From late November to Christmas, Alsace lights up. We take you from market to market — Strasbourg, Colmar, Ribeauvillé, Kaysersberg — without circling to find a spot and without giving up mulled wine.
The Christmas market season is when Alsace receives the most visitors of the year. It is also when driving there becomes the most painful: city centers closed or filtered, parking lots full from mid-afternoon, queues at village entrances. A private driver solves the problem at the root — you get dropped off at the market entrance, and you come back whenever you want.
The formula works for an evening in Strasbourg as for a tour of several villages in the same day. Your driver drops you off, waits, then takes you to the next market. Between stops, you are warm in the vehicle: in December, night falls around 5 p.m. and the cold is felt well before.
It is also the only comfortable way to visit the wine villages in succession. Riquewihr, Kaysersberg, Eguisheim and Ribeauvillé have no train station: without a car, they are only connected by infrequent coach lines, which stop early in the evening — precisely when the lights are at their most beautiful.
Founded in 1570, it is one of the oldest Christmas markets in Europe and the heart of what earns Strasbourg its title of Capital of Christmas. It is moreover not one market but about ten, spread across the Grande Île, with the great Christmas tree of place Kléber as a landmark. Throughout the period, access to the center is filtered and parking almost impossible: it is the city where the private driver changes the evening the most.
allow at least 3 hours
Colmar deploys several markets a few minutes' walk from each other, including the one at Petite Venise, by the water, often considered the most photogenic in Alsace. As the old town is pedestrian, the question of drop-off is exactly the same as in Strasbourg. Colmar generally remains lively until the end of December, after several other markets have closed.
allow 2 to 3 hours
The only medieval Christmas market in Alsace: period costumes, encampments, craftsmen and entertainment in the streets of Ribeauvillé. It lasts only two weekends in December, which concentrates a great many people over very few days — the village outskirts are saturated from early afternoon. For these dates, it is really better to book in advance.
only two weekends
Kaysersberg and Riquewihr are two villages classified among the most beautiful in France, whose markets are among the most popular in the region. Kaysersberg opens mainly on December weekends. Neither has a train station, the village entrance parking lots fill up early, and the streets are too narrow to absorb the crowds: these are the two stops where you save the most time with a driver.
often combined in the same outing
Human-sized markets, about thirty minutes from Strasbourg, where you find the Alsatian atmosphere without the crowds of big cities. Obernai sets up its own in the heart of the old town, in a setting of half-timbered houses; Barr, a little further south on the Route des Vins, offers its own on a smaller scale. It is the choice of families with young children and of those who prefer a quiet afternoon to a big outing.
perfect in the late afternoon
Sélestat preserves the first known written mention of a Christmas tree, dated 1521, and builds its market around that story. Mulhouse dresses its own each year with a fabric created for the occasion. Eguisheim, a circular village with concentric lanes, offers one of the most intimate markets on the Route des Vins. Three very different atmospheres, all served.
to combine with a neighboring village
The dates change every year and each commune sets its own: most markets open around the last weekend of November, some close on December 24 while others last until the end of the month, and several villages open only on weekends. We check with you the opening days of the markets you want to see before setting the itinerary — no need to drive all the way to find the doors closed.
Night falls around 5 p.m. in December: the lights are therefore on from late afternoon. Leaving around 3 p.m. or 4 p.m. allows you to see one village by day and then the next one lit up, giving you both atmospheres in the same outing. Late morning slots remain the quietest if you prefer to avoid the crowds.
A big city like Strasbourg or Colmar easily takes up half a day on its own. For villages, allow rather an hour to an hour and a half on site: two or three of them follow each other very well in the same outing, without feeling rushed. We build the schedule with you according to the time you have available.
Saturday and Sunday in December, especially the two weekends of the medieval market in Ribeauvillé, are the busiest days of our entire year. Booking several weeks in advance is the only way to be sure of having a vehicle. During the week, availability remains good and the markets are much more pleasant.
Drinks, admission fees and purchases at the markets remain at your expense.
Mulled wine is inseparable from Christmas markets, and it is the first reason our clients book in December. With a driver, the question of the ride home no longer arises: the whole table can toast, including the person who would have had to drive. This is also what makes the option attractive for an outing with friends, colleagues or extended family.
The second reason is more down-to-earth: time lost. In Strasbourg, access to the city center is controlled throughout the period and parking lots are full for a good part of the day. In the wine-growing villages, the entrance parking lots fill up early in the afternoon, and then you have to walk a long time, in the cold and often in the rain. A Christmas evening loses a lot by starting with forty minutes of looking for a parking spot.
Finally, a vehicle waiting for you changes the outing itself: you leave your purchases and coats on board, you warm up between stops, and you are not tied to the last bus of the evening. For families with young children as well as for visitors who do not know the region, this is what makes the difference between a lovely evening and an exhausting one.
Yes, this is actually the most common request. Two or three villages fit comfortably into half a day or an evening, allowing one hour to one and a half hours in each. For Strasbourg or Colmar, plan on a full half-day in a single city instead.
Yes, waiting time is included in the service. You set the return time with your driver when he drops you off, and you can change it by phone if you want to stay longer. You have no fixed schedule and no group bus to catch.
For a December weekend, especially for the two weekends of the medieval market in Ribeauvillé, book several weeks in advance: these are the busiest dates of the year. During the week, a few days are generally enough.
Yes. The sedan accommodates up to four passengers and the van up to seven, which suits an extended family or an outing with colleagues. Please specify the number of people when booking: the appropriate vehicle is reserved for you.
Yes, anywhere in Alsace, as well as at Strasbourg or Colmar train station and at the region's airports. Many of our December clients stay in a village and want to see the surrounding markets without getting back into their rental car.
The outing is maintained: our vehicles are equipped for winter and we know the vineyard roads and village access in all weather. In case of heavy snowfall, we call you to adjust the route or schedule rather than take any risk.
From anywhere in Alsace — price confirmed before departure, waiting time included, no parking to look for.
December weekends go quickly — better to book early.
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