Getting Arouund in Strasbourg

Public Transport

The Compagnie des Transports Strasbourgeois - CTS operates the bus and tram systems in Strasbourg.

Trams run daily 0430-2430, approximately every two minutes in rush hour. Line A links the northwest (Hautepierre) with the south of the city (Illkirch-Graffenstaden) and passes through the main train station, place Kleber and place de l’Etoile. Line B links the southeast of Strasbourg (Elsau district) to the communes in the north (Schiltigheim, Bischeim and Hoenheim), while line C links Elsau to the heart of the university quarter, the Esplanade district. The lines meet at place de l’Homme de Fer in central Strasbourg.

Buses run Monday to Friday 0430-2330, Saturday and Sunday 0530-2330. The main stops are at Baggersee, Hautepierre, Observatoire, Montagne Verte and Pont Phario.

Bus and tram tickets cost €1.10 and a carnet of five (Multipass) costs €4.70. The Central Tourist Office, 17 place de la Cathedrale (tel: (03) 8852 2828), sells carnets of bus tickets and provides a free bus map. Tickets are also available from CTS bureaux located at place Kleber and at the central station, as well as from post offices, some newsagents (tabacs) 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.

The TourPass, allowing unlimited bus and tram transport for 24 hours, costs €3. These are also available from CTS bureaux and the Office du Tourisme. A Family Pass is also available, costing €3.80.

Information on transport in Strasbourg is available online (website: www.transports-strasbourg.org ).

Taxis
Taxis can be hailed at taxi ranks at the train station and place de l’Homme de Fer. France Taxi operate 24 hours. Taxis charge €1.20 per kilometre during the day, rising to €1.80 at night and weekends. An extra charge of €0.50 is made for each item of luggage. Many taxis accept payment by credit card and tipping is not expected.

Limousines
AICS, 15 avenue General de Gaulle, provides a chauffeured limousine service at a rate of €499.25 per day. Similar services are offered by American Limousine Service, 5 rue Lyautey , and VIP Car Solutions, 58 rue de la Loire .

Driving in the City
Almost the entire centre of Strasbourg is pedestrianised and cars should be left at the large car parks on the fringes of the city centre. 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, eight large car parks outside the centre charge low rates of €2.70 per day, which includes tram tickets for all passengers. More central car parks charge about €1.10 per hour. Sainte-Marguerite-Petite France, close to the Musee d’Art Moderne, charges €2.30 for six hours and €0.80 for less than one hour. Sainte Aurelie-Gare, just south of the station, charges the same rate.

Three large car parks cluster around the place des Halles. Parking at the railway station, Serres, Canal and Porte de l’Hopital car parks is free for visits of less than 30 minutes. The Bateliers Car Park, near the Cathedral, Austerlitz, in the south of Strasbourg, near the place d’Austerlitz, and ‘Parking 2′, at Centre Halles, are free 2000-0200 - ideal for nights out. Further information is available from Strasbourg’s online parking guide, Parcus , as well as Communaute Urbaine de Strasbourg.

Car Hire

Providers include Avis and Europcar France, both located near the train station, and Hertz France, 10a boulevard Metz . 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 licence for at least one year.

Hire rates are approximately €68 to €270 per day, with insurance usually included in the price. Environmentally friendly electric cars are available for hire at €15 for half a day or €30 for a day, from the Sainte-Aurelie Car Park, 1 Boulevard de Metz. A deposit of €150 is required.

Bicycle Hire

Strasbourg has the largest cycle network in France. Bicycles are available for hire from Velocation, located not far from the station, at 4 rue du Maire Kuss, Sainte-Aurelie 1, boulevard de Metz , Petite France, Tours des Ponts Couverts, and Place du Château , as well as from Bus Velocation, at the European Parliament .

A deposit of €45.70 is required, together with identification. Bicycle hire costs €3.05 for a half day or €4.57 for one day . Internet booking is also possible and maps of the cycling routes are on sale at the point of hire.