madsen1a

We are coming to France in October and planning to spend 2 nights in Colmar. Our plan is to travel there the first day, overnight, spend a full day exploring, and then travel back the following day. We are travelling with 3 kids (11, 8, 7) and 2 adults. Once back from Colmar, we are going to go straight to Disney Paris for 2 nights. Wondering if it is more practical to rent a car to do this, or travel by train. This is our first trip to Europe so unfamiliar with the train travel entirely. We are packing light, but will still have a small suitcase and bag for each of us. Appreciate any input on this - thanks.

PalenQ

Definitely car with that group - train would be much harder , having to probably change at least one - are you coming from the airport to Colmar that day? If so it's a long drive - suggest not driving after all-night flight if that's the case. But drive part way like to nearby Reims - neat town with cathedral and Champagne Houses and Caves to tour and then drive to Colmar.

But why Colmar - never having been to Europe why Colmar - unless relatives or ancestry tour there are a zillion other places just as nice very close to Paris -what is your whole itinerary - but driving long way to Colmar for a day and back to EuroDisney?

Trains are great too if don't want to drive - check www.oui.sncf for schedules and booking own tickets - general info trains BETS-European Rail Experts and www.rickstevescom.

bilboburgler

just a point, the danger is you drive when exhausted across a lot of france after a long flight with exhausting kids, that danger to yourselves and others needs to take priority.

I'd catch the train from CdG (assuming that is where you start) to Strasbourg and than down to Colmar. If not the bus to Basel and then train up, even so we are talking 4 to 5 hours after a long flight. seat61.com explains how the whole train thing works.

You could take the bus.

Play around with rome2rio to see some of the options, you could for example fly into Basel rather than CdG and save a bit of faffing about.

madsen1a

Thanks. We are spending a week in Paris first, so not too worried about the fatigue issue. As to why Colmar? We figured we would like to spend some time somewhere out of the way for part of the trip, and saw some pictures of Colmar, which looked beautiful. Just a random adventure, I guess.

PalenQ

Again plenty of places close to Paris that are just as nice as Colmar or nicer.

greg

>>> Wondering if it is more practical to rent a car to do this, or travel by train.
It would be best to gather facts before making choices.
Practical in which sense? Have you computed the actual total travel time from Paris to Colmar for example?

Paris to Colmar
Car: f you look at www.viamichelin.com, which gives more realistic timings than the google map, you are looking at 6 hours just for the butt on the seat car part alone. Add to this time to rent a car, time to return car, time to park you car and retrieve your car, time for rest stops, especially with kids, time for gas, time for eating on the way, what do you end up with?
Train: Paris to Colmar has a few no change trains. 9:25-11:43 Gare de l'Est - Colmar Ouigo 7695 train 16EU on some days (look up at www.oui.sncf), the trip is 2h18m is one of the few not requiring a train change. Those who have not traveled on train might compare 6h by car vs. 2h18m by train. This is an incomplete comparison. On the train, you can go to restrooms and eat meals all the while traveling at almost 200 MPH.

Colmar to Disneyland is a long trip either by car or a train. One solution would have been to do a routing like this by stringing together easy trips:

CDG -> Colmar. About 2.5-3H by train with a change at Strasbourg.
Colmar->Paris (easy trip by train)
Paris->Disneyland (easy trip)
Disneyland -> CDG (if this is where you are flying back from). (frequent trains, 10 min trip to the airport) The Marne-la-Vallée - Chessy train station is located inside the Disneyland.

kerouac

I would take the train. Having the toilets available at all times is important with children.

Michael

Roissy to Colmar would require one transfer, but train would probably be the cheapest way to go. Check out fares on https://www.trainline.eu/

StCirq

There are lots of "random adventures" you could take that would be easier and give you a taste of pretty countryside and town/village. It seems beyond random and entering the "complicated" arena to have chosen Colmar, especially if you are spending only one night there and then heading to Disneyland.

If I were you I'd revisit a map and pick someplace affording easier access back to Disneyland - like Provins or Crécy-la-Chapelle or Coulommiers. Or Versailles or Fontainebleau or Vaux-le-Vicomte if you haven't seen them already. With a car you'd have loads more possibilities, but a 1-day car rental is never a particularly smart idea as it generally costs the same as a 3-day rental, and you have to deal with parking, refueling for return, etc.

kerouac

The OP said the family was spending a week in Paris before going to Colmar, so the train is direct to Colmar from Gare de l'Est.