Strasbourg, France?

[EMom]

We have friends who moved back to Belgium (just outside Brussels) a year or so ago and DD10 and I would like to go for a visit. I don't need info on Belgium, as we've been there already. But what we like to do is have DD and I go over first and then have DH join us for the rest of the trip. We've found this works well. To tell the truth, DD and I just want to hang out with our friends for a week or so, and since the DH in that family has to work, I don't know if my DH wants to take a week of vacation to spend casual mommy/daughter time with 2 mommies and 3 little girls.

I looked around at places to tack on to the trip after he meets us, and Strasbourg caught my eye. We've long wanted to visit that area, because the unique combination of French and German cultures, cuisine, etc. is so appealing. It also has a fair number of apartment rentals on vrbo and it looks like it would be easy enough to find a week long rental.

I'm looking for info on the area and would appreciate anything you could share. What we typically do is base in a city for a week, and take day trips out from it every other day. On the days in the base city, we see what it has to offer. With a child, we cannot commando tour Europe the way we used to. So I realize Strasbourg itself may not warrant a week's stay, but I'd like to know about not only things to do in Strasbourg, but any day trips you can think of. In fact, THOSE are what I really need help with to decide if Strasbourg is a good base city.

We probably would not rent a car, but would take trains, etc. Unless something has changed, car rental was quite expensive. Plus, fatherhood has not improved DH's nerves and I don't know if putting him behind the wheel in France and Germany would be good for his heart. We're looking at July, either this year or next.

Thanks so much!

 

[Disneyadore]

Sorry but Strassbourg is a dirty city. We spend lots of time working there but never could find the "French charme" there".

It is a good place to take trips especially to Germany. You could visit the Europa Park. That is great for kids and grown ups.

http://www.europapark.de/

 

[EMom]

Sorry but Strassbourg is a dirty city. We spend lots of time working there but never could find the "French charme" there".

It is a good place to take trips especially to Germany. You could visit the Europa Park. That is great for kids and grown ups.

http://www.europapark.de/

ACK! Thanks for that info! When you say "dirty," do you mean polluted or trash everywhere? I ask because I have asthma and I'd avoid a city with bad air.

Okay, so Strasbourg may be out. Is there another city/town in the area that might work as a base? For example, when we visited Belgium, we used Bruges as our base city. Most people would have based in Brussels. But we liked coming "home" to Bruges in the evening instead of Brussels. Everyone leaves in the evening and the city is lovely.

I'm open to other suggestions!

 

[Kewz1]

I went to Strasbourg last May/June just for the day and found it charming. I can't say I remember it was dirty at all. There were beggars outside of the Cathedral but we saw that in many cities. The area around the cathedral is also a little touristy but well, you're a tourist so enjoy!

We took the boat tour around the city. It was nice and relaxing. Strasbourg was at the end of our trip and it was nice to have some down time.

We were actually staying in Germany at the time. On one of our day trips we went to Verdun. Really enjoyed the history here. We followed Rick Steves driving tour and ended the day with dinner at a cafe on the Meuse River. Great memories.

Have a wonderful time!
Kristen

 

[Kewz1]

One more thing -- I could post a few pictures from our trip, if you'd like. It might give you a little more idea of what to expect.

Kristen

 

[PirateSnowmen]

My family and I took a trip to Germany 5 years ago when I was 13 and we went to Strasbourg for a day. Honestly, I didn't like it. I do remember it being very dirty (trash in the streets), especially compared to everywhere we went in Germany. We took the trip to Germany to visit my aunt & uncle who lived there, and they decided to surprise me with a day trip to Strasbourg because I was taking French in school. I appreciated the trip, but I don't think I'd go back to Strasbourg if given the chance.

 

[NHdisneylover]

Those of you who foudn it dirty, have you been recently We have gone about 8 times for day trips since moving to Germany a year ago. It is my very favourite plcace to visit---and we always comment on how it has the only clean public restrooms in France (FREE public restroom in a few spots in town with attendants in busy seasons that are kept sparkling clean and have signs saying no tip needed). My father in law, who has travelled the world many times over stood in the center of old town in August and said "This is the most beautiful spot in any town I have ever been in." I am just having trouble reconciling your comments with our experiences. We do pretty much stick to the older areas and not out in the modern part of the city--perhaps this is why We have honestly commented to each other that it is the one and only palce in France that we have been that does not feel dirty and grimy. I have never noticed any trash on the streets, etc. Just seems so odd that others have the opposite experience.

For day trips, two German things to consider would be:

1. Baden-Baden (we joke that it is the Aspen of Germany--the rich love to hang out there, but it is a neat city, very pretty, and the baths are fun. They do have swimming pool like thermal baths you can do with the kids in addition to the more adult oriented ones)
2. You could tour Schloss Bruschal (good but not reat--but very nearby and worth a trip from so close). The Mechanical music musem there in the castle is also neat. It can be seen by tour only and the tour is in German but it involves primarily watching and listening to all sorts of mechanical organs and other things play and is pretty enjoyable even when you don't understand what the guide is saying.

 

[NHdisneylover]

Here are some photos from our trip tp Strasbourg last spring (I think it was April). These are not the best photos we took but I was looking for ones that show larger amounts of street or river so you can see they are not full of trash.

 

[christinou]

I was in Stasbourg in October and ound it a very charming city, it is very close to Obernai and COlmar which are beautiful little town, and of course there are great wineries close by, if you have a car it is a great getaway to the region.
I did not find it dirty at all.