Strasbourg

Strasbourg (German: Straßburg, Alsatian: Strossburi) is the capital of the Grand-Est region of France and is most widely known for hosting a number of important European institutions. It is also famous for its beautiful historical centre - the Grande Île - which was the first city centre to be classified entirely as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.

Understand
Strasbourg is the ninth largest city in France with nearly half a million inhabitants in a metropolitan area spanning across the river into the German city of Kehl, on the eastern bank of the Rhine.

The city is the seat of the Council of Europe, the European Court of Human Rights, the European Ombudsman, the Eurocorps, the European Audiovisual Observatory and, most famously, the European Parliament, which also holds sessions in Brussels.

Strasbourg is a popular tourist destination primarily thanks to the beautifully preserved and pedestrian friendly city centre, which can be explored on foot or bicycle in a few days. Don't forget that Strasbourg's appeal now brings tourists to the city throughout the year, with large tour groups especially frequent during the summer months and during the annual winter market.



Talk
While you will very likely find people who will engage in a conversation in Alsatian (which may vaguely sound like German to you), the lingua franca of Strasbourg (and all of Alsace) is French. It is possible to hear Alsatian spoken on the streets, especially around the Cathedral. Alsatian (the historic Germanic language of Alsace) is a declining language, spoken mostly by the region's older residents or in rural areas but efforts are underway to revive it. Due to the presence of the EU, chances are you might encounter locals that speak pretty good English. As Germany is right next door and due to heavy tourism from there, nearly everyone in the tourism sector can speak some German.

By plane
Strasbourg has its own airport, however there are (relatively) nearby airports which have a wider range of destinations:

Due to the excellent train connection to Paris, it may make sense to fly into Charles de Gaulle airport and take the TGV from there. Air France and some of its partners offer combined tickets in an air rail alliance.

By train
Strasbourg is well served by regional, national and international train services, predominantly by SNCF (French Railways), but also by Deutsche Bahn (German Railways).

Strasbourg is the eastern terminus of a major high speed rail line and thus served by numerous TGV and some ICE trains, most of which continue onwards to Paris or Germany respectively. Unfortunately this has also resulted in the end of many long running sleeper trains such as the original Orient Express.

Major destinations include the following major towns and cities with multiple daily departures. Journey times are approximate, some require TGV trains: Paris 1 hr 50 min, Dijon 2 hr, Lyon 3 hr 40 min, Metz 1 hr 15 min, Nancy 50 min, Marseille 5 hr 30 min, Besancon 1 hr 40 min, Luxembourg 1 hr 40 min, Mulhouse 50 min, Basel 1 hr 25 min, Frankfurt 1 hr 45 min, Stuttgart 1 hr 20 min, Munich 3 hr 40 min, Saarbrücken 1 hr 30 min by direct local train, Brussels 3 hr 40 min.

The TGV Est Européen provides direct services to: Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport 2 hr 25 min, Lille 3 hr 20 min (for same-station connections via Eurostar to London), Rennes 5 hr 15 min, Nantes 5 hr 10 min, Bordeaux 6 hr 45 min.

Coming from Germany with the Deutschland-Ticket you can stay in the RB25 from Offenburg to Strasbourg, but you need to buy an extra ticket for Kehl-Strasbourg for €4.70, which can be bought online. Or you leave the train in Kehl and take a tram to any point in Strasbourg for €1.90

From Saarbrücken, Saar-Elsass ticket can be purchased for €35 on weekends that enables round-trip for up to 5 travellers. More details are found here.

The main train station in Strasbourg is the. The station, impressively renovated with a new glass cocoon frontage, is located a short walk west of the town center on Place de la Gare. There are connections to the tram system and buses, with many taxis waiting outside (to the left of the station forecourt).

For details of all services, and to make reservations, contact SNCF. For regional travel, check SNCF TER Alsace who co-ordinate the efficient and well served regional train network. When planning trips east of Strasbourg into Germany or countries beyond, you could save money by comparing the fares offered by Deutsche Bahn to those of the SNCF.

By bus

 * Flixbus is by far the biggest player in the German market and a big player in the French market as well.

By tram
The German town of Kehl just across the border was linked to the Strasbourg tram network in 2017. It is one of only a handful of places worldwide where you can just hop on an urban rail service and let it take you across an international border. Both sides being within the Schengen Area, you don't need to take a passport or answer the question "business or pleasure" and you'll likely not be asked by customs agents how much booze you are carrying, either (and the limits are very generous at any rate). There are of course fare inspectors, so don't forget to get a ticket.

By car
You can reach Strasbourg by various highways:


 * from the west (Paris, Benelux) taking the A4 highway (E25). About 4 hours from Paris and 2 hr 15 min from Luxembourg.
 * from the south (Switzerland, Lyon), taking the A35 highway (E25). About 5 hours from Lyon
 * from the north and east (Germany), taking the A5 highway (E35).

Driving into Strasbourg's old city is relatively easy although there are a few streets off limits to cars. There are many large garages surrounding the old city if your hotel does not have its own parking facility. Some carparks are more expensive than other, especially for longer stays. The one at Petite France Ste Marguerite is the cheapest at €7.20/24 hour and €5.20 for each consecutive day.

Tickets P+R (parking for the day plus return fare on the tram for up to 7 passengers of the car): €4.10, P+R Rotonde: €4.60.

Get around
Strasbourg is most easily explored on foot, and the historic city centre can easily be explored in a day or two. To be able to cover more ground, you should consider hiring a bike or using the public transport network.

By bike
Strasbourg is ideal for cycling - the city center is flat and there are plenty of bike lanes and bike paths. You can rent bikes at:


 * the automatic or manned bike sharing stations vélhop.
 * rue du Maire Kuss, in front of the train station
 * rue des Bouchers, on the south bank of the Ill river, near the rue d'Austerlitz and the Porte de l'Hôpital tramway station.

Bikes are allowed on trams except during peak hours.

More information on cycling in Strasbourg is available on the Strasbourg website.

By bus and tram


Buses and trams in Strasbourg are operated by the Compagnie des Transports Strasbourgeois (CTS). A few dozen numbered bus lines and six tram lines (named A to F) serve the city. A single ticketing system covers bus and tram. Tickets are sold in 'tabacs' (newsagents), tourist offices, CTS boutiques or from vending machines at tram stops. Tickets should be validated before use, either in the machines on tram station platforms or in the machine by the driver when you board the bus.

Summary of fares (as of Oct 2018):


 * Aller Simple (one way) €1.80 (€2 on board)
 * Aller Retour (round trip) €3.50
 * 10 x Aller Simple (1 contactless ticket suitable only for one person) €14.10
 * 24H Individuel (24-hr ticket for one person) €4.50
 * Trio (one day ticket for up to three people) €6.90

Prices are slightly lower (e.g. €1.70 one-way) if loaded onto a Badgéo card, CTS App or topped up on contactless ticket. CTS App works only with French Sim cards (as of Oct 2018).

If you're using the buses and trams a lot, Europass tickets are available from all automatic ticket machines for either 24 hours or seven days. The Europass Mini is valid on all local tram, bus and train services, including those that cross the border to Kehl. The full Europass ticket also covers the local transport of the Ortenau Tarifverbund in Germany including Offenburg (information in German only).

Petite France
Petite France is the name given to the small area between the rivers, just south of the Grande Île. It is home to some of Strasbourg's prettiest and most photogenic streets and buildings, with half timbered townhouses leaning out over the narrow cobbled streets. Petite France resembles Colmar (a city an hour south), with picturesque canal and half-timber houses.

European district
Use bus lines #6, 30, 72 to get there.

Do



 * Walking around the old town is a very nice way to pass a day. And there are lots of good cafes to stop and rest in as you make your tour.


 * Boat tours along the Rhine offer views over both Strasbourg and neighbouring Germany. Batorama offer several river tours lasting from around 45 minutes to a few hours, costing around €10 per person. 45-min tours run around the town center and the European district. Boats can be found below Place du Marché aux Poissons.
 * Football: RC Strasbourg Alsace play soccer in Ligue 1, the top tier in France. Their home ground Stade de la Meinau (capacity 26,300) is 2 km south of town centre.
 * Christmas Markets can be found in many places, but the most important and beautiful are place Broglie and place de la Cathédrale, although they are crowded. They are the best places to drink hot wine (vin chaud) and to eat Christmas cookies (Brädeles).

Buy
From time to time, the city organizes a general market in vast parts of the center, where many street vendors offer various products and the shops join in with special discounts. Then, the city center on the island is partly closed for parking or driving and the trams don't go on the rue des Francs Bourgeois. Information about regular market dates is hard to find on the net. If you manage to track down the date of this market, write it here and don't miss it.



Try Galeries Lafayettes at rue du 22 Novembre and Printemps at 1-5 rue de la Haute Montée. Rue Hellebardes and Gutenberg offer designer clothes and men's clothes. Bruno Saint Hilaire has designer clothes for men and a shop in 8, rue Gutenberg. There is a low-budget, secondhand clothing shop in 6, rue de la Lanterne, and various gadget shops can be found in rue des Juifs.

For cheap groceries, including local wines and beers, try one of the three outlets of Norma, a German discount chain whose three outlets are at the corner of rue St Michel and rue Ste Marguerite near the central train station; at 79, Grand'Rue near the centre of Grand Île; and at 27, rue des Frères near the Cathedral. Open M-F 10:00-20:00, Sa 09:30-19:00.

Eat
Alsatian specialties are numerous and can be eaten in many traditional restaurants, in the city or in the neighborhood. Particularly you shouldn't visit Alsace without having the sauerkraut (choucroute in French). Choucroute seems to have a standard price throughout Alsace of €14. Don't be too dismayed by this seemingly high price as what is brought to you is a heaping plate of Sauerkraut (big enough for 2 people) as well as sausages and other meats. This is usually translated as "garnished sauerkraut" on English menus, when in doubt ask your server. There is also a delicious fish choucroute. Other specialties include the Alsatian pork-butcher's meat, Flammeküche or flams (tartes flambées in French) which is a sort of wafer thin pizza made with onion-cream sauce, Baeckeoffe, beef and pork stew cooked, with potatoes and carrots, usually served for two or more persons and Fleischnackas, mixed beef meat presented like spirals and served with salads.

Budget
All these are in the city centre:



Drink

 * Beer: Alsace is the first beer-producing region of France and Strasbourg has many breweries. Best known are Kronenbourg and Fischer, whose factories can be visited for free, with free drinks at the end of the tour.
 * Alsatian white wine: usually drunk with Alsatian food, but also with fish. The main varieties are Gewürtztraminer, Riesling and Pinot Gris. They have a particularly floral flavour and are well worth investigating. Explore it on the Alsace Wine Route with free tastings everywhere.

Sleep
There are many hotels around the station, especially in the place de la Gare and in the rue du Maire Kuss, but this area does not offer consistent quality for accommodations. Most international hotel chains are represented with the usual 2- or 3-star hotels, many of which host the large tour groups who come on weekend breaks. If your budget allows, try staying on the Grande Île (city centre). Most of Strasbourg's hotels are fully booked during the Christmas Market period (December) and when the EU parliament is in session for a few days every month, usually for the period around the tenth. Book ahead if in doubt, as last minute accommodation can be difficult to find during these periods.

Stay safe
Strasbourg is just like any other major French city: there are safe areas and there are unsafe areas. In any case, standard safety precautions need to be applied.

In the city center, watch out for pickpockets near the Cathedral (and even inside, according to the signs), during the high tourist season, and throughout the old town.

The areas immediately surrounding the railway station might look unsavory at night, but there are usually lots of people around there, and the streets are well-lit. Avoid looking like a lost tourist and you will be fine. If you do feel uncomfortable, don't hesitate to approach a police officer or taxi driver.

Some areas in the south (especially the Neuhof neighborhood, which often ranks among France's worst neighborhoods) and west (Hautepierre, Cronenbourg) of the city might be iffy, especially at night, but they have little tourist appeal.

Phone
Local mobile phone services are provided by Orange, SFR and Bouygues Télécom. Payphone kiosks are plentiful and international calling cards can be purchased in post offices and 'tabacs' (corner shops). Most of the internet cafés listed below are also equipped for making online telephony calls (Skype etc.).

Internet

 * In most McDonald's in Strasbourg you get free WLAN.

Consulates

 * 🇬🇷 Greece
 * 🇯🇵 Japan
 * 🇷🇴 Romania
 * 🇷🇺 Russia
 * 🇷🇸 Serbia
 * 🇪🇸 Spain
 * 🇨🇭 Switzerland
 * 🇺🇸 United States

Go next



 * Sélestat — with Haut-Koenigsbourg castle nearby
 * Alsatian Vineyard Route
 * Colmar
 * Kaysersberg
 * Riquewihr
 * Obernai
 * Marmoutier — about from Strasbourg, has a beautiful 12th-century abbey church
 * Germany, in the Black Forest region:
 * Kehl is a short ride or walk across the river.
 * Offenburg is the end of the TER line, a 30-minute ride away, at the foot of the mountains of the Black Forest.