We are staying in Colmar for 5 nights and wanted to do a day trip into Germany. I thought Offenburg looked cute and close via train/bus and wondered if anyone has visited there and what they thought? Or if anyone had a better idea on where to go that would make a good day trip. There will be 11 of us(4 adults/7 kids) and we are traveling the 2nd week of September. We will not have a car. Thank you!
Posted by
Basel, Switzerland
8889 posts
My better idea is Freiburg im Breisgau.
A larger city, with a nice centre (old town, cathedral) and it is nearer. Official tourist website: https://visit.freiburg.de/en
Requires a bus to Breisach (on the Rhine), then a local train to Freiburg. Breisach is worth a short stop.
If you look up Colmar to Freiburg(Breisgau) on the DB (German Railways) website, it will give you the times: https://www.bahn.com/en/view/index.shtml
I would also do a day trip to Basel (if not already in your plans). Direct train from Colmar.
Posted by
Paradise
7072 posts
Offenburg is the gateway railway station for a ride on the scenic Black Forest Railway.
BF Railway map: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4d/Verlaufskarte_Schwarzwaldbahn_%28Baden%29.png
5 nights is a long time for Colmar IMO. If you can spare a night or two, I'd suggest staying in Gengenbach - very close to Offenburg but much nicer and more atmospheric:
https://www.pfeffermuehle-gengenbach.de/files/gengenbach-innenstadt.jpg
https://www.reiseerlebnisfuehrer.de/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/Gengenbach-Engelgasse.jpg
You can ride the BF railway from Gengenbach to the Black Forest Open-air museum and other Black Forest towns for free - that's because all hotel and apartment owners issue the "KONUS" guest card / travel pass, valid for free train travel all around the Black Forest. Next door to the museum ( in the town of Gutach, near Hausach ) there's a summer bobsled run as well:
(Of course you can also drive to these places if you have a car.)
Search by town for apartments and rooms in the Black Forest: https://www.blackforest-tourism.com/accommodation
Posted by
OP
Michigan
37 posts
Well I have already booked the nights, and it is our first leg so we will have some recovery from jet lag in there. And we are looking for a more slow and relaxed journey. Also, I figured we could do two day trips if we get too bored. Maybe Strasbourg as well as somewhere in Germany. But thank you both for your suggestions, they look very interesting!
Posted by
Paris/Strasbourg
97 posts
Nothing to see in Offenburg. I connect trains there many times a year and I was in this town several times.
DB Euregiobus 1076 runs between Colmar-Freiburg (train for Freibug-Brisach, connect to bus for Breisach-Colmar). https://www.suedbadenbus.de/suedbadenbus/view/angebot/buslinien/elsassregiobus.shtml.
Schedule starting from 2/17/2020 -- https://www.suedbadenbus.de/suedbadenbus/view/mdb/suedbadenbus/freizeitangebote/pdf/2019/2020/mdb_307242_euregio_fahrplan_2020.pdf
The Colmar Theatre stop is very near the Theater/Tourist Office/Unterlinden Museum. This bus stops at Neuf Brisach, a UNESCO site -- a well-preserved impressive fortified town/citadel designed by Vauban. The town has a a few shops/restaurants and can be walked thru in an hour. Tourist office offers guided town/ramparts walk. https://www.visit.alsace/en/246001403-neuf-brisach-fortified-town/.
I went to school in Freiburg. You can easily walk from Freiburg train station to the cathedral and back in 1-1.5 hr, if you want to see Freiburg. There are very few old buildings to see.
The RegioElsassTicket is valid on line 1076 to Colmar and in the entire area of the Regio-Verkehrsverbund Freiburg (RVF) on all bus and train lines. Also on the Kunegel buses from Colmar to Alsace's Münstertal, to Kaysersberg, le Bonhomme, St. Hippolyte, Rouffach and Guebwiller. This ticket is valid for 24 hours and costs 16 euros for 1 person and 32 euros for 5 people.
Map of all the towns covered by RVF ticket -- https://www.rvf.de/en/fahrkarten-tarife/travelling-with-rvf. This RVF ticket covers 2 towns many folks on this forum often recommend to others: Titisee and Staufen.
Gengenbach is the prettiest town in this part of Germany. For traveling on the German side beyond the RVF ticket coverage area, you can use Baden-Württemberg-Ticket for up to 5 people, unlimited local train ride in one day. https://www.bahn.com/en/view/offers/regional/regional-day-tickets.shtml.
https://fahrkarten.bahn.de/privatkunde/pauschalpreisbuchen/pauschalpreis_start.post?lang=en&country=GBR&redirected=1&dbkanal_007=L04_S02_D002_KIN0060_REGIO-LAENDERTICKETS-KARTE-BAWUE_LZ03#stay
Basel is an easy day trip on TER from Colmar. Far prettier than Freiburg.
Posted by
OP
Michigan
37 posts
Does anyone know if either of these destinations require tickets bought ahead of time, or can you buy them the day of?
Posted by
Greeley, co, usa
2589 posts
Buy them that day.