Basel & Strasbourg Christmas Markets
- 6
- £1,099
- Switzerland France
- Travel by rail to Switzerland via Paris
- Explore Basel Christmas market along the banks of the River Rhine
- Take a day trip to another Christmas market destination or an Alpine resort
- Spend a full day in Strasbourg, with its half-timbered houses and Gothic cathedral
- Decide when you would like to travel
- Adapt the route to suit your plans
- Upgrade your hotels
- Add extra nights, destinations and/or tours
- Standard Class rail travel with seat reservations
- 5 nights’ handpicked hotel accommodation with breakfast
- A free day of travel from Basel or Strasbourg
- Comprehensive directions to your hotel
- Easy-to-follow travel documentation
- Despatch of tickets by email, post or collection
Suggested Itinerary
Take the Eurostar from London’s imposing St Pancras station and speed under the English Channel to Paris, where it’s an easy walk to to the Gare de l’Est for your onward connection to Basel, via Strasbourg.
On arrival in Basel, check in for an overnight stay at the Hotel GAIA (or similar), located just outside the main station. You have 3 nights here. Once you’ve settled in (and discovered your free gift!), why not head into town for an evening meal or take your first look at the Christmas markets?
Basel straddles both banks of the River Rhine right on the border with France and Germany. It’s one of Switzerland’s culture capitals with a great range of museums and galleries to choose from. There’s also the Christmas market on Barfüsserplatz and Münsterplatz, considered to be one of the prettiest and largest in the country.
On one of your free days here, you might like to leave the city and head for another Christmas market location such as Montreux, with its stalls along the shores of Lake Geneva. You could also head up into the mountains and enjoy a day in an alpine setting like Wengen or Interlaken.
Leave Basel today and catch a regional rail service back to Strasbourg. As before, you can take any train from Basel to Strasbourg as there are no seat reservations required so you can choose to spend another morning in Basel, leaving your luggage in storage at your hotel or get on a train straight after breakfast and head straight for France.
On arrival in Strasbourg, check in at the Hotel des Vosges (or similar), across the square from the main station.
The half-timbered houses and dramatic cathedral in Strasbourg’s historic quarter are the perfect backdrop for the city’s Christmas markets. In fact, Strasbourg boasts one of the oldest Christmas markets in France and nowadays, there are ten different markets dotted around the city. There are also plenty of boutiques to pick up Christmas presents and a huge choice of cafés and restaurants to rest in when you need a break from shopping!
Leave Strasbourg today for a high-speed TGV service back to the Gare de l’Est in Paris. Hop across to the Gare du Nord and check in for your return Eurostar back to the UK. In Standard Premier, you’ll be served a meal onboard, with drinks to toast to your festive holiday!
Typical hotels on this itinerary
Basel
The Gaia is a family-run hotel with an historic façade and contemporary interior, located opposite the main SBB station. There are 86 non-smoking bedrooms, all with free Wi-Fi and a complimentary minibar. Guests can also make use of the hotel’s relaxing spa area and welcoming bar.
Strasbourg
Conveniently located on the Place de la Gare, opposite Strasbourg’s main station, the Hotel des Vosges offers comfortable, modern accommodation in a refurbished Art Deco building. Bedrooms are furnished in a relaxed, classic style with en suite bathrooms, free Wi-Fi access and coffee & tea making facilities. The hotel also offers a cocktail bar and a well-equipped gym.
Upgrade your accommodation
Basel
Situated in the heart of the Old Town, on the banks of the Rhine, the Grand Hotel Les Trois Rois is one of Europe’s oldest city hotels, where the likes of Napoleon, Pablo Picasso, Thomas Mann and HRH Queen Elizabeth have stayed. There are three on-site restaurants including the Michelin-starred Le Cheval, a games room and a cigar lounge.
Strasbourg
The Sofitel Strasbourg Grand Ile is a modern, comfortable hotel located on a quiet square just a short walk from the city’s historic Cathedral and medieval centre. All bedrooms come with Sofitel MyBeds, flat-screen TVs and complimentary Wi-Fi internet access. Tuck in to French and Mediterranean cuisine at the hotel’s restaurant or enjoy a nightcap in the 1940s style bar.
