I have read posts regarding the Alsace region and where to stay. Colmar seems like a good base for about 3 days due to the transportation options, however I have seen recommendations to stay in smaller villages such as Enguisheim. Would we be able to explore other villages in the area without a car if we stayed in Enguisheim? The thought of a small village is attractive, however I wonder if we would be limited without a car. Also, is it big enough to have a variety of restuarants, etc? Our trip will be this Oct-Nov.
Posted by
Paris
7300 posts
Without a car, I believe Colmar is a safer bet, because if you want to go from Eguisheim to, say, Riquewihr, you have to go through Colmar.
And the post-harvest, pre-Christmas market season is a quiet one so that's perhaps another reason to stay in a larger town.
If you do really want a village, Barr and Obernai have train stations and are convenient for day trip to Colmar and Strasbourg.
Posted by
San Francisco
14976 posts
I vote for Obernai, a lovely town. Thanks to the Mrs , we visited this lovely serene town as a day trip from Strasbourg, Very Alsacien , bi-lingual, intriguing.
Posted by
262 posts
Barr is pretty nice too
Posted by
Mid-Atlantic area
7148 posts
For a base to visit other villages and towns, I agree with Balso that Colmar has good bus options. We spent 4 nights in Colmar at a hotel by the train station. It had free parking and we had a car.
We stayed two nights in Eguisheim in May. It is small. The shops closed fairly early and the restaurants opened at varying times. There weren’t that many either. One night, two restaurants had been booked by groups so options were limited.
We liked Obernai that is closer to Strasbourg than Colmar and it’s much smaller than Colmar. Barr was ok to walk around for about an hour, but there’s not much there.
Posted by
Niagara, Ontario
1677 posts
I don't know the frequency of the schedules but the more famous wine villages can all be reached easily by bus from Colmar: Riquewihr, Kaysersberg, Ribeauville, Eguisheim (the latter about an hour's hike). Bergheim, at the tail end of the same bus route as Ribeauville, is a little gem. Basel, Strasbourg and Selestat can all be reached quickly by train.
Obernai is a good town to visit but is only really practical for the Strasbourg area and maybe Barr. The Obernai train station is not on the direct route from Colmar to Strasbourg.
Posted by
OP
37 posts
Thank you all so much for your replies...they are very helpful. I hadn't heard about some of these towns and was inspired to look into them. I am realizing we will need to save some for another trip! There is no experience like those who have been there! I hope to be of help to others after our trip :).