we will be visiting Alsace for July 5th and July 6th... How expensive in Alsace? How much does it cost to visit the highlight places?
How much should we prepare for food, if we are true foodies?
Any unexpected expense I should be thinking about in visting Alsace?
Thanks!
hannah
In my experience, the Alsace region is about as expensive as anywhere else in France. Which "highlight places" are you referring to? In terms of food, there are a lot of variations so it's difficult to make an accurate estimate. A lot will depend on what type of restaurants you choose.
Alsace cuisine is very different from the rest of France. The influence is more German than French.
See here: http://www.blueskytraveler.com/foods-alsace-region-france/
In my experience, the Alsace region is about as expensive as anywhere else in France.
That's precisely what I was going to say.
Any unexpected expense I should be thinking about in visting Alsace?
The wines are fantastic, but can be pricey if you buy a lot of Grand Cru vineyard wines or Vendage Tardive (late harvest) wines.
Check lodging rates in Colmar as well as in Strasbourg. I suspect that Strasbourg may be quite a bit more expensive.
I paid 11 euros for admission to the Unterlinden Museum in Colmar last year, but that may have been a senior rate.
A key factor affecting costs of a short visit like yours to Alsace is how you're going to get there. If you're taking the train from Paris, you can save a great deal of money by buying the ticket really early (accepting that it will be non-refundable and non-changeable). Otherwise, a round-trip TGV ticket from Paris will be painfully costly.
Thank you Chris and Robert! Very helpful tips!
I don't think I paid exorbitantly for anything in Alsace. I was there in May (so likely much cheaper lodging than July) and never paid much over 50 euro for a room. Meals were average price. Breakfast depends on what you have - I'd guess under five euros for a coffee and pastry up to a little over ten for a bigger breakfast. Lunch for me is usually a sandwich from a bakery, deli or small grocery store and a soda, probably just over 5 euros. Plan for ten if you want more than that or 15-20 if you want to try the fixed price menu at a cafe. For dinner, I looked for fixed price menus posted in front of restaurants. I probably spent from a low of 20 to a high of 30, including everything, each time. If you want wine, check the grocery store. Gewurztraminer is the best wine there (IMHO) and a nice bottle can be had in the 6 euro range (ask for a recommendation). The white wines there are typically drier than what you find here in the U.S.
My only highlight visit was the Castle Haut Koenigsbourg. I can't remember the price, maybe ten euros or a little more? There is a "Monkey Mountain" near the castle but I skipped it because I've seen the Barbary apes at Gibraltar. I missed the Unterlinden museum I wanted to see in Colmar. I planned Tuesday, thinking it would be closed on Monday, but it was closed. I could have gone on Monday but didn't think of it until Tuesday. Not the first, or last, bonehead error I've made in my travels.
Brad - your info is exactly what I have been looking for. Thank you so much for taking your time to share with me! Very very helpful Did you like the castle? Do you think it is worth it? THank you!
Hannah
I've been to Alsace twice, outside of day trips, in 1997 and then a repeat visit in 1999, both times for three nights in the summer. I stayed in the train station area or pretty close to it in a two star hotel, which was cheaper for something comparable than in Paris.
I like visiting Alsace-Lorraine, very interesting culturally and historically, esp if you know the history prior to WW2. Food, of course, is great.
Thanks to the Germanic (and Dutch/Belgian) proximity, Alsace and Lorraine are more likely to have beer-drinking establishments -- pubs. But getting away from the big cities does not guarantee cheaper prices. The selection may be smaller, and lack of competition can keep prices up.
We were fascinated by Haut-Koenigsburg castle. It's very different than anything else we've seen and the tour guide did an excellent job explaining the significance of its location. We stayed in Colmar and didn't feel that anything was overpriced. There were some standard Germanic food restaurants clustered around the square that were very popular, but they also have a nice food hall in town and others quite enjoyed their meals at restaurants by the canal. One of our favorite restaurants in Colmar was Le3 and we made several trips to the gelato shop, La Sorbetiere d'Isabelle.
Note: if food and restaurants matter, make reservations. Colmar is a very popular vacation site and if you want to eat outside, reservations are a must.
