Colmar on a budget: how to do it well
Short answer
It is possible, but you need to plan: rooms are pricey in the old town, while walking the town and the vineyards is free. A realistic minimum is about €95 a day per person sharing a room — around €45 for a bed, €30 for food, €15 for sights and €5 for transport.
A realistic daily budget
| Budget | Mid-range | Comfort | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bed (per person, sharing) | €45 | €80 | €160 |
| Food & drink | €30 | €55 | €95 |
| Sights & tickets | €15 | €30 | €50 |
| Local transport | €5 | €20 | €50 |
| Per person, per day | €95 | €185 | €355 |
Approximate 2026 prices, two people sharing a room. From our Colmar day-cost table.
Free things to do
- Little Venice (Petite Venise) and the Rue de Turenne bridge view at 8:30
- The Quartier des Tanneurs and the Koïfhus customs house
- The façades of the Maison Pfister and the Maison des Têtes
- Browsing the Marché Couvert, the covered market by the canal
- Walking the Rue du Rempart loop in Eguisheim
- The vineyard paths above Eguisheim, with views of the Husseren castles
Cheap eats
- Flammekueche (tarte flambée) — about €10–14
- Pretzel or kougelhopf from a bakery — about €2–4
- Market picnic of munster, bread and fruit — about €8–12
- Lunch menu (plat du jour) in a bistro — about €13–18
- Glass of Alsace wine with your meal — about €4–8
Where to sleep for less
Budget travellers stay in simple hotels near Colmar station, where doubles cost about €70–110, a 15-minute walk from Little Venice. Apartments with kitchens save money for longer stays. In December, stay outside Colmar to avoid the highest rates.
Getting around cheaply
Walk the old town. Trace buses cost about €1.50 a ride. For the wine villages, use regional buses from the station (infrequent on Sundays), rent an e-bike for about €30–40 a day or cycle the marked routes. TER trains reach Strasbourg in about 30 minutes for cheap day trips.
A sample budget day
- Morning: Little Venice at 8:30 and the tanners' quarter (free), coffee and a pastry (about €5)
- Lunch: flammekueche (about €12)
- Afternoon: the Unterlinden Museum and the Isenheim Altarpiece (about €15)
- Evening: market picnic or a plat du jour with a glass of wine (about €13)
- Total: about €95 including a shared room near the station (about €45 per person)
More ways to save
- Visit the Unterlinden on a day other than Tuesday, when it is closed.
- Choose one paid tasting and visit the other wine villages on foot or by bike.
- Buy picnic supplies at the Marché Couvert, closed on Sundays and Mondays.
- Look for apartments with a kitchen; restaurant dinners are the biggest food cost.
- Take the TER train rather than driving to Strasbourg to avoid parking fees.
- Travel in spring or early autumn, outside the Christmas and summer peaks.
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Common questions
Can you visit Colmar on a budget?
Yes, with planning. Stay near the station, walk the old town and vineyards for free and eat flammekueche. Plan on about €95 a day.
Can I visit the wine villages cheaply?
Yes. Regional buses and cycle routes link Colmar with Eguisheim, Turckheim, Kaysersberg and Riquewihr.
How much is the Little Venice boat ride?
About €8–9 for 25–30 minutes.