We are visiting our son who is on exchange southwest of Paris. We're maybe late in planning! Flying in to Paris on Dec. 19 and then are wanting to hit Strasbourg and a lot of Christmas markets in the area. Where should we be on Christmas? And how many days would you spend in Strasbourg / Colmar or anywhere nearby? We are open to whatever suggestions sound best. Thank you for your help!
Posted by
Costa Mesa, CA, USA
503 posts
I assume from your comments that you will be renting a car, yes? It's about 5 hours (or more depending upon the weather) from Paris to Strasbourg. For Christmas... well that all depends. Christmas in the Alsace would be lovely -but I would start researching ASAP for hotels that may have reservations for both lodging and restaurant. The other option in the area would be to rent an Airbnb and stock it yourself for Christmas Eve and Christmas day.
Paris of course is a definitely easier for Christmas - much more to choose from and at this late date, may be your best bet - especially if renting/cooking in an Airbnb is not preferable.
Posted by
Paris
10205 posts
It's much quicker to reach Strasbourg from Paris by train than by driving - but this of course depends on where your son is coming from. If you need a car in the area, you could rent it upon arrival in Strasbourg.
Alsace is indeed charming for Christmas time, but as mentioned above, booking may be difficult this late. Take a look and see what you can find!
Posted by
Paris
2466 posts
If you see an AirBnB apartment with a 13-digit registration number, you'd better grab it.
If you don't see one with a 13-digit registration number, it is illegal in Paris.
Posted by
London, United Kingdom
4684 posts
Christmas markets are a purely German phenomenon. They'll exist in Alsace but there won't be an authentic one in Paris.
Posted by
Basel, Switzerland
8889 posts
But one of the oldest and biggest Christmas markets IS in Strasbourg. Founded 1570 when it was a German city.
Official website: https://noel.strasbourg.eu/en/accueil
If you are planning to stay in Strasbourg, book your hotel ASAP as it gets busy.
Colmar also has a Christmas market, if smaller.
Depending on how long you have, you could also visit Freiburg im Breisgau or Basel, both are nice cities with Christmas markets.
The small towns along the Route de vins d'Alsace are pretty, but might be a bit bleak in December, and you would need a car.