Key facts — Christmas markets by car, 2026
- • Strasbourg's low emission zone covers all 33 communes of the Eurométropole, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
- • A Crit'Air sticker is required for every vehicle in the zone — UK cars included
- • Crit'Air 4, 5 and unclassified vehicles are banned. Crit'Air 3 is allowed until 31 December 2026, then banned
- • A free Pass ZFE 24h lets a banned vehicle in for a day, up to 24 times a year
- • Colmar has no low emission zone
- • Fine for breaking the Strasbourg rules: €68 for cars
Strasbourg is about six hours from Calais, motorway nearly all the way, which makes Alsace one of the few Christmas market trips that works better by car than by plane: you set your own timetable, you can add Colmar and the wine-route villages, and the boot comes home full. The one thing to sort before you go is Strasbourg's low emission zone: it isn't just the old town, it's the whole urban area.
If you need a Crit'Air sticker, you can get your Crit'Air sticker for UK delivery here — we handle the French government portal in English.
Going in late November or December?
Official certificate by email within 24–48 hours, valid immediately. Physical sticker follows by post.
When Are the Markets On?
Strasbourg (Christkindelsmärik): expected Friday 27 November to Thursday 24 December 2026
Colmar: expected Monday 23 November to Tuesday 29 December 2026
Dates are confirmed by each city in the autumn — check the official tourist office site before booking non-refundable travel.
Weekends are extremely busy in both cities. If you can travel midweek, you'll find parking easier, queues shorter and hotels noticeably cheaper.
Strasbourg's Low Emission Zone
Some French ZFEs cover only a city centre inside a ring road. Strasbourg's covers the entire Eurométropole — 33 communes, including the suburbs where most of the affordable hotels and all of the park-and-ride sites are. It applies around the clock, every day.
Allowed in December 2026:
- ✓ Crit'Air 0: Electric/hydrogen
- ✓ Crit'Air 1: Petrol from 2011, plug-in hybrids
- ✓ Crit'Air 2: Diesel from 2011, petrol 2006–2010
- ✓ Crit'Air 3: Diesel 2006–2010, petrol 1997–2005 — until 31 Dec 2026
Banned:
- ❌ Crit'Air 4 & 5: Diesel 1997–2005
- ❌ Unclassified: Registered before 1997
- ❌ Crit'Air 3 from 1 January 2027
Staying over New Year in a Crit'Air 3 car?
The Crit'Air 3 ban has been voted by the Eurométropole and starts on 1 January 2027. If your trip runs past New Year's Eve, your car changes from allowed to banned while it's parked.
The Pass ZFE 24h — for cars that are banned
Strasbourg offers something most French cities don't: a free pass that lets an otherwise banned vehicle drive in the zone for 24 hours, up to 24 times a year. It is open to occasional visitors as well as residents.
You register the vehicle once on the Eurométropole's platform (derogations-zfe.strasbourg.eu), then request a pass for each day you need, no later than the day before. A three-night stay where the car stays parked needs a pass only for the days you actually drive.
How is it enforced?
There are no automated ZFE cameras in Strasbourg at the time of writing — checks are carried out by police, and the fine is €68 for a car. During the market the city centre is under heavy security, with checkpoints on the bridges onto the Grande Île.
Where to park
Don't try to drive to the market itself: in recent years the Grande Île has been closed to traffic during market hours (roughly 11:30am to 9pm), with on-street parking banned there throughout. Use one of the tram park-and-ride sites (P+R) on the edge of the city — one ticket of around €5 covers parking and a return tram ride for everyone in the car. All of them are inside the low emission zone, so the Crit'Air rules apply to reach them.
Need a Crit'Air Sticker?
Order yours now — £19.95
Valid in Strasbourg and every other French ZFE, for the life of the vehicle.
Order Now →Colmar and the Alsace Villages
Colmar is under an hour south of Strasbourg on the A35 and has no low emission zone, so there's no Crit'Air restriction on driving in. The same goes for the wine-route villages — Riquewihr, Kaysersberg, Ribeauvillé, Eguisheim — each of which runs its own small market on selected days. Check each village's dates before you go.
Parking is the real constraint. The villages are tiny and their car parks fill early on December weekends. On the busiest weekends Colmar opens a park-and-ride at the Parc des Expositions with a shuttle bus to the centre, and Christmas shuttle buses run from Colmar station to the villages. Arrive early or go midweek.
Heading into the Vosges?
The Rhine plain rarely needs winter equipment, but the mountain communes of the Vosges are covered by the Loi Montagne from 1 November to 31 March: 3PMSF winter tyres fitted, or chains or snow socks carried. Our winter driving guide explains what counts.
The Drive From Calais
The standard route is the A26 from Calais to Reims, then the A4 east through Metz to Strasbourg — roughly 620 km and six hours of driving, almost all of it toll motorway. Our French toll roads guide explains how the péages work with a UK card.
Reims makes a natural overnight stop and has its own Christmas market around the cathedral. It also has its own low emission zone, in force 24 hours a day, which bans Crit'Air 4, 5 and unclassified vehicles. It covers the city centre and the A344 urban motorway that cuts through the city; the A4 itself bypasses Reims to the south and stays outside the zone. Another reason to have the sticker on the windscreen before you leave rather than deciding city by city.
Choosing between the Tunnel and the ferry for a winter crossing? See our ferry vs Eurotunnel comparison.
Strasbourg: the whole urban area, all day, every day
Hotels, park-and-rides and suburbs are all inside the zone.
€68 fine for cars
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a Crit'Air sticker to drive to the Strasbourg Christmas market?
Yes. Strasbourg's low emission zone covers all 33 communes of the Eurométropole and applies 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, so you can't reach the city, its hotels or its park-and-ride sites without entering it. Every vehicle in the zone needs a Crit'Air sticker, including UK-registered cars.
Can I drive a Crit'Air 3 car into Strasbourg at Christmas 2026?
Yes — this is the last Christmas you can. Crit'Air 3 vehicles are allowed in the Strasbourg zone until 31 December 2026 and are banned from 1 January 2027. Crit'Air 4, 5 and unclassified vehicles are already banned.
My car is Crit'Air 4 or 5. Can I still visit Strasbourg?
Possibly, using the Pass ZFE 24h. It is a free pass from the Eurométropole that lets an otherwise banned vehicle drive in the zone for 24 hours, up to 24 times a year. You register the vehicle on the Eurométropole's derogations platform and then request each pass by the day before you travel. Alternatively, park outside the Eurométropole and take the train in.
Does Colmar have a low emission zone?
No. Colmar is not one of the French ZFE cities, so there is no Crit'Air restriction for driving into Colmar itself. Most UK visitors combine it with Strasbourg, under an hour north, where the sticker is required.
Do I need winter tyres to drive to Alsace in December?
Not for Strasbourg or Colmar, which sit on the Rhine plain. The Loi Montagne winter-equipment rule (1 November to 31 March) does apply in the designated mountain communes of the Vosges, so if you plan to cross the Vosges passes or stay in the hills, you need 3PMSF winter tyres or chains or snow socks in the boot.
How long does a Crit'Air sticker take to arrive?
We email your official certificate within 24–48 hours of your order. It is valid immediately in every French ZFE — print it and keep it in the car until the physical sticker arrives by post from France.
Before You Set Off
Crit'Air sticker for Strasbourg
Order your Crit'Air sticker — £19.95EES biometric checks now apply at Dover and the Tunnel
Read our EES guide for UK driversThe rest of the kit and paperwork for driving in France
Read the full pre-departure checklistOrder Your Crit'Air Sticker — £19.95
Works in Strasbourg, Reims, Paris and every other French ZFE
Order Your Crit'Air Sticker → £19.95Last Updated: October 2026. Market dates and zone rules can change — check the official Strasbourg Eurométropole and tourist office pages before you travel.