After years and years of living in Basel for next to nothing, I've noticed that my lifestyle is slowly changing. Perhaps I'm finally growing up, perhaps I've surrendered to capitalism, but I don't seem to be going to such great extremes to save a frankli these days. Before all of my hard-earned knowledge gets out of date, I thought I should put it all down in one place: a compendium of How to Survive in Basel on the Cheap.
Housing
In Basel, your biggest expense will probably be housing. Cutting down your housing costs will be crucial. Everyone will tell you that there is no cheap housing in Basel - don't listen. Cheap housing is out there, you just need to do some legwork to find it. You will most likely live in a shared flat, a WG, to cut down on costs. A "normal" studio will probably set you back 600-800 franks, and a "normal" WG room can be anywhere from 400-700 franks. However WG rooms for 200-400 franks are out there! The best go quickly and will certainly have a lot of applicants, so your brilliant social skills will help you to win over the current inhabitants.
The best places to find a cheap WG room:
www.wgzimmer.ch https://markt.unibas.ch/ (also look for part-time jobs here)
http://www.wove.ch/ (only for students and interns)
The very best spots are of course not advertised, but passed along via word of mouth. Once you hit the ground, talk to everyone you know, maybe put up a post in your work/school letting everyone know you are looking for a cheap flat.
Furniture
Bikes
Stuff
Once you've got your cheap digs, you'll need something to sit on. Maybe something with more character than some IKEA pressboard landfill. Take a look around - whatever you are looking for you will probably find waiting for you on the street. There is a special charge for throwing things out here, so you will find the most wonderful things with the magic words written on them: "Gratis zu Mitnehmen." You're doing someone a favor by hauling off their unwanted stuff, so haul away! You wouldn't believe the things that people throw away here. I've found solid wood nighttables/bookcases, lovely lamps, 19th century books, entire libraries, etc etc.
Other resources for stuff:
https://markt.unibas.ch/ (There is also a Gratis section)
Petersplatz fleamarket on Saturday mornings. Good for clothing, bikes, random things. Just make sure you don't get screwed over. Some people have their own privat insanity regarding the prices they are asking.
www.ricardo.ch or
www.ebay.ch Both auction sites, though ricardo is more used in Switzerland (which means you can sometimes find great deals on ebay.ch). You can search by postcode to find things in your area on ricardo.
At the Migros and Coop stores, there is a pinwall near the cashiers where people can post free advertisements. Sometimes you find interesting posts there.
www.anibis.ch
For furniture you might also try the many second-hand shops, the Bröckis. You can sometimes find something affordable, plus they can often deliver for you.
Food
is expensive here. You may become an economic vegetarian, if you aren't already. The best bet is to take your bike and go shopping in France or Germany.
Germany: Marktkauf at Weil am Rhein. Very cheap meat and dairy and alcohol.
France: Géant at St. Louis. Very cheap everything, good fish, and excellent cheese and wine, and Belgian beer(!).
Both shops are about 15 minutes from the center of Basel. Don't be lazy, go shop there.
In Basel, a great place for fresh vegetables is the Alima supermarket chain (Breisacherstrasse in Kleinbasel or Güterstrasse in Gundeli). It's the Turkish supermarket where the Turks shop, so you can imagine...
There are also farmer's markets which are quite reasonable on Saturdays in St. Louis (Fr.) and Lörrach (Ger.)
Going out/Getting your kicks
Going out is expensive! Most students end up going to private house parties - invitation only, so I can't help you there. There are some other options:
http://www.skuba.ch/dienstleistungen/skubar/ Skubar takes place Thursday nights in the basement of the University at Petersplatz. The beer is very cheap and the atmosphere loud and busy. They might ask for your student card on entry, but if you don't have one just come back in a few hours when the doorman has left.
http://rosenau.no-ip.org/events.html Basel's most infamous squat. Not for the faint of heart or Novartis types. Best enjoyed as an afterparty.
More genteel options:
The University Botanical gardens at Petersplatz are Freeeee all year round and are a great spot to stop in for a bit of peace and quiet during the day. Especially nice in the winter is the tropical house, where there are birds and a sauna-like atmosphere, even when it's freezing and awful outside.
The Münster, Martinskirche, Predigerkirche, and Karthäuserkirche are also nice places to hide. Ditto Tingueley fountain at Theaterplatz.
Here is an amazing and free concert series, every 2nd Sunday:
http://www.bachkantaten.ch/ Get there early for a good place!
Theater Basel also has some free events, mostly in the afternoons.
http://www.theater-basel.ch/spielplan/
If you're under 25, get the colourkey card which gives you free entrance to museums, sport, swimming pools, etc. Very good deal.
http://www.colour-key.ch/
Going to the movies is super expensive, but sometimes it must be done. Try to aim for Mondays which have reduced prices.
The best is still to take a beer and sit on the Rhein on a sunny day with some friends.
Good bars/Restaurants
Sometimes though, you'd like to go out for a drink or a celebratory meal. But Basel is so dead, it's tough to find a place with any atmosphere. Here are some good bets:
Fischerstube on Rheingasse in Kleinbasel: the famous brewery of Ueli beer. Always a crowd.
Zum roten Engel at Andreasplatz: A nice terrasse in a quiet courtyard. Chess/Checkers sets to borrow, with always someone around to play with. No music, but you'll be lucky to get a table on Friday or Saturday evenings.
Schluggstube at Rümelinsplatz. Wow, what a place. Requires yearly "membership", but wow, what a place. Stick your head in the door and see what I mean.
http://www.schluggstube.ch/
Pinar, Turkish restaurant close to Petersplatz. Good food, Ueli beer, simple atmosphere, never empty.
http://www.restaurant-pinar.ch/
Not so cheap, but still wonderful is the Vollmondbar at Rheinhafen. Only open at the full moon.
http://www.ostquai.ch/doku-vollmond/vollmond-index.php Travelling
Get the halbtax from SBB for 50% discounts on trains and trams. Get it as soon as you arrive. You will need it, even if you think you won't need it. If you are under 25, get the gleis7 as well, which gives you free train travel after 7pm.
http://www.gleis7.ch/home/
For travelling around Europe, some essential links:
Carpooling
http://www.mitfahrgelegenheit.de/ http://www.mitfahrzentrale.de/
Bus
http://www.eurolines.com/
Train
look at Sparbillete at the SBB website
under-25? Get the Carte 12-25 if you plan to be taking any trips in France. You can also buy this card on the very last day before you are 26.
http://www.12-25-sncf.com/accueil/ Insurance www.comparis.ch is a great site for comparing all kinds of insurance plans. Make sure that you get health insurance as soon as you arrive or you will need to pay back all the months since your arrival in Switzerland.
If you don't make as much as the typical Swiss person, you will likely be eligible for very large reductions in your health insurance bills. It's definitely worth looking into. Really.
http://www.sozialhilfe.bs.ch/unseran...iellehilfe.htm Telephone
You will need a mobile telephone. Might as well get one that is cheap. The prepaid plans often work out to be quite cheap and easy for people who don't do much telephoning and don't want the hassle of a contract. Just make sure you do your homework regarding costs of calls outside of Switzerland. Take a look at the M-Budget line from Migros.
Well, that should be enough to get you started. Good luck in Basel!
Linear Mode
