Colmar Christmas Market: Private Transfer from Strasbourg
Colmar's old town becomes one of Alsace's most photographed Christmas settings — six themed markets, festive lights along the canals of La Petite Venise, and the smell of mulled wine and warm spices drifting between the half-timbered houses. From Strasbourg it is roughly 73 km, about 50 minutes on the A35, but the last stretch — parking, the walk in from car parks on busy December weekends, and the drive home in the dark — is where a good day out can unravel. StrasVan takes that part off your hands: a private, door-to-door transfer from your Strasbourg hotel or address straight to the heart of Colmar, in an 8-seat van for families and groups or a comfortable car for a couple. Your driver sets you down close to the stalls, waits nearby while you wander, and drives you home in the evening once you have seen the lights. We are a private transport company, not the market organiser — so what you book with us is the ride, the timing and the comfort, not the market itself.
5.0 · 131 Google reviewsRead reviews →23 Nov – 29 Dec 2026
Big wheel & gourmet market to 3 Jan
6 markets
Across the old town, walkable
~73 km · ~50 min
From Strasbourg via the A35
Colmar's Christmas markets run from 23 November to 29 December 2026. Most of the markets sit within the historic centre, a short walk from one another, so a single drop-off at the edge of the old town puts the heart of the visit within reach on foot. Opening times vary by day across the season and are generally longer at weekends; treat any hours you read as indicative and check the official programme on noel-colmar.com — usually published from October — before you travel, since we commit only to your transfer times, not to the market's own opening hours. From Strasbourg, count on around 73 km and roughly 50 minutes each way via the A35, traffic permitting. A private transfer means no park-and-ride shuttle, no hunting for a space on a Saturday afternoon, and no last train to catch: you set the pick-up time, we handle the rest door to door.
The six Christmas markets of Colmar
Unlike a single square, Colmar spreads its Christmas markets across six themed sites in the old town, each with its own character — and because the main ones sit within a short walk of each other, a single drop-off puts them within reach. The market at Place des Dominicains is the postcard one: around sixty chalets of traditional decorations and gifts set against the illuminated Gothic Dominican church and its stained glass. Place de l'Ancienne Douane, around the Schwendi fountain by the Koïfhus, gathers roughly fifty chalets, with the Koïfhus building itself lit up after dark. Place Jeanne d'Arc is the regional-produce market — foie gras, charcuterie, Alsace wines, bredele biscuits and gingerbread. In La Petite Venise, at Place des Six Montagnes Noires, the children's market brings live animals, a mechanical nativity, a carousel and Father Christmas's letterbox, in the illuminated canal quarter that draws most of the cameras. Inside the Koïfhus, a heated indoor market is given over to Alsatian arts and crafts — glassmakers, ceramists, wood sculptors and jewellers. A lively gourmet market run by chefs, with cookery demonstrations, completes the set. Between the stalls, mulled wine, spiced breads and festive lights along the water make the evenings, once the crowds thin, the most memorable time to be there.
When a private transfer makes the difference
- You are a group or a family — an 8-seat van keeps everyone together in one vehicle instead of splitting across cars or train seats.
- You want to stay for the evening lights: there is no last train or shuttle to rush for, and your driver takes you home whenever you are ready.
- You would rather not drive or park — December weekends fill the car parks quickly and the walk in from the outskirts is long in the cold.
- You want to combine Colmar with the wine villages, which the train does not reach — a private car makes the whole loop in one day.
- You are travelling with young children, older relatives or reduced mobility and want a door-to-door pick-up rather than platforms and connections.
- You expect to come back with bags of decorations, wine and gifts and would rather load them into the boot than carry them onto a train.
Add the illuminated wine villages
The real advantage of a private car shows once you look beyond Colmar itself. The illuminated wine villages nearby — Riquewihr, Eguisheim, Kaysersberg and Ribeauvillé — are among the prettiest festive stops in Alsace, but they sit off the railway and are awkward to reach by public transport, especially after dark. With StrasVan you can pair Colmar's markets with one or two of these villages in a single day: mulled wine among the ramparts of Riquewihr, the concentric lanes of Eguisheim lit up at dusk, or Kaysersberg's stalls below the castle. Your driver moves you from one to the next while you keep your coat, your bags and your seats, and brings you back to Strasbourg in the evening. It is the kind of itinerary that is genuinely hard to do without your own driver — and the main reason groups book a private transfer rather than the train.
Alsace wine-village Christmas marketsA family half-day from a Strasbourg hotel
Pick-up at your hotel after a late lunch, straight to the old town for the children's market in La Petite Venise, the carousel and Father Christmas's letterbox, then mulled wine for the grown-ups as the canal lights come on. Your driver waits and takes you back before bedtime — no pushchair on a packed train, no walk from a distant car park.
Colmar plus one wine village in a day
A morning at Colmar's six markets, then on to Riquewihr or Eguisheim in the afternoon to see the ramparts and lanes light up at dusk. One van, one driver, both stops covered — the loop the train cannot do — with a relaxed evening return to Strasbourg.
A small group who want the evening lights
Eight friends in one van instead of three cars. You stay for the illuminations at Place des Dominicains and along the water, browse the craft market in the heated Koïfhus, and leave when you choose. No designated driver, no last train, no parking — just a pick-up time set with us.
Frequently asked questions
When is the Colmar Christmas market in 2026?
Colmar's Christmas markets run from 23 November to 29 December 2026, across six themed sites in the historic centre. Opening hours vary by day and are usually longer at weekends; check the official programme on noel-colmar.com before you travel. We are a private transport company, so we schedule your transfer around the times you want, not the market's own opening hours.
How far is Colmar from Strasbourg, and how long does the transfer take?
Colmar is roughly 73 km from Strasbourg, about 50 minutes each way via the A35 in normal traffic. As a private door-to-door transfer, you are collected from your Strasbourg hotel or address and set down close to the markets, with no park-and-ride shuttle or walk from an outlying car park.
Can the driver wait and take us back in the evening?
Yes. Your driver drops you near the stalls, stays nearby while you visit, and drives you home whenever you are ready — including after the evening lights, when there is no last train to catch. You set the pick-up and return times when you book.
Can we combine Colmar with the Alsace wine villages?
Yes, and it is one of the main reasons to book a private car. Villages such as Riquewihr, Eguisheim, Kaysersberg and Ribeauvillé are illuminated for Christmas but are not served by train and are awkward to reach after dark. We can pair Colmar's markets with one or two of them in a single day and bring you back to Strasbourg in the evening.
How much does the transfer cost?
Prices depend on your pick-up address, the vehicle (8-seat van or car), the timing and whether you add wine villages or evening waiting. The quickest way to get an exact figure is to use our booking module for an instant estimate, or send us your plan for a tailored quote.
Book your transfer to the Colmar Christmas market
Fixed price, 8-seat van or car, your driver waits and takes you home after the lights. Season 2026: 23 November to 29 December.