Getting in Strasbourg

By Air

The airport, France’s seventh largest, is situated 12km (seven miles) southwest of Strasbourg. International links include flights to Amsterdam, Brussels, Casablanca, Copenhagen, Istanbul, London, Madrid, Milan, Moscow and Vienna. There are excellent connections to Paris - links between the two cities represent approximately 70% of the airport’s traffic.

Major airlines: The national carrier is Air France . Other airlines include Air Littoral, Austrian Airlines, Iberia, KLM, Regional Airlines, Transaero and SN Brussels.

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, Budget Rent a Car, Europcar, Hertz, National/Citer and Sixt.

Business facilities: The airport hires out rooms accommodating from six to 60 delegates for meetings and conferences . Audiovisual equipment and catering is also available on request.

Arrival/departure tax: None.

Transport to the city: Compagnie de Transport Strasbourgeois - CTS operate 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. The tram service operates every 15 minutes Monday to Friday, Saturday morning and Sunday afternoon, then every 30 minutes Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning (see Public Transport in Getting Around). The cost is €4.70 (single), €8.60 (return) and €42.50 (for a carnet of 10 tickets). Taxis to the city centre cost approximately €23.

By Road

Motorways (’autoroutes’) bear the prefix ‘A’ and national roads ‘N’. Minor roads are classed as ‘D’ (for ‘departementales’) roads. Traffic is on the right and drivers must give way to the right, unless the route is marked with ‘passage protege’ signs (a broad arrow, a yellow diamond or an ‘X’ on a triangular background), or if the driver is at a roundabout indicating ‘Vous n’avez pas la priorite’. 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 licence 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 seatbelts 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 licence, 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 obtain a Green Card, without which insurance cover is limited to the minimum legal cover. The Green Card tops this up to the level of cover provided by the car owner’s domestic policy.

Useful contacts for drivers in Strasbourg include the Automobile Club Action+, 5 avenue de la Paix , the Hotel de Police, 34 route de l’Hopital , and Zurich Assurances (Zurich Insurance), 7 rue de Verdon .

Emergency breakdown service: Automobile Club (0800) 080 001.

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 recently developed Strasbourg-Mulhouse route is linked to the national motorway network, facilitating access to Lyons and Marseilles, 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 serves the immediate surroundings of Strasbourg, including Wasselonne, Obernai and Erstein. Mugler serves the north of Strasbourg and more distant locations, including major towns of Haguenau and Niederbronn-Les-Bains. Eurolines, 6D place d’Austerlitz , operates international coach services to major destinations throughout Europe.

By Rail

The Societe Nationale des Chemins de Fer Français - SNCF operates the national railway service. The main train station, located at 20 place de la Gare , is France’s sixth largest railway station. There is a post office located nearby, at 18 place de la Gare, and car hire from Avis, Budget, Europcar and Hertz are available at or near the station.

Rail services: There are good services to many European cities, such as Frankfurt (journey time - 2 hours 45 minutes), three daily trains to Brussels (journey time - 5 hours 15 minutes) and London (journey time - 6 hours), as well as links to France’s major cities, including Paris (journey time - 4 hours 45 minutes), Bordeaux (journey time - 8 hours 30 minutes) and Marseille via Lyon (journey time - 8 hours).

The new high-speed TGV-Est, currently under construction, will run from Paris Est to Metz and Strasbourg. This will greatly enhance the existing service. Work began on the first stage at the beginning of 2002 and 2005 will see the first train trials. The first section of the new line is expected to open in summer 2007.

Transport to the city: Trams taken in the direction of Illkirch or Etoile, lead directly to the city centre’s L’Homme de Fer stop (see Public Transport in Getting Around).