Day 1: Lloret de Mar - Barcelona Airport - Basel-Basel Alsace Airport (Switzerland) - Mulhouse
Today begins with that sound of an alarm clock that reminds us that the time has come to get up and start working. Although we will not lie if we say that it does not take us a minute to remember that today is Friday and not just any Friday, if not the day we started our trip to Alsace at Christmas and the day we will arrive at Basel, Alsace airport.
After working a few hours in the morning, a few minutes after 12 noon we load our bags in the car and get on our way to the Prat airport, from where our flight to Basel leaves at 16:30, a town that will be The gateway to this trip to Alsace by car.
At this point we want to make a small entry and that is if you raise the trip to Alsace at Christmas, especially in the December Bridge, you reserve with time, both the flight and the accommodation, since they not only run out super fast, but also that prices soar and even more when the season approaches.
For this trip we propose to enter Basel, the Alsace airport, just 25 minutes from Mulhouse or 45 from Colmar, but we have to tell you that through Facebook, we found out thanks to a blog reader, who can also fly to Baden-Baden in Germany, which is about 45 kilometers from Strasbourg. After looking at it, we saw that it also has very good prices since low cost companies operate, so it is worth looking at both options if you consider this trip to Alsace.
It takes just over 1 hour to arrive at the Prat airport where the Parking and Go valet service is waiting for us in the same Terminal2 to take care of our car these days and return it to us in the same place when we return, option available with your Premium Service, a little more expensive than the normal parking price, but it is worth it if you want to save the transfer time between the parking lot and the terminal.
T2 el Prat
Free of car and with our luggage we go to the T2C, which is the Terminal in which EasyJet operates, company with which we will arrive at Basel, Alsace airport, to verify that the flight has no delay and that is that after the experience in the trip to Naples and Pompeii, we continue to have the fly behind the ear. Since it is time to eat, we take advantage of a Pans and Company that is on the ground floor of the Terminal and where by the way we had not eaten for years, to eat and thus start the journey full of energy, even if it is a snack.
At the scheduled time and after passing the security checks, much less exhaustive than we thought due to the attack that struck Paris a few days ago, they announce our flight, which we are controlling thanks to the EasyJet mobile application that in real time shows us Flight location
Waiting at the airport for our flight to Alsace accompanied by Gladiator
We embark on time at 4:10 p.m. on the way to one of the trips we most wanted to do and that although we are not Christmas lovers, we have to say that this trip to Alsace we believe that it will be much more than a simple Christmas destination.
At this point we remind you that EasyJet despite allowing hand luggage without maximum kilos (you have to be able to lift the suitcase yourself) makes you put the handbag in the suitcase, however small, if you have not contracted the rate plus or priority pass, something to keep in mind since we see more than one person fighting hand in hand with your suitcase to try to put the handbag.
Flying to Basel, Alsace airport
Punctual at 16:45 we take off from Barcelona airport, heading to Basel, Alsace airport, starting what will be the last escape, that does not travel, of the year 2015.
The flight lasts a couple of hours we spent entertaining reviewing our planning for these days and just keeping an eye on the trip that made keys, where we have got many ideas for our trip.
It's 7 p.m. when we land in Basel, Alsace airport, and directly we went to the Swiss part, perfectly signposted, where we have booked our rental car in Alsace, since in the French part of the Basel airport, despite being cheaper, we did not provide the winter tires included in the price, although by forecast, we almost assume that we will not need them.
Basel-Basel airport signage
We do the paperwork with the Enterprise company in just over 15 minutes, giving us a superior car to the one we had reserved and with GPS, something that we had not hired and that will come to us with pearls, since our Garmin is not updated. They explain how to get out of the Switzerland area of Basel Airport and above all how to get back to it from France, since the car must be returned in the Swiss area, which is where we picked it up.
Once in the parking lot and after checking the car, something more than advisable to avoid surprises later, we connect the GPS with the address of our hotel in Mulhouse, the Kyriad Hôtel Mulhouse Center, located in the heart of Mulhouse and we set off along the roads of France for the second time this year, after being a few months ago in Midi-Pyrenees.
It took about 30 minutes from Basel, Alsace airport to our hotel in Mulhouse, where we arrived at 19:45 and where after leaving the car in the public car park, which is right on the ground floor and check in as quickly as possible for the desire to go out and see the city and start living the Christmas in Alsace, we see in just 3 minutes a perfect room, with the detail of a gift bag on the bed that we will open later. Being just after 8 pm, we take the cameras and we will have the first contact with Alsace at Christmas.
More practical information to prepare your trip to Alsace
- 10 essential places to see in Alsace
- 10 essential tips for traveling to Alsace
We are right next to the central square of Mulhouse, an ideal location, from which as soon as we leave the hotel we get a heady cinnamon smell that reminds us that we are already in Alsace.
Mulhouse streets at Christmas
After taking a walk through the area we arrive at the Place de la Réunion, where the Mulhouse Christmas Market, that although closed at this time, close at 8 pm, still maintains that festive atmosphere, with lights that make us start dreaming about what awaits us these days.
Schedules Mulhouse Christmas Markets
Dates: from November 21 to December 27
Hours: every day from 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. On December 24 from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. They close on December 25.
In Mulhouse we can find the Christmas Market at the Place de la Reunion and we can find a variety of crafts, local products and of course, Christmas products and crafts.
Every year the dates of the different Christmas markets change, so we advise you to look at them in the corresponding section of the website of the Tourist Office
Recommended travel cardsRemember that in order not to pay commissions and always have the current change we recommend you use the N26 card to pay and the Bnext and Revolut cards to get money at the ATMs. They are the ones we use, They are free and will save you a lot.
You can find more information in this article about the best cards to travel without commissions.
It's after 9 pm when we approach Chez Auguste, a restaurant recommended on Tripadvisor as the first in the city, with the idea of dining here, but when we arrive we see that the menu is 3 courses and we decided to leave it for lunch on the last day of the trip to Alsace, since we want to return to Mulhouse to enjoy the markets before returning to Basel, Alsace airport.
Mulhouse streets
After several laps around the center of Mulhouse, we decided on Au Bureau, a pub with live music, very lively, where we ordered a meat dish and a tarte flambée or flammerkueche, a typical alsatian dishwhich is a kind of pizza, with the rather thinner dough, with ingredients ranging from cheese, bacon or even magret or pate, more beer and water for 38 euros.
Tarte Flambée in Alsace
It's almost after 10 p.m. when we have just had dinner and although we are looking forward to catching the bed, we cannot resist taking a final walk through the streets of Mulhouse, at these deserted, but fully lit hours, something that gives an air of the most authentic.
Christmas corners in Mulhouse
Christmas lighting in Mulhouse
Day 2: Mulhouse - Eguisheim - Colmar (Christmas Markets: Place de Dominicains, Place Jeanne d'Arc, Place de l'Ancienne Douane, Marché des artisans, Marché Petit Venice
