind that shops tend to close early on a Saturday (4pm) and they don't open on Sundays although you do get the occasional Sunday opening in the weeks pre Christmas. I'd have to check out whether there would be a Christmas market running then but there are guided walks, museums and of course the Rhine to occupy you for a short stay.

Can't really advise on bargains as living here we tend to lose sight of the relative costs but just to say most people I know find Germany cheaper and we have also in the past found France as expensive as Switzerland but it really depends what you are buying.