Getting There By Air:Strasbourg International Airport (SXB) Tel: 03886 46767.
Website:
www.strasbourg.aeroport.fr The airport is situated 12km (7 miles) southwest of Strasbourg. International links include flights to Amsterdam, Brussels, Casablanca, Copenhagen, Istanbul, London, Madrid, Milan, Tunis and Vienna. There are excellent connections to Paris - links between the two cities represent approximately 70% of the airport's traffic.
Approximate flight
times to Strasbourg: From London is 1 hour 30 minutes; from New York is 8 hours; from Los Angeles is 11 hours; from Toronto is 8 hours 15 minutes and from Sydney is 23 hours 50 minutes.
Airport facilities: These include duty-free shops and boutiques, a restaurant, bar, newsagent, two ATMs and car hire from
Avis, Europcar, Hertz, National/Citer and
Sixt. Wi-Fi is available in the terminal and boarding area. The airport hires out office space and meeting rooms for up to 20 people (tel: 03886 46767). Audiovisual equipment and catering is also available.
Transport to the city: Compagnie des Transports Strasbourgeois (CTS) (tel: 03887 77070; website:
www.cts-strasbourg.fr) operates shuttles (
navettes) from the airport arrivals terminal to the Baggersee tram station (journey time - 12 minutes), from where there is a direct link to all points within the city. These depart every 20 minutes. Taxis to the city center are also available.
Getting There By Road:Motorways bear the prefix ‘A' and other major roads ‘N' (nationales) or ‘D' (
départementales). Traffic is on the right and drivers must give way to the right, unless the route is marked with ‘
passage protégé' signs (a broad arrow, a yellow diamond or an ‘X' on a triangular background), or at roundabouts.
Speed limits are 130kph (81mph) on motorways, 110kph (68mph) on dual carriageways separated by a central reservation, 90kph (46mph) outside built-up areas and 50kph (31mph) in built-up areas. Visitors who have held a driving license for less than two years face tighter speed restrictions.
The minimum age for driving is 18 years. All front and rear-seat passengers must wear seat belts and children under 10 years may not travel in the front seat. The French police fine motorists on the spot for driving offences, such as speeding. Random breath tests for drinking and driving are common - the legal alcohol to blood ratio is 0.05%.
A national driving license, the car's registration document and a red warning triangle must be carried at all times. EU nationals taking their own cars to France are strongly advised to check what level of cover their car insurance policy provides when driving abroad, and top it up if necessary.
Emergency breakdown service: Automobile Club: Tel (0800 0800 01).
Routes to the city: Strasbourg is on the central European motorway network, directly connected to Paris by the A4 motorway to the west, linked to Munich via Stuttgart on the A8
Autobahn to the east and the A5 north to Frankfurt. The Strasbourg-Mulhouse route is linked to the national motorway network, allowing access to Lyon and Marseille, as well as to destinations in Spain and Italy.
Approximate driving times to Strasbourg: From Stuttgart - 1 hour 30 minutes; Frankfurt - 2 hours; Paris - 4 hours 15 minutes.
Coach services: The coach station is located at place des Halles and served by two companies.
Compagnie des Transports Strasbourgeois (CTS) (tel: 03887 77070; website:
www.cts-strasbourg.fr) serves the immediate surroundings of Strasbourg, including Wasselonne, Obernai and Erstein.
Eurolines, 6D place d'Austerlitz (tel: 03902 21460; website:
www.eurolines.fr), operates international coach services to major destinations throughout Europe.
Getting There By Rail:The French national railway (SNCF) (tel: 08923 53535; website:
www.sncf.com) operates frequent direct high-speed trains to Strasbourg from Paris Gare de l'Est and Lille Europe (interchange with Eurostar from London). Strasbourg's main train station, at 20 place de la Gare (tel: 03887 54120), is France's second largest railway station outside of Paris. There is a post office located nearby, at 18 place de la Gare, and car hire is available at or near the station.
Rail services: The high-speed
TGV-Est runs from Paris Est to Strasbourg in 2 hours 20 minutes. The best journey time from London (Eurostar to Paris and TGV-Est to Strasbourg) is about 5 hours 11 minutes. There are good services from many European cities, such as Frankfurt (journey time - 2 hours 10 minutes), as well as links to France's major cities, including Bordeaux (journey time - 6 hours 11 minutes) and Marseille via Lyon (journey time - 7 hours 30 minutes).
Getting Around:
Public TransportThe Compagnie des Transports Strasbourgeois (CTS) (tel: 03887 77070; website:
www.cts-strasbourg.fr) operates the
bus and
tram systems in Strasbourg.
Trams run daily between 0420-0040, and every few minutes in rush hour. There are five tram lines.
Line A links the northwest (Hautepierre) with the south of the city (Illkirch-Graffenstaden) and passes through the main train station, place Kléber and place de l'Etoile.
Line B links southwest Strasbourg to the northern districts.
Line C semi-circles through the southern half of the city, linking Elsau, the university quarter and Esplanade district to the center.
Line D runs northwest to east through the city center. Lines A-D meet at place de l'Homme de Fer in central Strasbourg.
Line E, running from the Baggersee airport shuttle terminal in the south to the European Union institutions in the northeast, meets lines B and C at the central République stop.
Buses run daily between 0500/0600 - 0000, with a less frequent service (and some lines not running) on Sundays. There are about 23 routes covering the city. Lines 4 and 6 are useful for travel and sightseeing within the city center.
Bus and tram tickets are available from
CTS bureaux located at place Kléber and at the central station, as well as from post offices, some newsagents and ticket machines at some of the stops. Tickets must be stamped for validation before boarding the tram or bus. There are machines at the stops for this purpose.
A discounted book of 10 tickets is available from
CTS sales points and other outlets, as well as bargain-priced tickets called
‘24h Individuel' and
‘Trio' (for up to three people traveling together), which allow unlimited bus and tram travel in a 24-hour period.
CTS sales points or the Central Tourist Office, 17 place de la Cathédrale (tel: 03885 22828) can provide a free map of the public transport network.
Further information on transport in Strasbourg is available from the tourist office, 17 place de la Cathedrale (Tel: 03885 22828; website:
www.otstrasbourg.fr).
TaxisThere are many taxi operators in Strasbourg. One of the principal companies is
Taxi 13 (tel: 03883 61313; website:
www.taxi13.fr), which has over 200 vehicles and operates round the clock. Taxis can also be hailed at ranks at the train station, airport and place de l'Homme de Fer. Many taxis accept payment by credit card and tipping is not expected.
Driving in the CityAlmost the entire center of Strasbourg is pedestrianized and cars should be left at the large car parks on the fringes of the city center. The popularity of public transport (particularly the trams) means that traffic congestion is rarely a problem. What rush hour there is takes place Monday to Friday 0800-0900 and 1630-1830.
In order to encourage drivers to use public transport, several large car parks outside the center charge low daily rates, which cover tram tickets for all passengers. More central car park charges are more expensive. Three large car parks cluster around the place des Halles. Parking at the railway station, St Aurélie, Serres, Canal and Porte de l'Hôpital car parks is free for up to 30 minutes. The Bateliers Car Park, near place d'Austerlitz, and Parking 2 Sebastopol, at Center Halles, are free 2000-0200 - ideal for nights out. Further information is available from Strasbourg's online parking guide
Parcus (website:
www.parcus.com).
Car HireProviders include
Avis (tel: 0820 050 505; website:
www.avis.fr) and
Europcar France (tel: 0825 358 358; website:
www.europcar.fr), both located near the train station, and
Hertz France, 10a boulevard Metz (tel: 03883 25762; website:
www.hertz.fr). The minimum age for car hire varies from 21 to 25 years. A credit card is required and drivers must have possessed a national driving license for at least one year. Insurance is usually included in the price.
Bicycle HireStrasbourg has the largest cycle network in France. Bicycles are available for hire from non-profit
Vélocation (tel: 03882 35675
or 03882 40561; website:
www.velocation.net) at place de la Gare and 10 rue des Bouchers, and
Esprit Cycles, 18 rue Jacques Peirotes (tel: 03883 61841; website:
www.espritcycles.com). A deposit and ID are required. Maps of the cycling routes are available when you hire.
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