Christmas Markets 3 Countries Tour From Colmar

Included

The listing includes hotel pickup and drop-off near Colmar, a driver-guide and bottled water. That is the whole included list. There is no stated included tasting, no market entry fee and no meal.

Not Included

Lunch is not in the price, but the operator allows a lunch stop. Any food, mulled wine or snacks you buy at the market stalls are at your own cost, and tipping is not mentioned either way. Entry fees are not stated as included, so treat any paid attraction as extra.

Check Before Paying

The included list is bottled water, driver-guide and hotel pickup. Lunch is the one listed exclusion. If the booking page shows a different included list, confirm on the booking page before paying.

Price in Context

For comparison, the Enchanting Christmas Villages Tour costs $145 per person for 8 hours and adds a wine tasting, while the Colmar Christmas Market from Basel costs $71 for 9.25 hours.

Dates That Matter

The tour runs in the Christmas season, timed to the markets. Eguisheim, the French stop, operates 27 November to 30 December, closed 24 to 26 December. Colmar's markets run 23 November to 29 December, which matters if you are adding time in Colmar around the trip.

Freiburg and Basel market dates are not stated here, so confirm on the cities' own pages.

Money

France and Germany use the euro and Switzerland uses the Swiss franc. The reference rate used across this site is the European Central Bank rate of 1 EUR = 1.1130 USD. Lunch, stall food and drinks are at your own cost on this tour, so budget for them separately.

Documents and What to Bring

Carry a passport or ID card for every traveller, including children, for the crossings into Germany and Switzerland. Dress for a full winter day outdoors at markets. Bottled water is provided, and a lunch stop is available.

Age and Accessibility

Infants from 0 are accepted and the adult price band is 16 to 99. Children must be accompanied by an adult, child rates apply only when sharing with 1 paying adult, and infant seats are available on request if advised at booking. Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller.

The tour is not wheelchair accessible and suits all fitness levels. Public transportation options are available near the pickup area.

Pickup and the Day Ahead

The day starts with hotel pickup near Colmar. No departure time is stated. Confirmation arrives within 48 hours of booking, subject to availability.

The tour runs in a small group of up to 7 with a driver-guide.

The Three Stops

The route visits Freiburg im Breisgau in Germany, then Basel in Switzerland, then Eguisheim in France, ending with drop-off near Colmar. No time per stop and no free time are published. A lunch stop is available, at your own cost.

The Route Can Vary

The operator states the tour can differ slightly from day to day depending on which markets are open. If a market has not opened yet, the route can differ.

The Route Shifts with the Calendar

The operator states plainly that the tour can be slightly different from day to day, depending on the opening dates of the Christmas markets, which vary from village to village. There is no fixed promise of every named market on every date.

What a Substitution Looks Like

On one traveller's account of a similar three-country day, a Freiburg market had not yet opened because signs moved its opening from 24 to 27 November, and the group substituted a walk on the fortifications at Neuf-Brisach instead. That account describes a different operator's day, not this listing, but it shows the kind of swap a closed market forces.

What You Can Check Before Booking

Eguisheim, the French stop, runs 27 November to 30 December, open every day except 24, 25 and 26 December, so it is safe across most of the season. Dates and hours for the Freiburg and Basel markets are not published here. Ask the operator at booking which markets will be open on your date, and if a full three-market day matters more than the borders, consider the Christmas in 4 Alsatian Villages instead.

Time on the Road

The trip is 9 hours in total from hotel pickup near Colmar to drop-off. An account of a comparable three-country day describes about 2 hours each way to Freiburg or Basel, a nine-seat minibus, a crossing of the Rhine and two border crossings, with the group back in Colmar about nine hours after a 10 AM pickup. That account describes another operator's day, but the geography is the same.

The Borders Themselves

You cross from France into Germany and later into Switzerland, then back into France for Eguisheim. That is a border crossing each time you change country. Carry a passport or ID card for everyone in your party.

Is the Driving Worth It

If you would rather spend more of the day out of the vehicle, the Alsace village tours cut the road time. The Enchanting Christmas Villages Tour runs 8 hours and stays inside Alsace, and the Colmar markets themselves are walkable from the old town, as covered on the Colmar Christmas market homepage.

Eguisheim, France

The last stop has the firmest dates. Eguisheim's authentic market runs 27 November to 30 December, open every day except 24, 25 and 26 December. Hours differ by period: Mondays to Thursdays from 27 November to 10 December 12:00-19:00, Mondays to Thursdays from 14 to 30 December 10:00-19:00, and Fridays to Sundays 10:00-19:00 all season.

Freiburg Im Breisgau and Basel

Dates for the Freiburg and Basel markets are not published here. Check the cities' own market pages for your date before booking, or ask the operator, who adjusts the route to what is open.

Adding Colmar Before or After

Back in Colmar, the Colmar Christmas market runs 23 November to 29 December, Mondays to Thursdays 11:00-19:00 and Fridays to Sundays 10:00-20:00, across six markets and about 180 stalls. To explore it on foot with a guide, add the Secrets of the Colmar Christmas Markets walk for $23 over 2 hours. For a wine-route day through four Alsace villages, see the 4 Wonders of Alsace Day Tour at $151 for 8 hours.

Eguisheim by Shuttle

The tourist offices run a Christmas shuttle, line 3, from Colmar station to Eguisheim at $8.90 (€8) Mondays to Thursdays and $18.92 (€17) Fridays to Sundays within the 27 November to 20 December shuttle season.

Why the Van Wins for Three Countries

Doing Freiburg, Basel and Eguisheim by public transport in one day means several connections and no published timetable combination. The tour compresses the three stops into 9 hours with a driver who knows which markets are open. If you only want Basel, take the Colmar Christmas Market from Basel in the other direction.

Getting to Colmar First

Colmar sits on the rail line from Paris, about 2 hours 20 away, and 3 hours 30 from Lyon, per Alsace tourism. If you are planning a longer stay around the markets, start from the Colmar Christmas market homepage for dates, hours and the village market calendar.