26/09/2026
And just like that, our European Fairytale adventure came to an end in France.
We arrived in Strasbourg after several days of driving through mostly rural Belgium and Germany, which meant that navigating actual city traffic in France, with about an hour of French driving experience under our belts, was an adventure in itself. Eventually, with assistance from several Avis employees and one cab driver who mostly wanted us to stop parking in the taxi line, we managed to return the rental car at the train station.
And suddenly we were backpackers again.
Strasbourg was lovely, almost like a smaller, more medieval-feeling Paris, and I wish we had given it more time. On this trip it was primarily a staging point for the next part of the journey, so our first evening was devoted to glamorous travel necessities: laundry, groceries, reorganizing our backpacks...and gelato.
The next morning, we left half our luggage behind in Strasbourg and traveled by train and bus to Ribeauvillé to begin another inn-to-inn hike, this time through the Alsace w**e country.
We started with two possible routes: a short, easy one and a longer, hillier one. Naturally, we chose the easy one…and then abandoned it halfway through because it involved too much road walking and too many bicycles whizzing past us. We picked another trail and improvised something in between: about five miles, one seriously steep climb, peaceful forest, and beautiful ridge views. It was absolutely the right decision.
And Riquewihr was worth every step. If Rothenburg ob der Tauber and Dinkelsbühl had a French cousin, this might be it: half-timbered buildings, cobblestone streets, tiny lanes, flowers, and vineyards climbing the hills around town. We stayed at my favorite property of the entire trip, La Maison Bleue, a centuries-old building converted into a tiny inn. Our evening consisted of Alsatian food, excellent w**e, tired legs, and binge-watching old episodes of Breaking Bad in a medieval building. No notes. Absolute perfection.
The next morning, we hiked another four miles through the vineyards to Kaysersberg and then continued by bus to Colmar. By then, though, travel fatigue had officially arrived. We had planned several hours in Colmar followed by an evening canal cruise, but after about 15 minutes of walking around, we both realized that what we actually wanted was to go back to Strasbourg. Sometimes the best travel decision is admitting that you're done.
We forfeited the boat tour, caught the train back, and despite a one-hour delay were tucked into our Strasbourg hotel before the cruise would have even begun. We used the extra time mostly to reorganize our luggage for Paris, and, naturally, make one more gelato run.
The next morning brought one of my favorite transportation experiences of the trip: the high-speed train from Strasbourg to Paris. Comfortable, quiet, easy, and we were in Paris by mid-morning.
Our hotel was literally ON the Seine, and after dropping off our bags we walked along the river to Notre Dame. There was an enormous line, but we figured we'd stand in it for a few minutes before giving up. Instead, it moved quickly, and within a short time we were inside...during Sunday Mass. Whether or not you're religious, experiencing Notre Dame filled with music, ceremony, and a congregation at worship instead of simply walking through it as a museum is extraordinary.
From there we wandered through Luxembourg Gardens, stopped for lunch, enjoyed an afternoon nap, and ended our final evening with a sunset cruise on the Seine. Paris gradually lit up around us, and we finally got our obligatory views of that tower everyone keeps talking about. 🗼
Then one final riverside walk. One final gelato. And the next morning, a flight home.
Luckily, we saved the day-by-day adventures from France for reliving on demand in our Instagram Highlight: https://www.instagram.com/s/aGlnaGxpZ2h0OjE4MzQ0MzE2MzQ2MjY2MTMx?story_media_id=3988383709810585469_8492387217&stkn=ZGltejVrcGJxc3Bu
This trip captured exactly what I want Wanderful Journeys to be: independent travel, beautiful places, walking and hiking, local food, interesting lodging, public transportation, enough structure to make the trip work, but enough flexibility to change the plan when reality says the plan isn't working.
We also learned a LOT that we'll use when designing future trips.
This fall, we'll start publishing some new itinerary ideas and asking the group to help decide where we should go next. Suggestions so far include the Azores, Puerto Rico, the rainforests of Belize, and New Mexico. I'm also exploring a Banff National Park trip and gauging interest in a Málaga, Spain trip for the 2027 total solar eclipse.
If there's somewhere you'd love to wander, tell us. And keep watching for opportunities to come along. We'd love to wander with you! 🌎 🥾 ✈️
