Expat in Basel – Life In Basel

Hi Everyone!

I hope you’re enjoying the site so far and have found some of the information handy! I’ve been getting a lot of emails and questions asking more specific questions. I was talking to a friend and he mentioned that people aren’t necessarily online all the time, and that I should create something that people can use both when they’re connected or offline.

After some thought and research, I decided that I could do this best using an e-book format. So I wrote a book all about moving to Basel! I researched for ages, wrote a lot of new material, reorganized the articles already on the site and created an information packed document to be a comprehensive, stand-alone resource that you can own and use both online and offline.

The Moving to Basel eBook has brand new chapters not available on the Life in Basel website:

Getting Around Basel

Riding Your Bicycle in Basel – Not as simple as it sounds and you can get fined and your car license revoked if you do it wrong!!
Driving in Basel – What you need to do to drive in Basel and where you can find drivers training..
Being a Pedestrian in Basel – It sounds simple but in Basel there are rules!

Day-to-Day Living in Basel

Grocery Shopping in Basel – Shops, loyalty cards and for those to busy to shop, grocery delivery services in Basel!
Shopping in Basel and Across the Border – Shopping centers and how to get your taxes back if you shop in Germany or France!
Practicing your Religion in Basel – Places of worship and religious organizations in the city for all faiths.

Culture in Basel

Museums in Basel – Basel has more museums than you can imagine; this is a guide to most of the local ones…
Live Music in Basel – There are so many different live music venues in Basel, you need help to find what you like!
Theater and Dance Performances in Basel – Where can you see plays, musicals and other performances? Loads of places…

Fun in Basel

Dining out in Basel – An extensive guide to over 45 Basel restaurants for anything you’re in the mood for, whether its a casual meal or something really special…
Drinks in Basel – Feeling thirsty? The places in Basel with the best cocktails, wines and beers!
Cool Things to do in Basel – In the spring, summer, fall and winter…

Sports in Basel

Playing Sports in Basel – Gyms, sports clubs and equipment for the athletic types
Watching Sports in Basel – Where to see live or televised sporting events in the city

Pets in Basel

Bringing your Pets to Basel – What you need to know about vaccinations, microchips and registration if you plan to bring a pet…
Flying your Animals to Basel – Transport regulations for cages and shipping your animals.
Owning a Dog in Basel – Owning a dog in Basel might be more complicated than in your home country! This is what you need to know!

Bad things in Basel

Crime in Basel – Basel isn’t a perfect place. You need to be careful of crimes and might want to avoid some places…
Drugs in Basel – Basel has it’s share of junkies, and drug users; this will tell you about how to navigate the city safely.
Other Negative Aspects of Basel – Discrimination, prostitution, incessant construction are all discussed in this section.

Work and School

Companies in Basel and the surrounding area – Links to company websites in the banking, pharma, medical, fashion and other industries.
Paycheck Deductions – Think you know your monthly salary? See where your money goes to, and what this is for…
Going to University in Basel – Basel has an excellent university. This section gives an overview of the different programs available.
Masters and Doctoral Degrees at UniBasel – Looking for an advanced degree? This is what Basel has to offer!

Each new topic is covered in as much detail as on the website. I’ve also included a short English to Swiss German phrase book to help get you started on you Swiss-German!

I really want you to try the book, so to encourage you, I’m offering a 60-day money back guarantee! Buy it, try it, and if you’re not entirely satisfied, I’ll refund your money. Just like that. The book is only 11.99 USD to start with so your risk is minimal.

It’s also got all the content from the website, so you can refer to it, even when you don’t have access to the internet. Keep a copy on your tablet or smartphone so you have it at your fingertips whenever you need it.

Getting a Job in Basel
Registering with the Canton
Health Insurance
Getting Sick in Basel
Finding an Apartment in Basel
Furnishing your Basel Apartment
Setting up internet, TV and telephone
Sending your Children to School in Basel
Using the Trams in Basel
Setting up a Bank Account
Taxes in Basel
Garbage and Recycling in Basel
Keeping in Touch with Home
Being Single in Basel
Going to the Movies in Basel

For those of you who have been enjoying the Life in Basel site, I hope the website has been helpful for you! Please try the eBook; your purchase will also help to support further new posts on the site, in the future. I’ll also put you on my list for when I update the book and it’s links in future editions, so you’re always up to date! And if you don’t think it’s worth it, you can return it for a full refund.

For those of you who have just stumbled across this page while trying to get their questions on Moving to Basel answered, surf around the site and see if you like the information provided on the website, and the format its in. If you think its useful and informative, then try the book. I think you’ll be pleased! If you buy it and don’t like it, I’ll refund your money. The alternative is to spend hours and hours searching for the info across the web, and try to sort out what is correct! Is 11.99 USD worth saving many, many hours of frustration?

11.99USD

Thank you for all your support! If you have questions, or ideas for future posts, contact me at admin(at)lifeinbasel.com!

Enjoy your life in Basel!

One of the things I’ve been looking forward to is having some guest posts from people who can provide insights into things that I have no knowledge about.

I was going to put a request for people to write on some specific topics for Life in Basel, but then a funny thing happened…some people approached me with great ideas for posts for the site!

One of these people was Caroline, who had a website called Expat in Basel. Caroline and I decided to trade posts, where I’d write on my experiences in Basel when I first arrived, and how I feel about the city now.

As Caroline grew up in Basel, I was interested in how the locals view us, the Expat community living in Basel…below you’ll find her thoughts on connecting and interacting with the Swiss community:

Hi! My name is Caroline and I run the website Expat in Basel. I was born in France (just at the border in St.Louis) but I did grow up in Basel and area and I do have a dual citizenship, so I’m almost a Basel native.

LifeinBasel.com, asked me to write about how the Swiss locals perceive expats, and what the expat community can do to integrate and be accepted.

Tell stories and be friendly

Your big plus as an Expat living in Basel is you’ll always be interesting for the locals. They are very keen to hear about your home, travels and all your adventures. Most locals, who don’t come around much, are seeking opportunities to speak English, learn more about the rest of the world and interact with foreigners.

Talk to the locals

All you need to do is get out of your comfort zone and try the unknown (I know, you already did that by moving here). What I mean is find places to go and meet new people that are from the Basel area.

Try out your German skills

And if by any chance you do feel comfortable testing out your German, do it, (even better if you want to try Basel Swiss of course!) and you’ll see how thrilled your counterpart will be in hearing that you actually try. We know German is a hard language to learn which is why you’ll always be received with a smile if you try. And if it makes you feel any better: I don’t know any Swiss person who actually speaks proper German. We’re just unable to do so and our accent is the worst you’ll ever hear when we try to speak German. So don’t worry about your pronunciation or accent!

Swiss German might come to you naturally, after a while, but nobody is expecting you to either understand, let alone speak it. I have a friend; she’s an Aussie and lived here for many years, married with children. She’s fluent in a mixture of German/Swiss German and that didn’t come over night. So take it easy and don’t be too harsh on yourself. Give it a try, even if it sounds wrong to you, it will sound more charming than you can possibly imagine to the person you’re speaking to. You would never laugh at anyone trying to speak your language, why should the Swiss do such thing to you?

Bars: Where locals and expats can connect

Photo of Paddy's in Basel, Switzerland — Paddy’s in Basel has a great mix of locals and expats, delicious food, and tasty drinks!

If you have children, go visit the Unternehmen Mitte they do have children’s afternoons on most Wednesdays (check their website or stop by to see the program on the posters) that’s a great spot to meet local Moms and maybe get a chance to not only meet new people but practice a bit of German. And if you want to really integrate into the local community, put your kid in a public instead of an international school. If you don’t have kids but would like to mingle with the locals, as silly as it sounds, I’d recommend Paddy Reilly’s . There are tons of locals who just love their Guinness. They are more than happy to speak English and maybe over a pint or two, you’ll find your way to hang with the local crowd and make new friends.

Learn to cook

And if you like to cook go visit Savoir Faire’s website every once in a while. They organize cooking classes for Expats and locals. The past ones have been a great success and some nice friendships have been made there.

In general, as long as the Basel native can see you’re actually trying to reach out and that you are no alien they’ll be bombarding you with loads of questions. Don’t be offended about any prejudice they might have. They most probably assume you’re a millionaire and don’t do anything yourself but swim in your cash and enjoy life. And that opinion is only sticking around because of some huge Pharma firms that have CEOs making loads of money and claiming to only find good staff outside of Switzerland.

It’s like everywhere else in the world: you always need to get to know people before you can become friends. The Swiss are no different at all. They might just be a bit shy at first.

And if you do have any questions on Basel or the people, don’t ever hesitate to drop me a line at info@expatinbasel.com

Enjoy Basel! Enjoy Switzerland and all it has to offer!
Caroline

Thanks, Caroline!! Feel free to leave comments for Caroline below; we’ll make sure she gets them. And if anyone has something that they think would be of interest for the site (i.e. for people who are thinking of moving to Basel, Switzerland or for those who have newly arrived), please don’t hesitate to get in touch: admin@lifeinbasel.com! If we think your idea is a good one and you are a good writer, we can talk about you writing a post for Life in Basel!

The Moving to Basel eBook – A New Resource for People Moving to or Living in Basel