Strasbourg - Worth a 1 day stop? Or head to Colmar for 3 days?

To me, a day in Strasbourg is sufficient, but others think very differently. Conversely, while we thoroughly enjoyed Colmar, others think very differently. It’s all personal preference. We visited Strasbourg via train as a day trip from Colmar and spent another day visiting villages in the area. We did have a rental car.

I rank Strasbourg way above Colmar. If I were you, I would replace Colmar with the Wine Villages such as Riquewehr. Honestly, we were sorry we spent any time in Colmar as we much preferred the Wine Villages and Strasbourg.

This is a highly subjective question. My 2 cents:

We flew in to Strasbourg and spent an afternoon exploring, and wished we had had more time there. We took the train to Colmar and spent 3 nights there. I thought Strasbourg was lovely and not to be missed. I was less thrilled by Colmar - my wife loved it, but for me, there was just too much "Hello Kitty" in Colmar (crowded, inauthentic, touristy). We especially loved Eguisheim, which I thought had the right amount/balance of cute and authentic, without the over-the-top candy-coating. Tastes vary. But I'd say don't miss Strasbourg.

You can always visit Strasbourg from Colmar, if you want to. It’s only 30 minutes away by train. I would not make it a separate stop with a change of hotel. Just hop on the train and go for a day if you want to.

It's all personal preference but having been to both I'm another vote for staying in Strasbourg and visiting Colmar as a day trip. I bet you could do the wine tasting and castle visits with guided tours starting from Strasbourg as well.

We spent 5 nights in Strasbourg and visited Colmar as a day trip. But you could do the opposite with Colmar as your base.

Of the wine villages, we preferred Kaysersberg to Riquewihr, which was very crowded and touristy in early June 2024. I think it may have become too popular in the last few years.

I would head straight to Colmar. Strasbourg and Colmar are barely an hour apart, and you could easily do Strasbourg as a day trip, and save yourself the hassle of a one-night hotel stay.

As a poster mentioned above, this is very much about personal preferences.

Strasbourg is a fairly large city in France and so there is a lot more to do there. It is very beautiful. Colmar is more of a village inside of a town. The village part is the pretty houses and streets you see in photos. The town is (i.e. newer part) is less appealing.

Personally, I would stay in Strasbourd and day trip to Colmar.

I spent a week in Colmar in 2022 without a car and visited the wine villages by train, bus, Kutzig bus and, on 1 day, an organized tour. I had planned to do a day trip to Strasbourg, but ran out of time. I enjoyed spending mornings and evenings in Colmar without the day tourists

However, if I were renting a car, I would consider staying in one of the wine villages. Like Colmar, the villages are different in the evenings after the crowds leave.

I am assuming you are traveling by train. If so, then I think Strasbourg is a better option, as it will be easier to get around using public transport.

I loved Strasbourg and there is plenty to do there that would still allow you some time to visit Colmar, or even take a side trip to the Black Forest area in Germany. Gengenbach is a charming German village with scenic half-timbered houses, nice cafes and restaurants, some lovely walks outside of town, and is very easy to get to from Strasbourg by train; only about 35-40 minutes away.

I've been to both twice. IMO, the cathedral in Strasbourg is the main reason to go there, but that's not an attraction to me. Its otherwise too similar to Colmar, just bigger.

I won't dispute that Strasbourg has good transportation connections, but it is very easy to get around by bus and train based out of Colmar. There is even nonstop TGV service between Paris and Colmar.

Wow - I am so impressed and grateful for all of your advice! I am a bit torn...... We will select one and visit the other via train.
I am wondering if we would appreciate the smaller scale of Colmar after spending many days in Paris.
We will certainly venture out to the wine villages.
Thanks so much to all of you!
Cindy

How about spending 3 full days in Strasbourg if this is your first visit? One of those afternoons could reserved for colmar or Obernai.

We spent 5 nights in Colmar early April. This was my favorite stay during our 6+ week trip. The last day we took the train to Strasbourg and that was enough. Much more big city feel than Colmar. We rented an apartment that overlooked the cathedral in Colmar, with free parking at a garage a couple blocks away. One day we followed Ricks wine road starting at the castle.

There is a free shuttle that will take you to/from the train station. In the city center you just wave it down.

Thanks to everyone who's shared their experiences and opinions here. We're going to be in Strasbourg for a week this summer with plans to drive to Colmar and elsewhere in Alsace and Lorraine as day trips. Your thoughts are very helpful.

we spent several days in Strasbourg and found it to be a delightful city, except for all the rude bicyclists. they ride on all the sidewalks and pay little heed to pedestrians. so go armed with an umbrella, or be ready to dodge the bikes. Peter

Colmar is small and limited. I’d stay in Strasbourg and do a day trip. You can always do a second day trip, it’s very close.

Having stayed in both, I would suggest Colmar for those with a car and Strasbourg for those needing trains and public transportation. Both have their own charm. Personal preference for a larger city and more choices for dining and hotels would choose Strasbourg. For ease of getting in and out with a car to the wine villages, Freiburg im Breisgau and the Schwarzwald consider Colmar. You will not regret your trip to Alsace in any case.