The short answer
- Pick Strasbourg for the bigger trip: one of Europe's oldest Christmas markets spread across many squares, a giant tree, the cathedral, more hotels and restaurants, and easy train links.
- Pick Colmar for the prettiest setting: painted half-timbered houses, canals and a handful of compact markets you can walk round in an afternoon.
The best answer for most people is to stay in one and visit the other for a day. The regional train between them takes roughly 30 to 40 minutes and runs often through the day.
Market dates for 2026
- Strasbourg: the city's official Christmas site says the market opens on Friday 27 November 2026, and it usually runs until 24 December. The Great Christmas Tree on Place Kléber is traditionally lit the evening before opening. The markets are closed on Christmas Day.
- Colmar: guides list the markets from late November to 29 December 2026, and Colmar is one of the few big Alsace markets that stays open after Christmas.
So if you want to go between Christmas and New Year, Colmar is the one that's still open. We checked dates in October 2026; confirm them on the official tourism sites before you book, as opening hours can change on the busiest days.
What Strasbourg is like
Strasbourg calls itself the capital of Christmas, and its market dates back to 1570. Today it fills squares across the old town, which sits on an island in the river. The main hubs are:
- Place Kléber, with the Great Christmas Tree.
- Place de la Cathédrale, in front of the huge Gothic cathedral, which is worth going inside.
- Petite France, the old tanners' quarter of canals and timbered houses, beautiful when lit up at night.
Because it's a city of nearly 300,000 people, there's more to do on a longer trip: museums, river boat tours, the European Parliament quarter, and plenty of places to eat Alsace food like tarte flambée and choucroute. The trams make getting around easy. The downside is that the main squares get extremely busy, especially at weekends, and some streets use one-way walking routes and bag checks at peak times.
What Colmar is like
Colmar is much smaller, which is both its charm and its problem. The old town is a tangle of colourful timbered houses, with the canal quarter known as Little Venice at its heart. At Christmas, the facades are lit up and the markets sit in squares a few minutes' walk apart, including around the old customs house (the Koïfhus) and Place des Dominicains.
It's lovely in the morning and on weekdays. On December weekends, coach tours and day trippers pack the narrow streets, and it can feel more like a queue than a stroll. Hotels in the old town are few and book up very early, so many people stay outside the centre or day-trip from Strasbourg instead.
Getting there from the UK
- By plane: the most common route is to fly to Basel-Mulhouse (EuroAirport), which has direct flights from several UK airports, then take the airport bus to Saint-Louis station and a train north. Colmar is around an hour from the airport this way, and Strasbourg a little further. Check flight options from your nearest airport, as some routes only run a few days a week.
- By train: take Eurostar to Paris, then a TGV from Paris Est to Strasbourg, which takes around 1 hour 50 minutes. It's a full day door to door from London but avoids the airport. Our guide to Christmas markets by train from London has more on rail trips.
Once you're there, Strasbourg and Colmar are both on the main regional rail line, and it's easy to get between them without a car.
Day trips to the wine villages
The Alsace wine route runs through villages between Strasbourg and Colmar, and several have their own small Christmas markets:
- Riquewihr and Kaysersberg, both near Colmar, are walled villages with timbered houses that look made for Christmas. Some village markets only open at weekends.
- Eguisheim, just south of Colmar, is built in rings around its castle and is very pretty when lit up.
The villages are easiest by car or on an organised tour. There are also local buses from Colmar, but check winter timetables carefully, as services can be limited.
How to choose
- A long weekend with lots to do: Strasbourg, with a day in Colmar.
- Romance and pretty streets: stay in Colmar on weekdays.
- After Christmas: Colmar.
- First trip, no car: Strasbourg, the easier base for transport and hotels.
- Avoiding crowds: go early, from late November to early December, midweek, and visit the busiest squares in the morning.
For other options, see our list of the best Christmas markets in Europe, or compare Vienna or Prague at Christmas. The Christmas holidays page has snow and sun ideas too. If the family is split, put both on a somewhere.party list and let the draw decide.
