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Colmar and Strasbourg with a flight to Basel: Alsace on a budget in one trip

A 5-night itinerary across Switzerland and France: fly into Basel-Mulhouse, take the bus on to Colmar and Strasbourg, then head back to Basel. Nights, travel times and tips.

Updated on 17 September 2026

Colourful half-timbered houses along the canal in Colmar's Petite Venise — Photo: Aswathy N · Unsplash

At a glance

Colmar and Strasbourg have no convenient low-cost flights: the way in is to fly to Basel-Mulhouse (EuroAirport), which has plenty.
5 nights: 1 in Basel when you arrive, 2 in Colmar, 2 in Strasbourg. On the day of your flight you head back to Basel.
Short legs of one to two hours: it's one of the easiest loops to do without a car.
Between Colmar and Strasbourg there's also a regional train, often faster than the bus.

Travel times are approximate: check timetables and stops on the operator's website before you book.

The route

Whole journey from London (example)

The trip between cities

Flight Bus between cities · Map: Natural Earth

Leg	Transport	Approx. time
Your airport → Basel-Mulhouse	Flight	depends on where you fly from
Basel → Colmar	Bus	about 1 - 1.5 hours
Colmar → Strasbourg	Bus (or regional train)	about 1 hour (train about half an hour)
Strasbourg → Basel	Bus	about 2 hours
Basel-Mulhouse → your airport	Flight	depends on where you fly from

Basel · 1 night on arrival

Houses along the Basel riverfront with the Swiss flag — Photo: Vincent Ghilione · Unsplash

An evening and a morning are enough for the old town on the Rhine, the red Town Hall on the Marktplatz and the Minster with its terrace over the river. In summer, locals swim in the Rhine and let the current carry them downstream.

From the airport: EuroAirport sits on French soil but serves three countries. From the Swiss side, a bus takes you to Basel station in about 20 minutes. Bear in mind that Switzerland uses the franc and prices are high: for cheaper accommodation you can stay on the French side, in Saint-Louis or Mulhouse.

Colmar · 2 nights

The Petite Venise canal in Colmar with its colourful houses — Photo: Aswathy N · Unsplash

Alsace's fairy-tale town: colourful half-timbered houses, Petite Venise along the canal, the Unterlinden Museum. Colmar is also where buses leave for the villages of the Alsace Wine Route, such as Eguisheim and Riquewihr.

From Basel: about an hour to an hour and a half by bus. There's also the train, direct or with a change depending on the time.

Strasbourg · 2 nights

The half-timbered houses of Petite France in Strasbourg reflected in the water — Photo: Patrick Robert Doyle · Unsplash

Notre-Dame Cathedral with its pink sandstone façade, the Petite France quarter with its covered bridges, a boat trip on the Ill. Strasbourg is also home to the European Parliament, in the modern district north of the centre.

From Colmar: about an hour by bus, or about half an hour by regional train.

Back to Basel

Strasbourg to Basel takes about two hours. With an afternoon or evening flight, a morning bus is all you need, leaving at least three hours to spare: the bus and the flight are separate tickets. Some buses stop right at EuroAirport, others at Basel station: double-check your stop.

When to go

December: the Christmas markets in Strasbourg and Colmar are among the most famous in Europe, but it's also the priciest and busiest time. For the full list, read the guide to Christmas markets on a budget.
Spring and September-October: pleasant weather, the grape harvest along the Wine Route, lower prices.

Let FlyDown work it out

When you create a watch you can switch on More cities in one trip: for every flight it finds, FlyDown checks which cities you can reach by bus from your destination, splits the nights between your arrival city and the others, and shows you the full loop with bus times and costs, within the budget you've set.