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Voykit pocket guide · France
Strasbourg
Give Strasbourg 2 nights: one full day for the Grande Île and Petite France on foot, one for the European district or a wine-route day trip.
Strasbourg is the capital of the Grand Est region and the seat of the European Parliament, the Council of Europe and the European Court of Human Rights. Its UNESCO-listed Grande Île is compact and flat, walkable end to end in about 30 minutes, so the city works as a 2-night base or as a stop on the Alsace wine route. Most visitors come for the cathedral, Petite France and the Christmas market.
- Country
- France
- Best months
- May–Jun, Sep–Oct; Dec for the Christmas market
- Avoid
- Jul–Aug (crowds and heat), late Dec school holidays
- Stay
- 2 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- EUR
- Money
- Currency is the euro (EUR, €). Contactless cards work in most shops, cafés and restaurants.
- Daily spend
- Budget €55–85 excl. bed · Mid €90–150 excl. bed · High €160+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Orange, SFR, Bouygues Télécom and Free sell prepaid SIMs in their shops and at tabacs; ID is required to register.
- Emergency
- European emergency number 112 · Ambulance (SAMU) 15 · Police 17 · Fire 18
- Plugs
- Types C, E · 230 V · 50 Hz · Round two-pin plugs; type E sockets have an earth pin sticking out, so Schuko (type F) plugs need a C/E hybrid or an adapter.
- Tipping
- Café or bar: Leave small change, €0.20–1.; Restaurant: Service is included; leave 5–10% in cash for good service.; Taxi: Round up to the next euro or two.; Hotel porter or housekeeping: €1–2 per bag or per night.; Tour guide: €5–10 per person for a half day, more for private guides.
- Water
- Tap water is safe everywhere unless signed otherwise. Restaurants must serve a free carafe of tap water on request.
- Toilets
- Paris has free automatic public toilets (sanisettes); elsewhere use cafés (buy a coffee), museums and stations, where some charge €0.50–1.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee at a café | €2–4 |
| Tarte flambée (flammekueche) | €8–14 |
| Choucroute garnie in a winstub | €16–26 |
| Beer: 25 cl draught / 50 cl in a bar | €3–5 / €5–8 |
| CTS single tram or bus ticket | €2.50 |
| Cathedral tower climb | €8 (check) |
| Museum entry (Musée Alsacien, Œuvre Notre-Dame) | €6.50–7.50 |
| 5 km (3.1 mi) taxi3.1 mi (5 km) taxi | €14–18 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- SXB · Strasbourg Airport (Entzheim)
- 9 min by train to the central station, roughly every 15 min; buy on the platform for about €2.30, or about €4 with a tram connection
- BSL · Basel-Mulhouse-Freiburg (EuroAirport)
- Bus to Saint-Louis station, then about 1 h 20 min by train to Strasbourg
- FKB · Karlsruhe/Baden-Baden
- About 60 km (37 mi) away in Germany; bus to Baden-Baden Hauptbahnhof, then train with one change, 45 min–1 hAbout 37 mi (60 km) away in Germany; bus to Baden-Baden Hauptbahnhof, then train with one change, 45 min–1 h
Typical fares
- SXB → Gare de Strasbourg, train
- about €2.30 on the platform, 9 min
- CTS single ticket
- €2.50, validate before boarding
- Strasbourg → Paris, TGV
- 1 h 50 min; book ahead for the cheapest fare
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
Walk: the Grande Île is flat and compact, 20–30 min across. Tram and bus (CTS) cover the rest, six tram lines A–F plus BRT lines G and H; validate every ticket before boarding. Bikes are the local default: the centre is flat with dense lanes, and vélhop stations rent by the day. Trams link directly to Kehl in Germany.
See and do
Known for
- Strasbourg Cathedral and its astronomical clock
- Petite France and the Ponts Couverts
- European Parliament and Council of Europe
- Christmas market (Marché de Noël)
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Colmar | TER train from Gare de Strasbourg, about 30 min, roughly hourly | About 1 h |
| Mulhouse | TER train, about 50 min | About 1 h 15 min |
| Riquewihr | Train to Colmar, then bus 106 or a taxi, about 30 min | 1.5–2 h |
| Eguisheim | Train to Colmar, then bus or taxi, about 20 min | 1.5–2 h |
| Sélestat | TER train, about 20 min | About 45 min |
| Kaysersberg | Train to Colmar, then bus or taxi, about 30 min | 1.5–2 h |
Sleep
- Grande Île (cathedral and Petite France)
- Everything on foot; book early, rooms are small and priciest. Best for a first visit.
- Around Gare de Strasbourg
- 5–10 min walk west of the centre; tram and TGV access, cheaper rooms, some street noise.
- Krutenau
- South-east of the cathedral across the Ill; student bars and cafés, 10–15 min walk to the centre.
- European district (Wacken)
- Quiet, near the Parliament and Parc de l'Orangerie; bus or tram to the old town.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello | Bonjourbon-ZHOOR |
| Thank you | Mercimair-SEE |
| Please | S'il vous plaîtseel voo PLEH |
| How much is it? | C'est combien ?say kom-BYEN |
| The bill, please | L'addition, s'il vous plaîtla-dee-SYON seel voo PLEH |
| Do you speak English? | Parlez-vous anglais ?par-lay voo ahn-GLEH |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Say 'bonjour madame/monsieur' on entering any shop, bus or office; avoid: Asking a question before saying bonjour — it is read as rude
- Cheek kisses (la bise): Follow the other person's lead; one to four kisses depending on region; avoid: Initiating la bise with strangers or in business
- Addressing people: Use 'vous' and titles until invited otherwise; avoid: First names and 'tu' with older people or staff
- Restaurants: Wait to be seated in restaurants; call the waiter 'monsieur' or 'madame'; avoid: 'Garçon', snapping fingers, asking for the bill before you are finished
- Conversation: Debate is a pleasure; food, politics and philosophy are fair game; avoid: Asking about salary or religion; loud voices on trains
- Dinner at a home: Bring flowers (not chrysanthemums), chocolates or a good bottle; arrive 10–15 minutes late; avoid: Cutting the tip off a cheese wedge or asking for ketchup
- Dress: Smart-casual in cities; covered shoulders in churches; avoid: Beachwear in town centres
Scams and watch-outs
- Validate your tram or bus ticket before boarding; inspectors fine on the spot.
- The cathedral astronomical clock is only shown at set times, and the tower climb has separate hours: check the official site.
- Petite France and the cathedral square are pickpocket territory in summer and at the Christmas market.
- Many shops and some restaurants close Sunday and Monday in the old town.
- Parking inside the old town is expensive; use a P+R lot and ride the tram in.
Strasbourg is a safe city by day and night; the real risks are pickpockets around the cathedral and Petite France, tram fare inspectors, and unlit cobbles after rain.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Strasbourg yet. Suggested stay: 2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Strasbourg Cathedral and its astronomical clock
- Petite France and the Ponts Couverts
- European Parliament and Council of Europe
- Christmas market (Marché de Noël)
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Strasbourg official city site: www.strasbourg.eu
- Visit Alsace — Strasbourg tourist office: www.visit.alsace/en/223005658-tourist-office-of-strasbourg/
- CTS — Strasbourg public transport: www.cts-strasbourg.eu/en/
- SNCF Connect: www.sncf-connect.com/
- Wikivoyage: Strasbourg, revision 5340053 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5340053
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Strasbourg
À cette adresse, s'il vous plaît
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
The US has a consulate general in Strasbourg; most other countries keep embassies in Paris (check).
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/strasbourg). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.