Where should I stay to explore the Alsace Wine Route: Colmar, Strasbourg or a wine village?

A decision list in six criteria

Start from the criterion that matters most to you. Each line names the base that usually fits it best.

• Arriving by TGV from Paris: Strasbourg, whose station is 1 hr 46 min from Paris. Colmar is also served by TGV, so check which station your ticket reaches.
• Flying into Strasbourg-Entzheim: Strasbourg, since the airport is about 15 minutes from the center.
• One night only: Strasbourg if you also want to see the city, Colmar if the vineyard is the goal.
• Two or three nights focused on the vineyard: Colmar, the most central base.
• Christmas markets: Strasbourg or Colmar, depending on which market you want to walk through in the evening. Book early.
• You want to sleep in a village: a village, accepting quieter evenings (see below).

Driving times from each base

Riquewihr is the only village in both lists: 20 minutes from Colmar, 55 from Strasbourg. The northern vineyard (Marlenheim, Obernai) sits on Strasbourg's side, Eguisheim and Kaysersberg on Colmar's. Times are indicative, in normal traffic, as observed by our drivers.

• Colmar to Eguisheim: 7 km, 15 minutes.
• Colmar to Kaysersberg: 12 km, 20 minutes.
• Colmar to Riquewihr: 14 km, 20 minutes.
• Strasbourg to Marlenheim: 21 km, 25 minutes.
• Strasbourg to Obernai: 31 km, 30 minutes.
• Strasbourg to Riquewihr: 68 km, 55 minutes.
• Strasbourg to Colmar: 75 km, 50 minutes.

What each city offers

Colmar is the most central base in the vineyard: Eguisheim to the south, Turckheim to the west, Kaysersberg, Riquewihr and Ribeauvillé to the north. Drives stay short, so your day is spent in villages and wineries rather than on the road. The tour details are on our page about the Wine Route from Colmar. Strasbourg has both the train station and the airport, and it is a destination in its own right. The trade-off is distance: the Wine Route officially begins in Marlenheim, 25 minutes away, and the center of the vineyard takes close to an hour. A typical day heads south and ends in Colmar. See the Wine Route from Strasbourg page.

Sleeping in a village: quiet, with caveats

A room in a wine village gives you calm mornings and vines at the door. The trade-offs vary from one village to the next: evenings are often short, there are fewer restaurants than in a city, and some village centers are pedestrian. Check opening days, book dinner ahead, and agree on an exact pickup point with your driver. Most villages have no train station, so this option suits travelers who rely on a driver rather than on trains (see the Wine Route without a car guide).

Book early in high season and during the Christmas markets

Hotels in Colmar, Strasbourg and the villages fill up quickly in high season, above all during the Christmas markets. Strasbourg's Christkindelsmärik, dating from 1570 and described as the oldest in France, has more than 300 chalets on a dozen sites, and Colmar has six markets. Reserve your room as soon as your dates are fixed and favor flexible cancellation. For the driver, our guide to the Christmas markets in Alsace recommends booking three to four weeks ahead, especially for weekends. Check each year's market dates on the official websites.

Hotel pickup, and a day that ends somewhere else

FJ13 is a transport operator, not an agency: your driver collects you at your hotel in Colmar, Strasbourg or a village, and can drop you at another address, such as your dinner restaurant or a hotel in another town. Tastings, meals and site admissions are paid directly on site. For arrivals, the driver tracks your train or flight, with 30 minutes of free waiting for a train and 60 minutes for a flight (see the Strasbourg airport (Entzheim) transfer guide). Our vehicles are based in the Strasbourg area, so a departure from Colmar adds the approach, built into the exact price before you book: the details are in our pricing guide.