Basel to Geneva is between two and a half and three hours by train once you have taken the shuttle so even by Ryanair standards not particularly fast. It is doable in a backpacker sort of way. The roads are also so so, having driven a few hire cars to and from duties there. A wide area around Zurich seems to be prone to jams and the speed limit and road fines make car progress leisurely, although the scenery is OK.