Colmar vs Strasbourg Christmas Market: Which Is Better? (2026)

10/11/202612/11/2026wareontheglobe Leave a comment

Strasbourg's Grand Sapin Christmas tree towering over crowds and historic buildings at Place Kléber

*Updated November 2026*

We visited both the Strasbourg and the Colmar Christmas markets in December 2025. This post compares Strasbourg’s and Colmar’s Christmas markets against one another so that you can decide which to visit with limited time.

Short answer: Colmar for atmosphere, food and drinks; Strasbourg for more markets, easier trains, bigger decorations, sightseeing, shopping and hotels.

Winner by category

More Christmas markets: Strasbourg
Easier to reach: Strasbourg
Christmas vibes: Colmar
Christmas decorations: Strasbourg
Food: Colmar
Drinks: Colmar
Sightseeing beyond the markets: Strasbourg
Christmas shopping: Strasbourg
Where to stay: Strasbourg
Crowds: Tie

Strasbourg wins more categories, but most of its wins are logistics and extras, while Colmar takes the vibes, food and drinks that make a Christmas market feel magical, so overall we call it a tie.

Colmar vs Strasbourg Christmas Markets 2026: Quick Answers

Strasbourg: November 27 to December 24, 2026, from 11:30 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. (2:00 p.m. opening on November 27, 6:00 p.m. close on December 24).
Colmar: November 23 to December 29, 2026, from 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Monday to Thursday and 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Friday to Sunday. The Gourmet Market and Place Rapp Christmas fair stay open through January 3, 2027.
Number of markets: Strasbourg has 8; Colmar has 6, plus the Place Rapp Christmas fair.
Train between them: About 30 minutes. We paid 30 euro per person round trip, second class, buying tickets the same day.
Best day to go: A weekday. Monday and Tuesday were much more manageable than Saturday and Sunday.

Place Kléber Christmas market in Strasbourg at night, with lit wooden chalets and the Grand Sapin glowing behind the crowds

Strasbourg’s Place Kléber market, with the Grand Sapin, Strasbourg’s largest Christmas tree, in the background.

Continue reading →

Les Cocottes Paris: A Classic Bistro Near the Eiffel Tower

03/11/202612/11/2026wareontheglobe 2 Comments

Hand-cut steak tartare plated in a neat round with a garnish on top, on a black plate at Les Cocottes near the Eiffel Tower

*Updated November 2026*

After visiting the Alsatian Christmas markets in Strasbourg and Colmar in December 2025, Dan and I went to Paris before flying back home. As always, Paris is lovely, especially around the holidays. We didn’t have time for too many Parisian things, preferring to spend our time at the Christmas markets, but we did have time for a wonderfully Parisian dinner at Les Cocottes, near the Eiffel Tower.

Part of our dinner at Les Cocottes.

Les Cocottes is worth booking if you want classic French bistro food within walking distance of the Eiffel Tower without tourist-trap prices.

We had booked an upscale tasting menu restaurant close to our hotel, but the restaurant unexpectedly lost water (crazy!) and cancelled on us. After doing some quick research, I made a reservation at Les Cocottes in the 7th arrondissement, near the Eiffel Tower. It’s not an area I usually frequent unless I’m visiting the Eiffel Tower, but I was intrigued by the menu and good online reviews, seemingly from locals. I was also inspired because I had a great meal in this area a few years ago at Le Casse-Noix. Paris has plenty of our other favorites too, like Le Grand Colbert, Ellsworth and a Secret Paris Food Tours walk through Montmartre.

Paris in December!

About Les Cocottes, Near the Eiffel Tower

Les Cocottes is a French bistro serving classic Parisian dishes with a bit of a modern flair. The restaurant is open 7 days a week, and offers terrace seating in good weather. In addition to its classic menu, it offers daily specials, as well as a lunch prix fixe Monday to Friday (for 32 or 38 euro) and a daily lunch and dinner prix fixe for 45 euro (called the Cocottes Menu).

Les Cocottes restaurant storefront at night on Rue Saint-Dominique in the 7th arrondissement of Paris

Les Cocottes from the street.

Les Cocottes menu.

Continue reading →

Colmar Christmas Market: The Perfect Day Trip From Strasbourg (2026)

02/10/202612/11/2026wareontheglobe Leave a comment

Peach-colored and half-timbered buildings decorated with Christmas garlands in Colmar's old town

Dan and I got engaged in Colmar, France in October 2016. Located in the Alsace region in France (only 30 minutes from the German border via car), Colmar is a picture perfect European town, the town Disney is said to have based Belle’s village on (seriously, you cannot deny this). It is also, arguably, the most magical Christmas town in Alsace. Colmar hosts six absolutely adorable Christmas markets every holiday season. We finally visited in early December 2025 as a day trip from Strasbourg, as part of our first trip to the European Christmas markets. This post shares everything about Colmar’s Christmas markets.

Aerial view of Colmar's half-timbered houses and canal from the Ferris wheel

Beautiful Colmar from the Ferris Wheel.

Colmar Christmas Market 2026: Quick Answers

Dates: November 23 to December 29, 2026. The Gourmet Market and Place Rapp Christmas fair stay open through January 3, 2027.
Hours: 11:00 AM to 7:00 PM Monday to Thursday, and 10:00 AM to 8:00 PM Friday to Sunday.
Cost to enter: Free. All six markets and the Place Rapp Christmas fair are free to enter.
Train from Strasbourg: About 30 minutes. We paid 30 euro per person round trip, second class, buying tickets the same day.
How long to spend: About five hours. We arrived around 11:00 AM and left around 4:00 PM.
Best day to visit: A weekday. Our Monday visit was busy but never overwhelming.
Mulled wine cup deposit: 2 euro (2025), refundable at any stall in Colmar.

Is a day trip to Colmar worth it?

Continue reading →

Finally, I Made It To The European Christmas Markets!

25/08/202610/11/2026wareontheglobe Leave a comment

Couple standing beneath the illuminated Strasbourg, Capitale de Noël arch on a crowded street during the Christmas markets

I had been wanting to go to European Christmas markets for years. Truly, YEARS. And finally in 2025, due to Dan’s job change, we found ourselves with an extra week of vacation in December and booked a last minute trip to the Alsace during Christmas market season. We visited Strasbourg, Colmar, Basel, and Paris over the course of a week! I will be posting more about this trip, including information about the Colmar market and comparing Colmar and Strasbourg, but this post details exactly what we did over the course of one week. Highly recommend taking an extra week of vacation to Christmas market hop!

Illuminated wooden chalet stalls at the Christkindelsmarik Christmas market in Strasbourg, France

A real, live Christkindelsmärik.

DAY 1: WELCOME TO STRASBOURG – THE CAPITAL OF CHRISTMAS

We arrived at Paris Charles de Gaulle after an overnight flight from Newark (NYC). We took the train, which we pre-booked, directly from CDG to Strasbourg, France. We arrived in Strasbourg in the early afternoon, left our luggage at our hotel, Voco Strasbourg City Center (by IHG), and promptly walked to the Place Kléber Christmas market, one of Strasbourg’s eight (!!) Christmas markets. I didn’t originally expect to jump right into the markets without a nap, but it being too early to check in, off to the markets we went.