Help Deciding on Alsace hotel base

Do not worry about the cruises: they are river cruises, so much smaller than ocean-going cruises.
Colmar is a very good base. Strasbourg, less so, because it is larger and driving can be a hassle. However, coming from Paris, it could make sense to pick up your rental car in Strasbourg and drive to Colmar as you will have more rental options in Strasbourg.
And on the day you decide to visit Strasbourg, take the train rather than drive.

and if you don't take Balso's advice, "And on the day you decide to visit Strasbourg, take the train rather than drive", at least park in the park and ride and take the tram into the centre.

But, really, take Balso's advice.

Oh that's a relief on the cruise ships. Also, great tips on the rental car and parking in Strasbourg if needed! Thank you so much Balso & Nigel.

I don't think you mentioned the time of year?
Also, alway check in advance for posted French labor strikes that could impact the trains.
Safe travels!

Thanks Pat- Good tip on checking for strikes. I forgot to mention dates. I'm glad you asked because I would appreciate input on that too. I am debating btw May, June or Sept of 2022. We're planning to visit several areas over a 3 week period. Paris (3 days), Alsace (5), Dijon (3), Lyon (3), Provence (5), Nice (3). The plan can be reversed if needed. Leaning towards May (hopefully less rain than April) & less busy. I know there are quite a few holidays in May but hopefully that won't impact us too much. Or should we consider June instead? Sept I heard can be hot and rainy at least in the Alsace area and grape harvest time w/impacts wine tasting. Would appreciate input on that as well.

We spent three weeks in Alsace during one September, delving into parts of the Black Forest as well. Historically, Alsace has one of the driest climates in France. We had great weather. It might have spat rain two or three days, and the only heavy rain we encountered was for about three hours, which we spent in the car on the Black Forest highway: it was a great rain, followed by a lovely mist.

If driving I'd base in one of the villages (we stayed in Riquewihr and used the Boeklin park and ride when visiting Strasbourg). Without a car Colmar is a good base. Train to Strasbourg. I believe the same bus line connects Colmar to Riquewihr, Ribeauville and Bergheim. Kaysersberg and Eguisheim can be reached by bus, in opposite directions from Colmar. Timewise, it might be a stretch to get to Haut Koenigsbourg (a great visit) and Dambach.

I liked Dambach and really liked Bergheim. If shops or window shopping are important to you, neither has many shops. Bergheim has a few good restaurants. If you enjoy hiking there is a nice hike from Riquewihr to Ribeauville, via the tiny and pretty village of Hunawihr. From Riquewihr there are two routes to Kaysersberg, through the vineyards or up through the forest.

I recommend the Unterlinden museum in Colmar. When we visited there was only a temporary display in one of the churches: that alone was worth it, and the church itself was right up my alley.

Thanks Gunderson. Sounds like weather in Sept wont' be an issue but will flowers still be in full bloom by then? We plan to have a car when in Alsace to give us the flexibility we need to visit all the towns. Is Riquewhir or Rebeauville a better home base then over Colmar?
I'm an avid hiker, but people I'm with not so much but thanks for that tip. I'll note it for a possible future trip. I've read the Unterliden museum in Colmar is pretty awesome. Plan to see that.
PS: I grew up in Windsor, Ontario. Been to Niagara several times. Nice area, great wines too! Thanks again.

Back in December 2019 we based in Colmar for 5 nights and did day trips to Eguisheim, Kaysersberg, the Black Forest, and Basel. We made the right choice for us. While the smaller towns are great Colmar offers a little more - especially if you're staying 5 nights. We had no problems driving and I found an on street parking area less than 10 minutes walk from our lodging that was free. We only skirted Strasbourg so I can't compare to Colmar but would expect it to be a good base as well.

Thanks KBK. I will stick w my original plan to use Colmar as a base. I re-read Rick Steve's info on Colmar and he recommends it as a base as well and states it's very pretty. Really all of those towns look so pretty! Thanks for confirming for me. Can't wait to visit!

Raised in Windsor, eh? How did you manage to escape? Was it a balloon, a tunneling, or a friendly scrap with barbed wire? Just kidding.

The barrels and window boxes will be in full bloom in September. Mainly geraniums, and other types of flowers which are easy to grow and stay in colour until the first frost. We always rent a car and stay in apartments, in a small town or village, but that's just our preference. (We once stayed in a village with only one restaurant, and that turned out to be a great little one).

KBK mentions a good point regarding parking. Our apartment in Riquewihr was outside the walls and we had a private parking spot, so getting in and out was straightforward, though we actually took the bus to Colmar. There's nothing wrong with staying in Colmar, especially if you have easy access to parking. The core of Colmar and most of the villages may have restricted roads and laneways, with parking lots situated on the outskirts. Check with the hotel you are considering. Also, bear in mind that local authorities use speed cameras on the side roads.

I like your sense of humor Gunderson! Good to know things will still be pretty w flowers in Sept so that is still an option if May doesn't work for the other couple. We're retired and they are are not. Good tip to inquire on parking. I had read that France is strict w/their speed limits. Thanks again for the great tips and info. Very much appreciated.

I was going to say, no, Ribeauville is not to small; or recommend Ribeauville, Riquewihr, or Kaysersberg. But it sounds like you're settled on Colmar. I also was going to chime in that driving in Strasbourg can be horrendous. I had one of my worst urban driving/parking experiences there. Colmar wasn't nearly as bad.

Thanks Robert. Maybe I'll look at hotels in both Colmar and Ribeauville and see what looks best hotel and parking wise, knowing both are good options as a base. With the info shared we will probably just train to Strasbourg or drive and park in the Boeklin park & ride. Is that easy enough to access? Train access is one thing to consider about Colmar, which Ribeauville to my knowledge does not have (although they do have the bus). Are the buses timely and do they run pretty frequently to/from?

That reminds me of something else I meant to ask. We plan rent a car in one location and drop off in another (Nice to/from Colmar). I understand there will be added fees for that but do most of the rental car agencies allow that? I would think that is pretty common. Any advice on that? Thank you.

Renting a car in one location and dropping it off in another is usually not a problem-- within the same country. Big dropoff fees if you return the car in another country. We rented in Strasbourg, drove through the Black Forest area of Germany, then returned to France and dropped the car off in Avignon -- easy, no extra fees. Just make sure the rental company you use can handle one-way rentals between your specific cities AND confirm no dropoff fee.

The buses are few and far between, and don't really lend themselves to touring around.

Thanks Laura for the info on rental car and Kim regarding buses. I was worried that might be the case we will definitely take a train to Strasbourg and use rental car rest of the time.
Everyone's input was much appreciated!

Are the buses timely and do they run pretty frequently to/from?

Yes, they're timely, but not frequent. On one of our trips to Alsace we spent a week in Riquewihr w/o a car. We walked a lot, and made use of the buses. But it took planning, and we had to pay attention to the time of the last bus of the day.