Has anyone been to Colmar during the Christmas market festival? I am having trouble with Hotel reservations any suggestions? I have tried many of Rick Steves suggestions with no luck. We will be there December 5&6. Is it worth the trip?
Thank you for your help.
Any other advise while visiting Colmar would be appreciated.
Posted by
Carmel, CA
28 posts
Can't help you with the hotel, but the market is worth seeing. If you're traveling by car, drive across the Rhine to Freiburg which also has a very good Christmas market. Dress for really cold weather as the damp air will freeze your ears and toes.
Posted by
Zurich, Switzerland
61 posts
Just spent the weekend in Colmar. We enjoyed the city and the Christmas market, but our favorite part of the trip was going driving along the Route de Vin. We loved Eguisheim and Riquewihr. If you had a car you could always stay in one of the smaller towns and drive in. We stayed at Masion Jund (in Rick's book). I do not think that I would stay there again, but if you could not find anywhere else it will do. I hope this helps.
Posted by
Taylor, TX, USA
416 posts
Have you looked at Strasbourg? It also has a big Christmas market, isn't far from Colmar (you can take the train to Colmar) and has LOTS of hotels. Strasbourg is also a lovely city in and of itself. The old quarter (where the market is) is worth a visit for it's own merit. The bishop's palace, medieval museum and a boat ride on the canal are not to be missed. I can also recommend the restaurant Au Pont St. Michel for their Baekeoffe (a local stew).
Posted by
Vancouver, WA, United States
7 posts
http://perso.calixo.net/~vmuhlenl/uk/uk.htm
We stayed in Colmar in September at Chez Leslie. Kind of a B&B place. We found it to be excellent and would absolutely stay there again. It's just behind the
train station in a residential area with ample parking. Not close enough to the train station for noise to be a problem. Good breakfasts. Nice people.
Richard
Vancouver, WA
Posted by
White Bear Lake, MN, USA
479 posts
Nan, last December I was in the Alsace and Black Forest regions. Here are some things to consider.
The Strasbourg Christmas Market is great. It's big and crowded, but not so crowded that it's overwhelming. The city pulls out all the stops.
The Autobahn on the Germany side of the border is horrendous for traffic. The France side is better. This is because the German side is the main route from Switzerland to Frankfurt. Plan on delays if you're driving on the Germany side.
I stayed in Staufen in Germany. I would recommend staying there as another option for exploring Colmar and the rest of Alsace if you have a car. Baden-Baden is not too far away as well as some of the other cities that were mentioned by previous posters.