Looking to stay in both Colmar and Strausberg in France and Cologne Germany in early December ‘26 for Christmas markets. Looking for lodging suggestions close to city center for 2- 3 couples. Will be traveling by train.
Posted by
Belgium
238 posts
There is no Strausberg in France.
You are probably pointing at Straßburg (German), Strasbourg (French) or Strosburi ( Elzasser German)
;-)
Posted by
Mid-Atlantic area
8217 posts
There are a number of hotels by the Strasbourg train station. One that we stayed at years ago is ibis Strasbourg Centre Gare, but there are others. The walk to the historic center is about 10 minutes.
In Colmar we stayed at Colmar Hotel by the train station. While a mile from the historic center you can pick up the free Navette shuttle bus at the train station and its route goes past all the main areas of the town. Think of it as a free hop-on, hop-off bus. It is a small bus that can carry about 12 passengers.
Posted by
Minnesota🌲
11011 posts
Carl/Sandy, just keep in mind that lodging that time of year will be much more expensive than it usually is so be prepared for that. But it will be worth it. The Christmas markets are wonderful.
Also, if you have enough time, you might want to consider making a trip across the border to Gengenbach in Germany, which has a Christmas market and the world's largest advent calendar. You'll find it a nice break from the crowds in Colmar and Strasbourg and it's only a 40-minute trip by train from Strasbourg.
And don't worry about the typo with Strasbourg. Believe me, everyone here makes mistakes with spelling—we all knew which city you were talking about when you mentioned Colmar. 😊
Posted by
Canada
23 posts
We visited the lovely Christmas markets in Colmar and Strasbourg a few years ago and also travelled by train. In Colmar, we enjoyed staying at the Hotel Turenne. Although it was about a 15 minute walk from the train station (which is not a big deal to me but might be for some), it was just around the corner from the historic centre and we loved the walk in as it took us over canals and past the many beautifully lit buildings.
In Strasbourg, we stayed at the Hotel Tandem. It was across the square from the train station and an easy walk to the Cathedral and markets. A really nice place - the bathroom was lovely and huge and the breakfast (which I generally skip in favour of a croissant bought on the go) was incredible and well worth it.
Have a wonderful trip and for what it is worth, I wasn't a huge fan of the Rick recommended Eguisheim, but loved Turckheim and Kaysersberg, which we reached easily by public transport from Colmar.
Posted by
Alsenborn, Germany
2433 posts
Normally I just drive down to Strasbourg, but two years ago I spent three nights at Maison Rouge over Thanksgiving and it's perfectly located for the markets and an excellent hotel also. I've also stayed at the Aloft, which is outside the city center, and had a very good stay. It's an easy walk into the old town from there.
Posted by
Washington, DC
176 posts
We were just in Strasbourg in early December 2025 and stayed at Hotel Hannong, which was a lovely hotel only a short walk from Place Kleber and about 10 minutes from the train station. The hotel was so charming - we got a bottle of wine in the room when we checked in (not asked for, just given to us as a gift) and then at checkout they gave us a parting gift of a lovely Christmas tree candle.
We only visited Colmar and Cologne as day trips (we did Cologne from Frankfurt at the beginning of our trip) - we really liked Cologne and the Christmas markets there.