Strasbourg

[SOShrink]

Can anyone give details about Uniworld's (or other cruise lines) stop in Strasbourg? it seems like there is a tour in the morning including an enclosed canal tour, and then an optional excursion in the afternoon along the Alsace Wine Route. I am asking because when we disembark a few days later in Basel, we will be driving to Baden Baden to spend a few days. We will be going through the Route des Vins d'Alsace, and we need to decide if we will stay overnight in one of the towns along the way such as Riquewihr, or treat ourselves to a nice place near Petite France in Strasbourg even though we will have already been there a few days earlier. This will be during the Christmas Markets and will it be worth it to go through traffic and crowds and return to Strasbourg or will we have covered enough of it on our cruise? I know a lot depends on personal preference, but I am curious what people have to say...

[WatchHill]

Last November we did a tour of Strasbourg with AMA. First part was a short bus ride from the river into the main area of the town. Along the route, we had a great guide who pointed out historic sites and discussed the history of the region. We arrived near the river for a short walking tour then boarded the canal boats - loved the trip along the river. After the canal trip, we did a little shopping and sight seeing on our own and took a tram back to the AMACello. We arrived back in time for our next tour - the Arthur Metz vineyards and winery. Personally, this tour was too technical for me, though wine enthusiasts seem to enjoy it.

If I could spend extra time in any of the towns along the Rhine, I would love to go back to Colmar - it looked so much like a Christmas picture, filled with old world charm and quaint shops.

 

Darcy

[BarbaraM]

We just stayed in Riquewhir for 3 nights and also went to Strasbourg for a day. Strasbourg is large and very busy. Driving and parking there was a paIn. I personally loved the little villages and didn't feel the need to return to Strasbourg. You need a car if you travel the wine route.

 

 

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[Laurie620]

We went on the Uniworld Rhine Cruise in May and stopped in Strasbourg. We had a morning tour on a canal boat, that ended with a short walking tour at the cathedral. Then you could choose to stay in town all day, or just until lunch, I think. We chose all day, so I definitely felt I saw Strasbourg.

[gubby]

We lived just over the border in Germany for 4 years in the early 80's. We often drove to Strasbourg and had great fun touring and eating. However, if you only have a few days, I think you would be better served by going to the various towns along the wine route, such as Riquewir and Colmar. You will experience fabulous food in little gasthauses,( schnitzel, halbes henchen -half a chicken and bratkartoffelen -fried potatoes), drink amazing wine and sample lots of little Christmas markets.

[YoungDubFan]

I did a trip on Avalon last year (Basel to Amsterdam). I point out the direct I traveled because it impacts the timing of port stops. We had a full day in Strasbourg. The morning started, as others have posted, with a short bus ride to the canal cruise. After the cruise, we had a walking tour and guided tour of the cathedral. We then had at least 1 hour of free time to explore the Petite France district. We had an option of staying in town or returning to the ship for lunch. Most chose to return to the ship for lunch. After lunch, there was an option to return to the Petite France area, take an optional wine tasting tour of Alsace with a stop in Obernai, France, or a tour to the Black Forest including a trip to a cuckoo clock shop. We took the wine tasting and had a wonderful time. We really enjoyed the trip to Obernai.

 

I should mention that we were in Strasbourg on a Monday that was some form of Holiday, so many shops were closed. Had we be there on a regular day, there may have been more to see. As it was, I felt I had plenty of time to explore Strasbourg.

 

Since it seems you are doing your trip in the reverse direction, I'm not sure if your timing in port may differ. We docked at 8:00 am, the included tour started at 8:15 am. Return to the boat was at 11:30. Both optional excursions left the ship at 1:15 pm. The ship did not leave Strasbourg until 10:15 pm, so some chose to eat dinner ashore. Others went back ashore for a brief walk after dinner.

 

Hope this helps you and others in your planning.

[SOShrink]

Thank you everyone for great suggestions! I feel better knowing that the ship will be docked in Strasbourg for the evening giving us more time there. Therefore, we have decided not to return to Strasbourg to avoid traffic and parking issues. So after we disembark in Basel, we will drive to Colmar and then start up the Wine Route driving through several villlages before overnighing in Riquewihr. The next day we will proceed up the Route and bypass Strasbourg into Germany and up through the Black Forest to Baden Baden. I'm told not to worry about winter conditions as they do an incredible job clearing the roads.

[BarbaraM]

We had a great stay at the Best Western in Riquewihr,

 

 

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[SOShrink]

OMG, Barbara! That's exactly where we are staying. Since there are 3 of us (son going with us), we hope to get a suite with a terrace facing the vineyard if possible. Any tips you can give us about the Best Western Schoenenbourg (took me 3 tries to spell it right!), we would appreciate such as parking, distance to town, traffic, etc.....Thank you