Colmar Christmas Market from Paris by Overnight Coach

Included

Your $300 buys the overnight coach travel from Paris to Alsace and back, comfort stops on the way, and free time to explore Colmar and Strasbourg on your own. There is no guide, no hotel and no meals in the price.

What You Pay for on the Day

Bring money for meals, hot drinks and any attraction you want to enter. No allowance figure is stated, so set your own budget for food. Nothing mandatory is added to the $300, and reserve now and pay later is available.

Dates That Matter

Make sure your Saturday in Colmar falls between 23 November and 29 December. If Strasbourg's stalls matter to you, make sure your Saturday in Strasbourg falls between 27 November and 24 December, because the Christkindelsmärik closes after 24 December. On 24 December Colmar closes at 17:00, which no Friday departure touches.

Money

The tour price is in dollars and Alsace spends euros. The European Central Bank reference rate is 1 EUR = 1.1130 USD, so euro prices on this page appear dollars first. Bring a card and some cash for meals and stall food, since no meal allowance is stated.

Practical Points

The listing states no minimum age, no wheelchair rule, no bag rule and no difficulty level, so ask the operator through the booking page if any of those matter to you. There is no hotel pickup, so plan your own way to 1 Av. de Wagram for the 11:30 PM Friday departure. Bring a small bag with warm layers and chargers, since you sleep on the coach both nights.

Coaches in Colmar use the Parc des Expositions, where coach parking is mandatory from 23 November to 20 December, so the drop-off point may not be the old town itself.

Meeting Point and Departure

You meet at 1 Av. de Wagram, 75017 Paris, and complete passenger check-in with the team. Departure is at 11:30 PM on Friday. The coach drives overnight towards Alsace with comfort stops, and the listing gives no arrival hour in Colmar.

In Colmar

The listing promises several hours at your own pace. It suggests a walk through Petite Venise, the historic streets and the Christmas markets, photos, and time in cafes, shops and restaurants. Around midday you meet the driver and team at the agreed meeting point for the transfer.

In Strasbourg

You arrive in the early afternoon. The listing points you to the historic centre, Strasbourg Cathedral, the Petite France district and Place Kléber with its famous Christmas tree. You also have the markets, the shops and the city lights until boarding around 10:00 PM.

By Train

The TGV from Paris to Colmar takes about 2h 20, which is far faster than the coach. The trade-off is that you sleep in a bed, so you pay for a hotel on top of the fare, and the rail fare depends on your date. The station sits close to the old town.

By Overnight Coach

This tour leaves Paris at 11:30 PM on Friday and gets you back between 6:00 and 7:00 AM on Sunday, with both nights spent resting on the coach. What it gives that a train day cannot is two cities, Colmar and Strasbourg, on one weekend with no hotel cost. What it does not give is sleep in a bed, a fixed arrival hour in Colmar, or any guiding once you are there.

Which to Pick

Pick the coach if skipping the hotel bill matters more than the bed and you are happy with free time instead of a guide. Pick the train plus a hotel if you want full evenings in Colmar and the village markets too, for example with the Enchanting Christmas Villages Tour from Colmar itself.

Colmar on Saturday Morning

Colmar spreads six markets with about 180 stalls across the old town, and they all sit within walking distance of each other. Expect Place des Dominicains with about 60 chalets, Place de l'Ancienne Douane with about 50 along both banks of the Lauch, the local produce market on Place Jeanne d'Arc, the children's market in Petite Venise and the indoor craft market in the Koifhus. The official dates are 23 November to 29 December, and on Friday to Sunday the markets open 10:00-20:00.

Strasbourg on Saturday Afternoon and Evening

The Christkindelsmärik runs 27 November to 24 December, daily 11:00-21:00 with no late opening, and it closes from 25 December to New Year's Day. Place Kléber carries the famous Christmas tree the listing highlights. A weekend after 24 December means Strasbourg's markets are gone and only Colmar remains.

What to Add Before or After

This trip gives you no village markets and no tastings. If you base yourself in Alsace instead, the Christmas in 4 Alsatian Villages covers Ribeauvillé, Riquewihr, Kaysersberg and Eguisheim in a day, and the Once Upon a Night at Unterlinden adds a light show inside Colmar itself.

Morning Arrival in Colmar

Colmar's markets run 23 November to 29 December and open at 10:00 on Friday to Sunday, closing exactly on time for security reasons. The coach arrives after an overnight drive with no stated arrival hour, so your free time may start before the stalls do. The morning is still useful for photos of the half-timbered streets and Petite Venise while they are quiet.

Evening in Strasbourg

Strasbourg's market runs daily 11:00-21:00, with opening day on Friday 27 November from 14:00-21:00. The coach leaves around 10:00 PM, so the market closes about an hour before boarding and you get the full evening inside the hours.

The Seasons Differ

Colmar opens on 23 November and keeps going to 29 December, while Strasbourg starts on 27 November and stops on 24 December. Weekends in the last week of the season give you Colmar only. Very early weekends, before 27 November, give you Colmar only.

What Fits in the Hours

Colmar's six markets sit within walking distance of each other, about 180 stalls in total, so a few hours covers Place des Dominicains, Place de l'Ancienne Douane and Petite Venise comfortably. What does not fit is the village circuit, Kaysersberg, Riquewihr or Eguisheim, because those need their own day.

Who Should Pick a Hotel Night Instead

If you want the illuminations after dark, a second day for the villages, or simply a real bed, base yourself in Colmar. The Enchanting Christmas Villages Tour runs 8 hours from Colmar and covers Kaysersberg, Riquewihr and Eguisheim with a wine tasting, which this coach weekend cannot offer.

Colmar Versus Strasbourg

Colmar gives you a compact old town where everything is walkable, and it stays open to 29 December. Strasbourg gives you the cathedral square and Place Kléber's tree, but its market ends on 24 December. This trip lets you do both in one weekend, which is exactly its argument over a one-city day.