Alsace Wine Route Road Trip: Strasbourg to Colmar (3 Days)

The Alsace Wine Route (Route des Vins d’Alsace) is one of France’s oldest signed wine roads, winding through vineyards along the eastern foot of the Vosges mountains. The full marked route runs roughly 170 km from Marlenheim to Thann, but its storybook heart lies between Strasbourg and Colmar — half-timbered villages, Riesling and Gewürztraminer, and cosy winstubs. Distances are short, so the driving is slow and the days are for wandering.

France drives on the right. There is no vignette, and the wine-route back roads are toll-free — you only pay a péage if you choose the A35 autoroute. Villages are lovely from spring to autumn; autumn brings the vendanges (grape harvest) and December brings the famous Christmas markets, though winter days are short and cold.

Day 1 — Strasbourg to Barr (35 km)

Start in Strasbourg, wandering the UNESCO-listed Grande Île and the pink-sandstone cathedral with its astronomical clock. Then head south into the vineyards. Pause in Obernai, a walled market town beneath Mont Sainte-Odile, and finish in Barr, a quieter wine village known for its Sylvaner and grand cru vineyards. Overnight in Barr or Obernai.

Day 2 — Barr to Kaysersberg (50 km)

The classic day. Roll south through the vines to Ribeauvillé, watched over by ruined castles, then Riquewihr, a near-perfectly preserved medieval village ringed by ramparts. Finish in Kaysersberg, birthplace of Albert Schweitzer, with its fortified bridge and half-timbered lanes. Tastings in the caves along the way are often free or a small fee. Sleep in or near Kaysersberg.

Day 3 — Kaysersberg to Colmar (35 km)

A short, scenic finish. Detour to Turckheim, still walked by a nightwatchman on summer evenings, and to Eguisheim — one of France’s officially “most beautiful villages”, laid out in concentric lanes around a central château. Then arrive in Colmar: the canals of Petite Venise, half-timbered houses and the Unterlinden Museum. A fitting end to the route.

Costs

Use the cost calculator to price fuel and nights for your exact dates. Expect roughly €90–160 per night for accommodation in the wine villages, more in Colmar and during December markets. Fuel is modest over just 120 km, and there are no tolls on the route itself. Budget a little for village parking (often paid in the centres) and for wine tastings — many caves pour for free or a few euros, sometimes waived if you buy a bottle. Booking rooms early matters most in autumn and December.