Hello all, I am planning a trip to the Alsace region of France and the Black Forest and Romantic Road areas of Germany in December (12/12 - 12/24). I would like to rent a car in order to be able to explore the many small towns and scenic drives in the area, but I'm wondering if snow will hamper my plans. Can anyone tell me how much snow I can expect, and what the conditions of the roads will be?
Posted by
Danville, VT
12040 posts
Can't predict if it will snow or not, but except for perhaps some high elevation areas in the Black Forest, the roads should be fine. Poor visibility will likely prove a bigger deterrent. Speaking of which... a driving tour of rural areas of Germany in December is probably not the best use of your travel time and dollars. Days are very short, and the weather is often overcast, foggy and gray. More often than not, you really can't see much. Once the sun sets at around 16.30, you can hardly see anything, because outside of cities, artificial illumination is kept to a minimum. I would suggest sticking more to cities in December. Save the rural driving trip for the spring or summer.
Posted by
Northamptonshire, England
33832 posts
I agree with Tom. Be aware, if the sun does come out, it will be very low in the sky and it makes driving south or east in the morning and south or west in the afternoon difficult because of the glare. If it is still open during Advent the German Clock Museum is very good. I wish I had budgeted an additional two hours there. The towns on the Route des Vins in Alsace is pretty much north to south, or vice versa, so if you plan it right you may be able to arrange to have the sun behind you.
Posted by
Ann Arbor, Mi
3696 posts
I drove the same area last Dec. and did encounter some light snow as well as the fog. I tried to plan my driving so that I would stop about 3 or 4 each day because of the short daylight hours. I was there to see the Christmas Markets so I did not mind it getting dark early as the towns with the lights were prettier. I did leave my travel plans loose as I did not want to have to worry about the roads and one day we did change plans on the way to Salzburg and stopped half way there due to the roads and I was glad I was able to be flexible. I also drove the Romantic Road and it was absolutely gorgeous. The trees were covered with a heavy, sparkly frost, it was foggy and the sun was filtering through the fog. It was amazing. I have driven this road a few times and this was the most beautiful I have ever seen it. Since there was not a lot of traffic we stopped numerous times to take pictures and just enjoy the beauty.