Family Road Trip  ·  April 2026

Alsace & the
Black Forest

Goetheanum  ·  Stuttgart  ·  The Rhine Valley

Depart 13 April 2026
Return 22 April 2026
From Bracknell, UK
Countries France · Germany · Switzerland
↓   scroll
Bracknell → Eurotunnel → Strasbourg → Stuttgart → Colmar → Ribeauvillé → Freiburg → Basel → Dornach → Reims → Bracknell

At a glance

The essentials

🚗

Transport

Own car, two drivers

Eurotunnel Le Shuttle, Folkestone. Book early. ~£200–280 return.

🏨

Hotel bases

3 check-ins only

Stuttgart (1 night) · Colmar or Ribeauvillé (2 nights) · Freiburg (2 nights) · Basel (3 nights)

⭐

Headline stop

Goetheanum, Dornach

Guided tour Sat 11 Apr, 2:00pm. Call before 11:30am: +41 61 706 42 42. 20 CHF/adult, under 10 free.

🏎

Car museums

Stuttgart, Day 1

Mercedes-Benz Museum + Porsche Museum. Both open Tue–Sun 9am–6pm.

🥖

Bread trail

For the dad

Ma Boulangerie au Feu de Bois (Strasbourg) · Pâtisserie Gilg (Colmar) · Freiburg Münstermarkt

👦

Kid highlights

Age 8

Car museums · Triberg waterfalls · Cuckoo clock · Chocolate workshop · Dolder Tower · Treetop Walk

On the road

The drive days

Monday 13 April — Outbound

Bracknell → Strasbourg → Stuttgart

~6:00am

Depart Bracknell

A3 → M25 → Folkestone

~8:30am

🚂 Eurotunnel Le Shuttle 📍 map

35 min crossing. Book morning slot in advance.

~1:00pm

🛑 Strasbourg — lunch stop (2 hrs) 📍 map

Cathedral, Petite France canal quarter. Directly on the A35. Ma Boulangerie au Feu de Bois for the bread lover.

~4:30pm

🏁 Arrive Stuttgart 📍 map

Check in. Relaxed evening. Car museums tomorrow.

Wednesday 22 April — Homebound

Basel → Reims → Bracknell

~7:30am

Depart Basel

Early start — Sunday tunnels fill up.

~11:30am

🛑 Reims — lunch stop (2 hrs) 📍 map

Notre-Dame de Reims — France's coronation cathedral, 13th century Gothic masterpiece. Free entry. Optional detour: Épernay Avenue de Champagne (25 min south).

~3:30pm

🚂 Eurotunnel Le Shuttle

Book early afternoon slot. Avoid late Sunday.

~5:30pm

🏁 Arrive Bracknell

Day by day

The full itinerary

13 Apr · Mon Drive day

Stuttgart — Car Museum Day

Sleep: Stuttgart

  • 🏎Drive from Bracknell via Eurotunnel + Strasbourg lunch stop (see drive details above)
  • 🏎Mercedes-Benz Museum📍 map — if arriving by 4:30pm, a quick first look is possible. Full visit tomorrow morning.Car
  • 🍽Relaxed dinner in Stuttgart. Early night — big day tomorrow.
14 Apr · Tue Stuttgart

Car Museums + Original Waldorf School

Sleep: Stuttgart → Drive to Alsace evening

  • 🏎Mercedes-Benz Museum📍 map (9am–1pm) — double-helix spiral through 130 years of automotive history. F1 Silver Arrows, the very first car ever made. ~€12/adult, €6/child.Car
  • 🏎Porsche Museum📍 map (2pm–3:30pm) — sleek, visceral, driving simulator the kids love. ~€10/adult, €5/child.Car
  • 🌿Freie Waldorfschule Uhlandshöhe📍 map (~4pm, 45 min) — the original Waldorf school, founded by Steiner in 1919. The College of Teachers self-governance model was invented here. Email ahead to arrange a short conversation with a College member. waldorf-uhlandshoehe.deWaldorf
  • 🚗Drive west ~2.5 hrs to Colmar or Ribeauvillé. Check in for 2 nights.
15 Apr · Wed Alsace

Colmar + Alsace Wine Villages

Sleep: Colmar or Ribeauvillé (base 1)

  • 🥐Pâtisserie Gilg📍 map, Grand Rue, Colmar — outstanding tartelettes and croissants. Closed Mondays.Bread
  • 🏰Colmar old town📍 map — La Petite Venise canal quarter. Unterlinden Museum (exceptional Alsatian art).
  • 🍷Alsace Wine Route: Eguisheim 📍 → Riquewihr📍 (Dolder Tower medieval museum — perfect for kids) → Ribeauvillé📍 (3 ruined castles above the town).
  • 🍫Daniel Stoffel chocolate factory📍 map, Ribeauvillé — chocolate-making workshop for the kids.Kids
16 Apr · Thu Alsace

Relaxed Alsace Day — Drive to Freiburg

Sleep: Freiburg (base 2)

  • 🌸Morning at leisure in Ribeauvillé — April cherry blossoms are peak. Castle ruin hike above the village.
  • 🚗Cross into Germany. Freiburg im Breisgau — Gothic Münster cathedral, the famous Bächle water channels running through cobbled streets.
  • 🌿Biodynamic winery detour optional: Domaine Zind-Humbrecht on the Wine Route (Demeter-certified, Steiner agricultural tradition).Waldorf
17 Apr · Fri Black Forest

Vogtsbauernhof + Freiburg Market

Sleep: Freiburg (base 2)

  • 🥖Freiburg Münstermarkt📍 map — cathedral market, 7:30–1:30pm. Fresh bread, local cheese, flowers. Closes sharp at 1:30pm, go early!Bread
  • 🌿Vogtsbauernhof Open Air Museum📍 map (~45 min from Freiburg) — farmhouses from the 1500s, farm animals, herb gardens, daily craft demonstrations. Deeply Waldorf in spirit.Waldorf
18 Apr · Sat Black Forest

Treetop Walk + Triberg Waterfalls

Sleep: Freiburg → Drive to Basel

  • 🌲Black Forest Treetop Walk📍 map, Bad Wildbad (opens 9:30am) — 1,250m canopy walkway, 40m observation tower, nature learning stations for kids. Drive north first (~1.5 hrs from Freiburg).Nature
  • 💧Triberg Waterfalls📍 map — Germany's highest, spectacular in April snowmelt. Loop south on the return. World's largest cuckoo clock in town.Kids
  • 🚗Drive south ~1 hr to Basel. Check in for 3 nights.
19 Apr · Sun Basel

Arrive Basel — Rhine & Minster

Sleep: Basel (base 3)

  • 🏙Gentle arrival day. Basel Minster📍 map — red sandstone cathedral with spectacular Rhine terrace views (opens 11:30am Sun).
  • 🍪Pick up Basler Läckerli — the city's famous spiced honey biscuit — as an edible souvenir.
  • 🚶Stroll the Rhine promenade. Relaxed dinner.
20 Apr · Mon ⭐ Goetheanum

Goetheanum + Arlesheim + Steiner Schule Basel

Sleep: Basel (base 3)

  • 🏫Rudolf Steiner Schule Basel📍 map (morning, ~9:30am) — one of the most studied Waldorf schools for governance, adjacent to the Goetheanum. Arrange a visit with a College member ahead: steinerschule-dornach.chWaldorf
  • 📖Rudolf Steiner Archive📍 map, Rüttiweg 15 — Steiner's original manuscripts and notebooks. Morning visit before the tour.Waldorf
  • ⭐Goetheanum guided tour, 2:00pm sharp📍 map — Rüttiweg 45, Dornach (20 min from Basel). Call before 11:30am to reserve: +41 61 706 42 42. ~80 minutes. 20 CHF/adult, 15 CHF reduced, under 10 free.WaldorfBook!
  • 🌿Arlesheim village📍 map (late afternoon, 10 min from Dornach) — biodynamic pharmacy, Christian Community church, Ita Wegman Clinic grounds and gardens. The most intimate Anthroposophical community on the route. One hour's wander.Waldorf
21 Apr · Tue Basel

Free Day in Basel

Sleep: Basel (base 3)

  • 🎨Basel Art Museum or leisurely morning exploring the old town.
  • 🛍Last shopping, final Läckerli run, Rhine promenade.
  • 🍽Farewell dinner.
22 Apr · Wed Drive home

Basel → Reims → Bracknell

Home

  • 🕖Early departure Basel ~7:30am.
  • ⛪Reims lunch stop📍 map, ~11:30am — Notre-Dame de Reims (France's coronation cathedral, free entry). Optional: Épernay Avenue de Champagne detour, 25 min south.Stop
  • 🚂Eurotunnel ~3:30pm — book early afternoon slot in advance.
  • 🏡Arrive Bracknell ~5:30pm.

Not to miss

Trip highlights

🏎

Mercedes-Benz Museum

Stuttgart · Day 2

130 years of automotive history in a spectacular double-helix building. From the very first car to F1 Silver Arrows. Kids love it.

🏎

Porsche Museum

Stuttgart · Day 2

Sleek and visceral. Racing cars, prototypes, and a driving simulator. An afternoon well spent after Mercedes.

⭐

The Goetheanum

Dornach · Day 8

Rudolf Steiner's extraordinary concrete masterpiece. Guided tour Sat 11 Apr at 2pm. The spiritual heart of the Waldorf world.

🌲

Black Forest Treetop Walk

Bad Wildbad · Day 6

1,250m walkway through the forest canopy with a 40m observation tower. Learning stations for kids throughout.

💧

Triberg Waterfalls

Black Forest · Day 6

Germany's highest waterfalls — spectacular in April snowmelt. Plus the world's largest cuckoo clock in town.

🏰

Alsace Wine Villages

Alsace · Day 3

Eguisheim, Riquewihr and Ribeauvillé — medieval walled villages at cherry blossom peak. Fairytale landscapes.

🌿

Vogtsbauernhof Museum

Black Forest · Day 5

Open-air museum with farmhouses from the 1500s, rare breeds, herb gardens and daily craft demonstrations. Waldorf in spirit.

🥐

The Bread Trail

Strasbourg · Colmar · Freiburg

Ma Boulangerie au Feu de Bois · Pâtisserie Gilg · Freiburg Münstermarkt. Three exceptional stops for the bread-loving dad.

Action items

Book before you go

🚂 Must book in advance

Eurotunnel Le Shuttle

Out: Mon 13 Apr — aim for 7:30–8:30am from Folkestone

Return: Wed 22 Apr — book early afternoon slot

Cost: ~£200–280 return for car + family

Book: eurotunnel.com

⭐ Critical — reserve by phone

Goetheanum Guided Tour

Date: Monday 20 April, 2:00pm

Address: Rüttiweg 45, 4143 Dornach, Switzerland 📍 map

Phone: +41 61 706 42 42

⚠ Call before 11:30am on the day to confirm your place. 20 CHF/adult · 15 CHF reduced · Under 10 free. Cash or card. ~80 minutes.

🏎 Recommended pre-book

Mercedes-Benz Museum

Date: Tuesday 14 April, 9am

Address: Mercedesstraße 100, 70372 Stuttgart 📍 map

Price: ~€12/adult · €6/child (6–14) · Under 6 free

Book: mercedes-benz.com/museum

🏎 Recommended pre-book

Porsche Museum

Date: Tuesday 14 April, afternoon

Address: Porscheplatz 1, 70435 Stuttgart 📍 map

Price: ~€10/adult · €5/child · Simulator extra

Book: porsche.com/museum

🏨 Book early — fills at weekends

Hotels

Stuttgart: 1 night (Mon 13 Apr)

Colmar / Ribeauvillé: 2 nights (Tue–Wed)

Freiburg: 2 nights (Thu–Fri)

Basel: 3 nights (Sat–Mon) — priciest, book first

🍫 Recommended

Chocolate Workshop — Ribeauvillé

Where: Daniel Stoffel, Ribeauvillé

When: Wednesday 15 April

Check availability and book ahead — workshops fill up, especially in school holiday season.

🏫 Email 3–4 weeks ahead

Freie Waldorfschule Uhlandshöhe

When: Tuesday 14 April, ~4pm (after car museums)

Address: Haussmannstraße 44, 70188 Stuttgart 📍 map

Ask for: A College member or administrator, 30–45 min conversation on self-governance

Web: waldorf-uhlandshoehe.de

🏫 Email 3–4 weeks ahead

Rudolf Steiner Schule Basel

When: Monday 20 April, ~9:30am (before Goetheanum tour)

Address: Jakobsbergerholzweg 60, 4059 Basel 📍 map

Ask for: College governance conversation — well-documented school, used to researcher visits

Web: steinerschule-basel.ch