Normandy, Brittany & the Best of the North_ With Paris (Fodor's) - Fodor's [80]
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Transportation Basics | Making the Most of Your Time | Finding a Place to Stay | A Tippler’s Guide to Alsace | Touring Alsace | It’s Pronounced Veen-Shtoob | When to Go
TRANSPORTATION BASICS
Alsace is a small region and is fairly well interconnected with bus routes and train stations, making it possible to travel extensively by public transportation.
Be sure to load up on information (schedules, the best taxi-for-call companies, etc.) upon arriving at the ticket counter or help desk of the bigger train and bus stations in the area, such as Nancy, Strasbourg, and Colmar.
In Alsace, trains are the way to go. In Lorraine you may need to take short bus jaunts to the smaller towns.
To find out which towns are on the rail lines, pick up the Guide Régional des Transports, a free train and bus guide for both Alsace and Lorraine, at stations and tabacs (tobacco shops). You can also download the handy widgets from the TER Web site at www.ter-e-services.com/widget_itineraires/index.html.
It is best to keep on top of your plans if you want to use buses hereabouts. Unfortunately, schedules change rather frequently in Alsace-Lorraine.
MAKING THE MOST OF YOUR TIME
If an overall experience is what you’re after, setting up headquarters in Strasbourg or Colmar will give you the best access to the greatest number of sites, either by public transport or car, while also residing in one.
If wine tasting and vineyards are your priority, setting up in either Riquewihr or Ribeauvillé will put you at the heart of the action.
Remember that many of the region’s towns and villages stage summer festivals.
The most notable are the spectacular pagan-inspired burning of the three pine trees in Thann (late June), the Flower Carnival in Sélestat (mid-August), and the wine fair in Colmar (first half of August).
And although Lorraine is a lusterless place in winter, Strasbourg pays tribute to the Germanic tradition with a Christmas fair.
FINDING A PLACE TO STAY
Alsace-Lorraine is well served in terms of accommodations.
From the picturesque villages of the Route du Vin, the “Fermes Auberges” of the Vosges to four-star palaces or international-style hotels in the main cities of Nancy and Strasbourg, the range is vast.
Since much of Alsace is in the “countryside” there’s also a range of gîtes, self-catering cottages or houses that provide a base for longer stays (www.gites-de-france.com).
Dining and Lodging Price Categories (in Euros)
Restaurants
Hotels
¢
under €13
under €65
$
€13–€17
€65–€105
$$
€18–€24
€106–€145
$$$
€25–€32
€146–€215
$$$$
over €32
over €215
Restaurant prices are per person for a main course at dinner, including tax (5.5%) and service; note that if a restaurant offers only prix-fixe (set-price) meals, it has been given the price category that reflects the full prix-fixe price. Hotel prices are for a standard double room in high season, including tax (19.6%) and service charge.
A TIPPLER’S GUIDE TO ALSACE
Winding south along the eastern foothills of the Vosges from Marienheim to Thann, the Alsatian Wine Road is home to delicious wines and beautiful vineyards. The 121-km (75-mi) Route du Vin passes through small towns, and footpaths interspersed throughout the region afford the opportunity to wander through the vineyards. Buses from Colmar head out to the surrounding towns of Riquewihr, St-Hippolyte, Ribeauvillé, and Eguisheim; pick up brochures on the Wine Route from Colmar’s tourist office. Although the route is hilly, bicycling is a great