Basel to Colmar Christmas Market: Ribeauvillé and Colmar in One Day

Included, Excluded And Paid On Top

The listing's includes list contains the transport, the driver-guide, both walking market visits and Food & Drink. The listing names no excluded items separately. The Food & Drink line is listed without details, which leaves open whether it means snacks at the stalls or nothing in practice, so confirm on the booking page before you count on a meal.

Plan for spending money anyway. Stall food and drinks, tips and anything you buy are on top, and the euro is the currency in Colmar. If a proper meal matters, the Colmar Alsatian Food Tour spells out every tasting in advance.

Dates That Decide The Day

Colmar's markets run 23 November to 29 December, Monday to Thursday 11:00-19:00 and Friday to Sunday 10:00-20:00, so almost any date works for the Colmar stop. Ribeauvillé's medieval market runs only 5-6 and 12-13 December, Saturday 10:00-19:00 and Sunday 10:00-18:00. Book one of those four dates if you want the medieval market. On 24 December Colmar's markets close at 17:00, which makes an evening arrival pointless on a 9.25-hour day.

Parking and shuttles are not your concern on this tour, since the minicoach does the driving. Bring your passport and your passport or ID card, both named in the listing's what-to-bring list. Bring euros for stall purchases, warm layers for hours outdoors, and check the exact departure time on the booking page. Minimum age, difficulty level and the return time are not stated.

Train, Car And Coach Compared

Driving covers about 60 km and takes roughly 1 hour by car on the A35, according to a travel blog. Train times and fares are set by the rail operators, so check the timetable for your date. The tour trades speed for simplicity: one ticket, a fixed meeting point at Steinenberg 4 and a driver-guide who handles the border.

The train is worth considering if you only want Colmar and travel midweek. The tour is the option here that pairs Ribeauvillé and Colmar in one booking.

Meeting Point And The Two Stops

You meet at Steinenberg 4, 4051 Basel, Switzerland, and board a minicoach with a driver-guide. No hotel pickup is offered. The coach crosses the border into France, and the first stop is Ribeauvillé for a walking visit to the Christmas market, where the alleyways are decorated with lights and traditional decorations in a medieval style. The coach then drives on to Colmar for a walking visit to its Christmas market, with stalls selling handicrafts, gifts and regional delicacies. The trip ends back in Basel, since it is sold as a day trip from the city.

Two gaps matter when planning. The departure time is only shown on the booking page, and the return time is not stated. Ribeauvillé's medieval market closes at 18:00 on Sundays and 19:00 on Saturdays, so a day when the coach arrives late would shorten that stop.

Ribeauvillé: Four Days Only

Ribeauvillé's medieval Christmas market runs 5-6 and 12-13 December, that is two weekends only. Saturday hours are 10:00-19:00 and Sunday hours are 10:00-18:00, according to the Colmar and Region tourist offices. Book the tour on one of those four dates and the first stop is a medieval market with decorated streets.

On any other date in the season the Ribeauvillé stop cannot be a medieval market visit, because the market does not run. The listing sells the stop without tying it to those dates, so if the medieval market is your reason for booking, pick 5, 6, 12 or 13 December and confirm the date on the booking page.

Colmar: Six Markets, Over Five Weeks

The Colmar stop lands you in a town with six markets and about 180 stalls running 23 November to 29 December. The main ones sit at Place des Dominicains with about 60 chalets and Place de l'Ancienne Douane with about 50 chalets along both banks of the Lauch up to the Koifhus porch. Place Jeanne d'Arc sells local products such as foie gras, charcuterie, wine, schnapps and bredala. There is a children's market at Petite Venise and an indoor craft market in the Koifhus with about 20 local craftspeople.

Daily hours are 11:00-19:00 Monday to Thursday and 10:00-20:00 Friday to Sunday, and the markets close exactly at the stated time for security reasons. On 24 December hours shorten to 11:00-17:00, and 25 and 26 December run 10:00-20:00. The Gourmet Market and the ferris wheel at the Plateau sportif de la Montagne Verte stay open daily 11:00-22:00 until 3 January, with the ferris wheel at $11.13 (€10) for adults and $8.90 (€8) under 1.20 m.

If you reach Colmar independently instead, add a guided walk such as the Secrets of the Colmar Christmas Markets at $23 for two hours, or the Christmas Market Walk with a Local, which adds a hot beverage and a local snack. Travellers who want more villages in one booking can look at Christmas in 4 Alsatian Villages.

Weekends Are The Densest

Advent weekends are the busiest stretch in Colmar, and the official hours are longer then too: 10:00-20:00 Friday to Sunday against 11:00-19:00 Monday to Thursday. The markets close exactly on time for security reasons, so late arrivals lose the end of the visit. A weekend tour gives you the fullest market hours and the biggest crowds together, while a Monday to Thursday booking trades two extra hours of market time for thinner streets.

Ribeauvillé adds its own constraint, since its medieval market runs only on the two December weekends. If you book this tour for Ribeauvillé you accept a weekend in Colmar too. Midweek travellers who want a quieter Colmar should consider a Colmar-only plan instead.

Eating Around The Afternoon Gap

According to the travel blog Wannabe Everywhere, many Colmar restaurants close around 14:00 and reopen near 18:00, so an early-afternoon lunch means queues or closed doors. Eat early, eat late, or book a table ahead. The listing includes Food & Drink without details, so do not count it as a sit-down lunch.

Bring a little patience for the popular squares on Saturdays.

What To Carry

A valid passport or ID card is required because the trip crosses the Swiss-French border. The listing's what-to-bring list names both a passport and a passport or ID card, so carry the document you would use at any border and keep it on you, not in a bag in the trunk. Check your document's validity before booking.

The money side changes at the border too. Basel uses Swiss francs, France uses the euro, so change what you need before departure or bring euros from home. Market stalls and cafés in Colmar and Ribeauvillé price in euros. The ferris wheel, for example, costs $11.13 (€10) for adults if you add it on. Carry some cash.