My First Airbnb Experience in Alsace

This year, I really wanted to go visit the Christmas markets in Strasbourg. I was there during Christmas time 4 years ago and found it enchanting, so I definitely wanted to go back to take more photos and do a bit of Christmas shopping. Also since my last trip, my parents have travelled to Alsace (the region in which Strasbourg is located) during the summer, and told me there were a lot of cute villages nearby. Therefore, I thought I would take this opportunity to explore the surroundings. Unfortunately, renting out a car at this time of year seemed like a pretty challenging option considering that these villages are small and don’t have a ton of parking space, also the number of tourists is at its peak during December. So I tried to find alternatives to explore as much as possible with no car. What I find very convenient when I do some short trips is booking a hotel/hostel that’s located downtown, so I can walk everywhere. I managed to do that, and found a cute Airbnb near downtown so I was able to walk to the old town within 10 min, but also to the train station within 20 min, which was very convenient.

I was happy to make things convenient while in Strasbourg, but I still hadn’t found a solution regarding how I would visit other villages. That’s when I came across Airbnb Experiences a bit out of the blue. At first I wasn’t so sure about it; I mean, scheduling a meeting with a stranger to do a local activity seemed a bit unnatural. Airbnb Experiences consist in individuals offering any type of touristic activity to visitors. In the Alsacian region for instance, that included baking some pastries with a local, having a private visit of the European Parliament, discovering wineries, exploring the Christmas markets, etc. Just like any Airbnb ad for accommodations, you can read the bio of your future host and the reviews that travellers gave them. You can also see their photo, and if their account was verified which is a great way to make an informed decision.

After scrolling through different ads for a while, I decided to book a day trip with Mickaël to go explore the region and its Christmas markets. He happened to be a really nice host: contacting me in advance to know what I like doing and what were my expectations for this trip. Shortly before I arrived, we got in touch again and he decided to adapt my itinerary based on the actual weather conditions and the political situation (sadly, I visited the region 3 days after the terrible attack that took place in Strasbourg). We agreed that he would pick me up at the train station, drive me to my Airbnb to drop my luggage. Then we would head to Mont Ste-Odile for a hike, and to visit the beautiful monastery, and finish the day by exploring the Christmas markets in Obernai. Overall, I had an amazing experience exploring these places, and discussing with Mickaël about the region’s history, but also about our personal lives. I think Airbnb Experiences is a great thing if you want to go off the beaten path and get a real local adventure, but I think it’s even better to do so when you’re travelling solo. It forces you to get out there, challenge yourself, elicit curiosity and exchange.

If you’ve never used Airbnb before, you can create an account and get €25 euros off your first trip by clicking on the button below. I’m curious to know if you’ve ever tested Airbnb Experiences before. If so, how did you find it, did you have a good time? Let me know in the comments! :)