Are you looking for the best ways to travel from Paris to Colmar?
One of France’s most beautiful cities, Colmar is located in Grand Est in northeastern France, near the German border. It is known for its medieval and early Renaissance old town has cobblestone streets lined with half-timbered buildings.
During the winter holiday season in France, it appears as though all roads in the country lead from Paris to Colmar. The Christmas Market in Colmar is widely considered to be among the oldest and most well-attended Christmas markets in all of Europe.
Apart from the Christmas market, Colmar is famous for its architecture that looks like it was taken from a fairytale. The city’s buildings are designed in the Petite France style, which is characterized by bright colors and a distinct architectural aesthetic.
Indeed, Colmar is a charming little town that should be included in the itinerary of anyone going to France. If you are traveling to Colmar from Paris, the trip could take anywhere from two to eight hours, depending on the mode of transportation you choose to take.
Let’s take a look at all Paris to Colmar transport options, ranging from the overnight bus to the high-speed train.
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How To Get From Paris To Colmar- Transport Options
1. Paris to Colmar by Train
This is without a doubt the fastest and most convenient way to get from Paris to Colmar. The TGV train services that will transport you from the capital of France to the picturesque town in Alsace will depart from Paris l’Est and arrive in Colmar Center.
The length of the rail system that links the two cities is approximately 314 miles. You will arrive at Colmar in a little under three hours. A few of the trains that travel to Colmar make three stops along the way.
Train Transport Details
Route: Paris Gare du Est to Colmar Station
Travel Time: 2 hours, 57 minutes
Fare/Ticket Cost: starts at €110 (one way)
2. Paris to Colmar by Bus
This is the most cost-effective way of traveling from Paris to Colmar, but it also takes the most amount of time spent traveling. The bus routes start from Paris to the most outlying areas of Colmar, in addition to several other services.
Colmar is served by buses that leave directly from Paris City Centre-Bercy Seine and arrive in Colmar city center. Two buses depart to Colmar every day, for a total of fourteen buses every week.
Your bus ride will include a total of eight stops along the way. One of the most well-known bus companies, FlixBus, mostly serves passengers along this route.
Bus Transport Details
Route: Paris City Centre – Bercy Seine to Colmar Center
Schedule: leaves twice daily (day and night)
Travel Time: approximately 10 hours
Fare/Ticket Cost: starts at €35
3. Paris to Colmar by Car
Are you traveling with family or friends? Do you love to drive and want the convenience of being able to stop at certain destinations on the way to Colmar? Then renting a car is going to be your best bet for traveling from Paris to Colmar.
There is a distance of 530 kilometers (or 331 miles) between Paris and Colmar. With driving and depending on how many times you stop at various destinations, you’ll arrive at your destination in five hours.
When traveling by car from Paris to Colmar, take the freeways A4 and A31 to get there quickly. After leaving Paris in a northeasterly direction toward Reims, the A4 will take you to Nancy in an easterly direction before taking you across the Vosges mountains and into Colmar.
The final one hundred kilometers of the journey to Colmar, France are some of the most enjoyable, as they take you through the Vosges mountains, onto the plains of the Rhine basin, and finally into the city itself.
Car Transport Details
Route: Paris Center to Colmar
Schedule: Anytime time
Travel Time: 5 to 6 hours
Cost: Paris car rental starts at €30
4. Paris to Colmar by Plane
Strasbourg and Basel, Switzerland, is the nearest international airport to Colmar. Note that Basel is on the Swiss-French-German border and the airport is technically in France.
There are no direct flights from Paris to Strasbourg, however, so the shortest way to get to Colmar is to fly to Basel and then take a bus to Colmar from there. The plane plus bus rides combined take a little over two hours.
Plane Transport Details
Route: Paris to Basel, then bus to Colmar
Schedule: Daily flights
Travel Time: Approximately ately 1 hour (plus 1 hour, 15 minutes by bus)
Fare/Ticket Cost: from €88
Hi, I’m Christine – a full-time traveler and career woman. Although I’m from the Philippines, my location independent career took me to over 40 countries and lived in 4 continents in the last 10 years, including France. A self-proclaimed Francophile, I love everything France.