Alsace Christmas Markets with a Private Driver
Christmas markets

Alsace Christmas Markets with a Private Driver

Our promise

Eight Alsatian Christmas markets open between November 20 and December 31, 2026, from Mulhouse to Obernai. A private driver drops you at the entrance of each market and meets you at the agreed time: no parking lot to hunt for, no shuttle to wait for, and your purchases stay warm in the vehicle.

In December the Wine Route changes character. The villages that host summer tastings line their wooden chalets between the half-timbered houses, and the vineyard roads become the thread linking eight distinct markets. Between Mulhouse and Obernai lie 110 kilometers and a dozen towns worth stopping in.

This page gathers what you need to plan the day: the 2026 dates market by market, our winter tours at a fixed price including tax, the pick-up points, and answers on opening hours and parking.

Why us

Why a driver in December

01

Parking

Colmar and Strasbourg fill their parking lots by 10 in the morning on December Saturdays. The vineyard villages have no parking sized for Advent crowds. Your driver sets you down at the market entrance and leaves: the question disappears.

02

Mulled wine

A Christmas market is visited with a cup in hand. A driver lets you taste the mulled wine, the cremant and the fruit brandies at every stop without deciding who drives home.

03

Nightfall

Markets are at their best between 4:30 and 7 in the evening, once the lights come on. Driving yourself means leaving before that, or taking narrow and sometimes icy vineyard roads after dark.

Calendar

The markets and their 2026 dates

Dates published by the tourist offices, checked in September 2026. Opening hours and days vary from one village to the next.

Ribeauvillé
5-13 Dec
Two weekends only, paid entry, medieval re-enactment.
Riquewihr
27 Nov - 20 Dec
Lanes inside the ramparts, very busy on Saturdays.
Strasbourg
27 Nov - 24 DecCustomary dates; the tourist office has not yet published the 2026 edition.
About a dozen sites, more than 300 chalets.
Colmar
24 Nov - 29 Dec
Six separate markets, including Little Venice.
Kaysersberg
27 Nov - 20 Dec
Friday to Sunday only, selected craftspeople.
Eguisheim
27 Nov - 30 Dec
The quietest of the large vineyard villages.
Obernai
27 Nov - 31 Dec
Open until December 31, the latest in Alsace.
Mulhouse
20 Nov - 27 Dec
Christmas fabric designed anew each year, city setting.

Further reading

Guides, market by market

Dates, opening hours, access, parking and how long to allow, market by market.

Pick-up

Where we pick you up

Pick-up takes place at the address of your choice in Alsace: hotel, station, airport or private address. For the markets we advise an early start, ahead of the coach groups, and a return after dark.

A saloon car seats up to 4 passengers, a van up to 8. Purchases stay in the trunk between stops, so you are not carrying bags all day.

  1. 01

    Hotels in Strasbourg, Colmar and the vineyard villages

  2. 02

    Strasbourg, Colmar and Sélestat train stations

  3. 03

    Strasbourg-Entzheim, Basel-Mulhouse and Karlsruhe-Baden airports

  4. 04

    Private address in Alsace or in neighboring Germany

  5. 05

    Child seats and boosters on request when booking

4.9100 Google reviews
Réactif (c'était dans l'urgence), très aimable et serviable. Merci !
Laurence Klein
Très bonne expérience : bonne communication, ponctualité et gentillesse du chauffeur. Nous recommandons
Josiane Schirrmann
Un voyage très agréable, dans un véhicule propre et très élégant. Un échange sympathique sur plein de sujets. Et un trajet sans détour, rapide et efficace ! Tout ce que je recherchais.
Roxane Nesen
Très satisfaite, on ne peut que recommander vos services (bienveillance, exactitude, professionnalisme). Merci
Danièle Bach
Un imprévu à cause des grèves qui se termine en bonne surprise. Un service clientèle incroyable, je tiens d'ailleurs à remercier particulièrement Jocelin qui a su parfaitement gérer notre situation, être à l'écoute et faire preuve d'une patience sans faille ! En résumé, je recommande les yeux fermés !
Marine Descoutures
Un imprévu à cause des grèves qui se termine en bonne surprise. Un service clientèle incroyable, je tiens d'ailleurs à remercier particulièrement Jocelin qui a su parfaitement gérer notre situation, être à l'écoute et faire preuve d'une patience sans faille ! En résumé, je recommande les yeux fermés !
Marine Descoutures
Très satisfaite, on ne peut que recommander vos services (bienveillance, exactitude, professionnalisme). Merci
Danièle Bach
Un voyage très agréable, dans un véhicule propre et très élégant. Un échange sympathique sur plein de sujets. Et un trajet sans détour, rapide et efficace ! Tout ce que je recherchais.
Roxane Nesen
Très bonne expérience : bonne communication, ponctualité et gentillesse du chauffeur. Nous recommandons
Josiane Schirrmann
Réactif (c'était dans l'urgence), très aimable et serviable. Merci !
Laurence Klein

Questions

Frequently asked questions

When do the Alsace Christmas markets open in 2026?

Mulhouse opens first, on November 20, 2026. Colmar follows on November 24, then most vineyard villages on November 27. Closing dates run from December 20 for Kaysersberg and Riquewihr to December 31 for Obernai.

How many markets can you see in one day?

Three to four, allowing two hours per village market and three hours for Strasbourg or Colmar. Beyond that the day turns into a series of transfers. A six-hour tour comfortably covers four vineyard villages.

How far ahead should I book?

December Saturdays fill up from October, especially the two weekends of the Ribeauvillé medieval market. On weekdays, one to two weeks is usually enough.

Do prices go up over the Christmas period?

Yes. From November 24 to December 29, 2026 the rate carries a 25 percent season increase: for five weeks the whole fleet is committed to the same days and the same hours. The prices shown on the winter tours already include it. The price covers the whole vehicle, driver included, not the number of passengers.

Can a Christmas market be combined with a wine tasting?

Yes. Several vineyard estates receive visitors in heated vaulted cellars during Advent. An hour-long tasting fits well between two markets, usually in the early afternoon.

What happens if it snows?

The vehicles are equipped for winter and the vineyard roads are cleared as a priority. If snowfall makes driving unsafe, we contact you to adjust the itinerary or agree another date.

Let us plan your Christmas day out

Tell us your starting point, the number of passengers and the markets you want to see. You receive a quote at a fixed price including tax.