How to Eat in Germany, France, and Switzerland in One Day: A European Road Trip Guide
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What’s better than a European road trip? One where you eat your way through three countries in a single day, and live to tell the tale without indigestion. That’s exactly what we did: pastries in Germany, Flammenkuchen in France, and fondue in Switzerland. It wasn’t planned to be a culinary challenge, but it ended up being one of the most unexpectedly delightful days of our trip.
If you find yourself in southwest Germany with a rental car and a bit of chaos in your soul, this might just be the best (and most delicious) detour you’ll ever take. From biking through Sound-of-Music-like villages to getting lost in Zurich’s medieval maze, here’s how we accidentally created the tastiest day trip of our lives.
One-Day European Road Trip Itinerary: Eat in 3 Countries
- Breakfast in Kirchzarten, Germany
- Drive 15 minutes to Freiburg for a quick stroll
- Head 1 hour to Colmar, France for Lunch
- Continue 1.5 hours to Zurich, Switzerland for Dinner
Total drive time: approximately 3 hours
Germany
Stop 1: Breakfast in Kirchzarten, Germany
We kicked things off in Kirchzarten, a tiny town in the Black Forest that looks like the Sound of Music had a love child with a postcard. We were there for a family wedding, and rented e-bikes to explore the area. Picture this: me and my son zipping past cow-speckled hills and maypoles like Maria and Friedrich Von Trapp.
The few hotels in town were pretty booked, so we stayed at a “hostel”, which was actually pretty much like a hotel. It’s called The Black Forest Bike Hostel. Very clean, about a 5 minute walk to the train station on one side and the town center the other side. Because there was a group of us we got a room with multiple beds. The was a teeny tiny shower in the room, but otherwise it was very comfortable!
And breakfast? Well, I forgot to take a picture because I was too busy inhaling it. So I staged a photo later, like a true travel blogger fraud. You’re welcome.
Stop 2: Exploring Freiburg’s Fun Gutters
After breakfast in Kirchzarten we drove about 15 minutes to reach the city of Freiburg. There is much to see in Freiburg, including its charming Old Town and gothic cathedral. Freiburg is known as the sunniest city in Germany! (How many times can I say “Freiburg” in one paragraph?!)
One of the most interesting things I saw were the “Bächle“. These are small water filled canals going all along the streets in the Old Town. Apparently they were built in the 13th century as the water supply and to help fight fires. Nowadays, kids were having a ball in them, sailing little boats (which are sold everywhere). In the evening adults were having “apperativo” (is there a German word for that?), complete with little tables, for their drinks and snacks, which are made to fit the width of the Bächle. So fun!
Tip: Don’t fall in the Bächle unless you want to marry a local. Apparently, that’s the folklore. Consider yourself warned.
Stop 3: A Fairy Tale Lunch in Colmar, France
Though Colmar isn’t exactly “on the way” from Freiburg to Zurich, it was close enough and insanely adorable enough to drive the extra hour or so for the chance to see it, and achieve our “meals in 3 countries in one day” goal!
We went to the “Petite Venice” area. It was seriously like stepping into a fairy tale. In fact Colmar was the inspiration for the Disney movie of Beauty and the Beast! Colorful flowers are everywhere, and half-timber pastel painted buildings line cobblestone streets along the Lauch River.
We ended up going to lunch at a restaurant called La Krutenau, mainly because it had the shortest wait time! It was right on the River. They serve Flammenkuchen. It’s very thin crispy flatbread with crème fraîche, onions and various toppings. Mine had smoked salmon and was delicious!
Stop 4: Dinner in Zurich’s Old Town
From Colmar it was a 1.5 hour drive to Zurich. I must say that for me driving in Zurich’s Old Town was one of the most daunting tasks I’ve ever had! I’m not sure if they open/close streets often or what, but the online maps we were using were sending us down one way streets the wrong way, then telling us to go down streets that were pedestrian only!
After we stopped relying on the app directions it became clear that some of the streets which looked like they were pedestrian only actually allowed cars. It was such a street that we needed to use to get to our hotel.
Tip from Sue: I really wish I’d dropped the rental car off at the airport, then used public transport to and from Old Town Zurich for sure! Don’t make my same mistake!
We stayed at The Hotel Adler Zurich. This was a very nice, clean hotel. Here is our room for 3. It had a little balcony overlooking a charming square:
Conveniently, one of Zurich’s highly rated fondue restaurants was at the ground floor of our hotel. So, we had dinner in Switzerland at Swiss Chuchi, followed by a stroll around the charming Old Town and the Limmat River banks.
One Day, Three Countries, Endless Carbs – Would I Do It Again?
Absolutely. This spontaneous road trip turned out to be one of the most memorable days of our travels. It wasn’t planned down to the minute (clearly, given the Zurich traffic drama), but that’s part of what made it fun. If you’ve got a car, a sense of adventure, and a love of carbs, I highly recommend creating your own “meals in three countries” kind of day.
Have you ever done something wild like this on a trip, even accidentally? Let me know in the comments! I’d love to hear about your most chaotic or charming travel day.
And if you’re planning your own European road trip, feel free to steal this idea, just maybe skip the part where Google Maps turns into a villain.
