Hello! We will be staying in Colmar for 2 nights in the spring of 2014. We only have 1-1/2 days there total. We don't have a car, but would very much like to see at least one other lovely half-timbered town, and also the Haut Koenigsbourg Castle. I'm wondering if anyone knows if any buses (or other form of transportation) goes from Colmar to other nearby small towns and the castle. We will be there on a Saturday and part of Sunday. From what I've read so far, bus transportation in these smaller towns is sketchy. I did find half and whole day tours to some of the towns/castle so that would be a possibility as well. Thanks so much for any advice!
Posted by
London, United Kingdom
4684 posts
There is a map and timetables of bus routes in the Haut-Rhin departement which includes Colmar at http://www.cg68.fr/horaires-des-bus/horaires-des-bus.html. The page is only in French but the map and timetables should be fairly self-explanatory. (However, on the timetables, pay particular attention to the days buses run: L for Monday, Mar for Tuesday, Mer for Wednesday, J for Thursday, V for Friday, S for Saturday, D for Dimanche; and to the seasons: Annee means a journey runs all year round, Schol. in school term times only, Vac. in school holidays only, and Ete in summer.)
Haut-Koenigsbourg is over the border in the Bas-Rhin departement (rural buses in France are operated by the departement and very rarely cross departement borders, even if towns are close together in distance). According to this English-language page (http://www.haut-koenigsbourg.fr/en/information/haut-koenigsbourg-shuttle/) there is a bus from Selestat railway station to the castle which doesn't look overpriced and makes several journeys per day. All but the fastest trains from Colmar to Strasbourg will call at Selestat.
Posted by
OP
Eugene, Oregon, USA
5 posts
Thanks, Philip, that should help!
Posted by
Paris
10282 posts
I think your chances of finding suitable bus transport might be pretty low, unfortunately, especially given the weekend, and especially given
Sunday. I think most of these buses are for commuters/students going in and coming out at the beginning and end of the work/school day. When we went, I tried to think how to do it on public transport but ended up renting a car as it just wasn't feasible otherwise.
Posted by
Green Bay
21217 posts
To visit Haut Koenigsbourg from Colmar, check the website for the bus schedule at the website.
http://www.haut-koenigsbourg.fr/en/information/haut-koenigsbourg-shuttle/
It runs from Selestat train station, weekends Mar 15 to December 29, and daily June 15 to September 15 (more or less). There are trains from Colmar to Selestat about every half hour throughout the day. It only takes about 15 to 25 minutes.
Turckheim can be reached by hourly trains (10 minute ride) and Kaysersberg and other towns by frequent buses from Colmar station.