Alsace (Germany, France and Switzerland 31Dec22-7Jan23):
Strasbourg (France)
Obernai (France)
Dambach-la-Ville (France)
Sélestat (France)
Haut-Koeningsbourg Castle (France)
Bergheim (France)
Ribeauvillé (France)
Hunawihr (France)
Riquewihr (France)
Kaysersberg (France)
Turckheim (France)
Eguisheim (France)
Colmar (France)
Basel (Switzerland)
Zurich (Switzerland)
History of Alsace in a few lines:
Origins:
Alsace was inhabited from prehistoric times by Celtic tribes, especially the Sequani. After the Roman conquest in the 1st century BC, the region was integrated into the province of Germania Superior, developing cities, agriculture, and an important road system.
Middle Ages:
During the Middle Ages, Alsace was part of the Holy Roman Empire. Its cities, such as Strasbourg and Colmar, prospered thanks to trade, viticulture, and urban leagues. The region blended Germanic and Latin influences, shaping its distinctive cultural identity.
19th Century:
In the 19th century, Alsace changed hands several times. After the Franco-Prussian War of 1871, it became part of the German Empire, leaving a strong linguistic and administrative imprint. After the First World War, in 1918, it returned to France, reinforcing its dual cultural heritage.
Present:
Today, Alsace is a French region known for its distinctive architecture, wine route, picturesque villages, and unique blend of French and German traditions. Strasbourg stands out as the seat of European institutions and a symbol of cooperation and continental unity.
The typical villages from Beauty and the Beast. They are all very beautiful.
The people in this area are nice, it surprised us.
We didn't like Basel; it's more expensive because it's close to Zurich, but it's not as worthwhile as the rest of Alsace; it only has two streets to visit.
General summary: it's worth visiting by car.
Zurich: a gray city, with prices beyond our Spanish budgets. We had to go, but it wasn't to our liking; luckily, we had the hotel's bikes, they were a lifesaver.
Hotel Frankfurt: Monopol – Central Station (1 night with breakfast). We really liked that you could help yourself to coffee/tea at reception. The hotel is close to everything; they say it's not a safe area, but we didn't notice any danger. We left a skewer behind, which they retrieved as soon as we reported it, but then they lost it again—very suspicious.
We saw a cockroach as we were leaving the baseboard of the room.
Hotel Strasbourg: Ibis Budget Strasbourg Center Gare (2 nights with breakfast). Close to the center.
Hotel Colmar: Hôtel Turenne (1 night without breakfast). The nice area was just around the corner from the hotel.
Hotel Basel: Spalenbrunnen Hotel & Restaurant Basel City Center (1 night without breakfast). There's no parking nearby. It's a hotel to avoid because it was rather disgusting, even though it was spacious. The bathroom was tiny and had an AC unit. It's only good for sleeping and little else.
Hotel Zurich: Placid Hotel Design & Lifestyle Zurich (2 nights without breakfast). Free bicycles are available for exploring the city; take advantage of them because it's not near the center, but there are plenty of bike lanes. The room had a nice view, but the double bed against the wall was extremely uncomfortable; imagine trying to get up in the night without waking your partner…
New Year's Eve in Frankfurt (It was amazing) They started early in the morning setting off firecrackers and fireworks nonstop and it lasted until 2 or 3 in the morning.
The city itself has nothing special to offer, and we actually found out later that it was apparently quite dangerous, but that night was fantastic! We had a wonderful dinner at an Indian restaurant that was open, and then we went down to the river to enjoy the bonfires and the arrival of the new year.
Strasbourg It's very pretty but not very big; you can see it quickly. The tree they put in the square thrilled us.
Obernai Another fairytale little town, very pretty.
Dambach-la-Ville It's not worth it.
Sélestat It's a really long avenue, but it's very pretty.
Haut-Koeningsbourg Castle It wasn't worth it for us. €9/person.
Bergheim Just like Sélestat, it's a long avenue but it's worth visiting.
Ribeauvillé Same as above. It's worth it.
Hunawihr It's not worth it.
Riquewihr Same as above.
Kaysersberg Same as above.
Turckheim Same as above.
Eguisheim They say this was the town that inspired Disney to create Beauty and the Beast. It's very pretty. You'll see girls dressed as Belle singing and dancing.
Colmar It's like the capital of Alsace, one of the most important. It's very cute, although everything closes very early; it's still like something out of a fairy tale and very romantic.
Basel Expensive, gray, only has one street, people are starting to be rude, we didn't like it and I wouldn't recommend it.
Zurich We went because it coincided with our route and we caught our return flight from there, but we didn't like it and found it extremely expensive in every way. The only thing that saved us in this city was that the hotel provided bikes, and we were able to explore it in a completely different way, which we quite enjoyed, but the city itself, in our opinion, isn't worth it.
We took the flights through Trip.com with Air Europa.
Madrid-Frankfurt flight: €30/person.
Zurich-Madrid flight: €58/person.
Car rental with Vip cars: €78 (2 full days).
Hotel Frankfurt: Monopol – Central Station (1 night with breakfast): €69.
Hotel Strasbourg: Ibis Budget Strasbourg Center Gare (2 nights with breakfast): €127.
Hotel Colmar: Hôtel Turenne (1 night without breakfast): €66.
Hotel Basel: Spalenbrunnen Hotel & Restaurant Basel City Center (1 night without breakfast): €128.
Hotel Zurich: Placid Hotel Design & Lifestyle Zurich (2 nights without breakfast): €212.
Required documentation (same for all 3 countries):
Germany: Information obtained from the web https://www.exteriores.gob.es
France: Information obtained from the web https://www.exteriores.gob.es
Swiss: Information obtained from the web https://www.exteriores.gob.es
Passport: Valid passport or one that has not expired for more than five years, or National Identity Document (DNI).
Visa: It is not required for Spanish citizens.
European Health Insurance Card: It's necessary, it's very easy to order online and they send it to your home. Request.
Vaccines: There are no mandatory vaccinations for entry.
International driving permit: It is requested through the DGT website.
It costs €10.51. The good thing is you can order it online and pick it up without an appointment. It took a couple of days for ours, then you go to pick it up and it's a cardboard card like the ones they had 20 years ago.
Payment card/currency exchange: we always go with Revolut definitely.
Roaming: NO There is, so if you have data enabled you can take a nice little gift back.
GPS: Maps.me Download the maps for Spain and they work great offline, whether you're on foot, by car, or on public transport.
Roaming: EYE! France and Germany have them, but Switzerland NO. It's very important to turn off your mobile data because they'll rip you off. We didn't even cross the border, and since it used their connection, the bill came to €50 for less than a minute on Lowi.
GPS: Maps.me Download the maps of Switzerland in Spain and they work great offline, whether you're on foot, by car, or on public transport.
Where to eat: If you want to eat at a restaurant, there's also the app. TheFork which has many discounts. If you book with the code 7C1B79A3 When you are finishing the booking, you will get 1000 Yums = €10 discount at your next meal. In addition to other special offers they often have, or simply to accumulate points and use them for discounts on your next payments.
It operates in several countries, including Spain, France, Italy, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Belgium, Switzerland, Portugal, Denmark, Sweden, and Australia.
Click here to download the guide.
The guide also includes links above each map. Simply tap them on your mobile device to open them in Maps, with all the points already marked, so you don't have to search for them one by one.
If you want it in Word format for your notes/modifications, just ask us.
Maps:
