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Slow Travel in Alsace with a Baby: Is a Week in Strasbourg & Colmar too much or just right?

My wife and I are considering spending about a week (7–8 nights) split between Strasbourg and Colmar. In the past, our European trips have involved a lot of moving around and packing in destinations. This trip will be different: we’ll be traveling with an infant, and it will be our first European trip as parents. Because of that, we’re intentionally aiming for a slower, “live like a local” pace—settling into one region rather than hopping from place to place.

We briefly considered Bruges and Ghent in Brussles, but I keep coming back to the Alsace region. It really seems to offer the mix of beauty, culture, and manageable distances we’re looking for.

Our plan would be to fly into Frankfurt and take the train down. From what I’ve read, both Strasbourg and Colmar offer plenty of easy half-day trips, and we’re completely comfortable with a daily rhythm of breakfast, walking and exploring, heading back for a nap, and then going out again for dinner. We’ve traveled at a similar pace before (including Croatia while my wife was pregnant), so we know that style works well for us.

I’d love some input from those familiar with the region: is there enough to do in Alsace to comfortably fill a full week without feeling rushed or repetitive? We’re not looking to over-schedule, but we also don’t want to feel like we’ve “seen everything” in just a few days. Any thoughts or experiences would be greatly appreciated.

Posted by
1601 posts

I think you could easily just stay in Strasbourg and do a day trip to Colmar, no need to move. Other day trip options are Metz and Nancy in France and Freiburg im Breisgau in Germany. But I'm sure you'll plenty to see and do in Strasbourg for a week. Have a great trip.

Posted by
1732 posts

How do you plan to get around? Public transportation or rental car? When are you traveling?

I spent a week in Colmar in October 2022 without a car. I found enough to do I never even made it to Strasbourg. Besides the fairy tale villages, wineries and good restaurants, there is the castle Haut Konigsberg, WWII sites, day trip to Mulhouse, hiking and biking and more. Strasbourg is only a half hour away.

Posted by
1280 posts

We spent 5 nights in Strasbourg in 2024 and I think there is plenty to do. We were fairly active and there was much more we could have done with more time. With a baby 7-8 nights should be great.

Posted by
731 posts

Check train travel times from CDG as well as FRA. And the air fares, too. If you are only flying to Europe and spending 7 or 8 days in Alsace and not elsewhere, perhaps it’s easier and quicker to take the train from Paris’ airport rather than Frankfurt’s. Check schedules, don’t just look at the distances as they appear on a map.

We spent a couple of nights in Strasbourg and a couple of nights in Colmar in September. The two cities are different from one another and you could easily spend more time in each than we did and see more than we saw in those two locales. We also biked - which you cannot do with an infant - over the course of 2 nights and 3 days from Strasbourg to Colmar. The many picturesque small towns - and the castle at Haut Koenigsbourg - plus the vineyards and farmland and wineries make the region a feast for the eyes. There is both French and Alsatian food to enjoy. Our Trip Report, here

Whether you will enjoy one (or two) day-trips to villages and small towns around Colmar and between Strasbourg and Colmar best by bus, by guided tour or by rental car is not something I can answer for you. With a baby in tow, I’d probably rent a car for a day or two. Otherwise, I would just enjoy Colmar and Strasbourg, their churches, museums, stores, restaurants and riverfronts on foot.

LATE NOTE - Unlike G3rryCee, I think Colmar deserves more than a day. We certainly could have taken in more than we did there - and we had parts of three days in Colmar.

Posted by
2875 posts

DC_Dave,
Be sure to confirm the availability of a car seat if you rent a car. If you are bringing a baby carrier or stroller set-up that converts to a car seat make sure it will be compatible with any car you rent.