3 Best Day Trips from Strasbourg

Undoubtedly the best things to do in Strasbourg have to do with getting to know its neighborhoods full of medieval buildings as well as enjoying the public parks and its beautiful canals. However, another of the great attractions that go unnoticed in the tourism in this city are the excursions that take you to know other parts of Alsace,.

One of the best options for an excursion from Strasbourg is to visit the nearby villages and towns, known for their Franco-German architecture. The first stop is usually Colmar, south of the metropolitan area, part of the Alsace wine route.

Another common stop is Eguisheim, famous for its architecture and for being the birthplace of Pope Leo IX. It is also common to visit some walled villages, but the great protagonist of these tours of Alsace and the Rhine is the castle of Haut Koenigsbourg. This 12th century fortress, recently restored, stands on the top of a mountain.

This excursion is the ideal complement to the best tours of Strasbourg, as it allows you to learn more about the architecture of Alsace. It is a guided tour and the transfer is usually in small groups.

It is an ideal plan for the whole family, although food and drink are not included. However, there is an opportunity to have lunch at one of the stops.

• Price: around 170 euros per person. There are reduced rates for minors.
• Duration: about 9 hours, as it includes a town, several villages and a castle.
• Transportation: usually by minibus or minivan, depending on the size of the group.

Alsace is a region of France known not only for its architecture and history with Germany, but also for its thriving wine industry. In fact, it has its own appellation of origin, so one of the best excursions from Strasbourg is a tour of vineyards and wineries.

These tours usually include stops in two or three key towns in the production of the region's famous white wine. They are also shorter, so you can choose between a morning or afternoon tour.

The tour is for small groups and includes visits by vehicle along the Alsace wine route, with stops at at least two family-owned wineries to taste their white wines.

There are no stops for lunch, so it is recommended to start the tour after having eaten. A specialized guide will accompany you, explaining both the history of the villages and the world of wine in Alsace. The meeting point is usually in the center of Strasbourg, so no transfer to the hotel is provided.

• Price: about 110 euros per person. There are no special rates, as this is an activity recommended for adults only.
• Duration: approximately four hours.
• Transportation: minibus or minivan, with a maximum of eight people.

Another highly recommended type of excursion from Strasbourg to the villages of Alsace is the one that takes place at a very specific time of the year: Christmas. These tours lead to the region's Christmas markets, one of the most special traditions of this area of France.

Colmar is usually part of the itinerary, as it hosts the second largest Christmas fair in Alsace. Moreover, being a guided tour, you will not only learn about the history of these communities, but also the origin and evolution of this tradition, which has been celebrated every December for centuries.

It is a perfect opportunity to taste the typical gastronomy of the season and enjoy the medieval architecture of the villages illuminated with festive decorations. Carols and shopping are also part of the experience, making it an ideal plan for families with young children.

This tour is one of the best things to do in Strasbourg during Christmas, although you should note that food and drink expenses are not included. Neither are the entrance fees to museums and attractions that you may visit during the tour.

• Price: approximately 130 euros per person. Children under 12 usually pay less.
• Duration: about seven hours, although it can be extended depending on traffic and weather.
• Transportation: minibus or minivan, as this is a small group tour.

There are different options when it comes to booking an excursion from Strasbourg, but my recommendation is to go for an online purchase of the service for different reasons. One of them has to do with the fact that there are almost always more competitive rates and that you can make the purchases from the comfort of your home with enough months in advance.

Another reason why this option is more convenient is the fact that you get to know the opinions of other people who have already had the excursion you are interested in experiencing. However, if this idea does not convince you, then you can choose to visit some of the tourist agencies that are located within the city of Strasbourg, but this alternative presents greater challenges.

And that is that you will have to adjust to some prices that are not necessarily convenient for your tourist budget. That while at the same time there is no guarantee that there will be availability on the excursions you are interested in for the dates and times that are most convenient for you.

The average duration of most tours from Strasbourg varies between 5 and 8 hours. However, it is also possible that you may encounter slightly longer itineraries depending on the traffic or the number of towns and cities visited. For this reason, it is quite important that you analyze very well your participation in this type of tours before buying the service, because if they last many hours they may not fit into the itinerary of a two-day visit to Strasbourg.

At the same time, if you do not have much time to spend in this city, but you are still interested in touring its surroundings, then you can bet on a guided tour of the city center. That knowing that they favorably shorten the tourist exploration so that you can dedicate the rest of your visit to an excursion that will also take you to sites of historical and cultural importance.

In this type of excursions you will usually find a wooded and slightly hilly landscape that resembles very much that of eastern Germany because the Alsace region extends along the Rhine River, located just between the French border with neighboring Germany. Similarly, the villages that are included in these types of itineraries are often characterized by medieval architecture that blends many German patterns, but under the French aesthetic and urban planning.

Similarly, if you are making a single day trip to Strasbourg and are concerned about the fact that you will not be able to participate in these excursions, then you should know that the Grand Isle area of Strasbourg and specifically the neighborhood of La Petite France closely resemble the aesthetics of the villages that are part of these tours.

The first recommendation that I can make so that you enjoy to the maximum an excursion from Strasbourg is that you choose an alternative that has to do with your interests. It does not make sense to participate in a tour oriented to the wine route if you do not like this drink.

Another recommendation I can make is that although these plans are recommended in summer, it is better to opt for them at other times. And this type of excursions are part of the best things to do in January in Strasbourg or even the best things to do in Strasbourg during the month of November for the simple fact that the tourist demand is quite low, which means that you will find the possibility to enjoy the cities and towns that make up Alsace with more tranquility.

The price of an excursion from Strasbourg always varies between 100 and 180 euros and this has to do with the fact that these are exclusive experiences oriented to limited groups of people that also include the accompaniment of a professional guide. So they definitely represent an economic investment, but at the same time they are an indisputable guarantee of enjoyment and comfort.

Moreover, the fact that they allow you to explore one of the most important cultural traditions in Europe such as the Christmas markets of the French northeast is a real privilege. So ultimately these prices translate into your participation in one of the best things to do in Strasbourg during the month of December.

One of the first reasons why it is advisable to opt for an excursion when it comes to tours around Strasbourg is the fact that you don't have to worry about any logistical aspects. That's because you are only paying a one-time fee that guarantees you transportation, guided accompaniment and safety.

Another reason is the fact that you actually learn about the sites you are visiting, which is something that is not guaranteed when you have to deal with a visit on your own where there are language and even economic barriers. This knowing that sometimes you have to pay entrance fees for each of the monuments you visit in the villages and if you want an audio guide or the accompaniment of a specialist then you have to pay even higher figures.

You have to know that in the same way these criteria apply to visit other parts of Strasbourg. It is important to know how to visit the European Parliament in Strasbourg to avoid mistakes and, in this context, an excursion is the best alternative when it comes to investing your time and money wisely.