Getting There By Rail
The Socit Nationale des Chemins de Fer Franais – SNCF (tel: (08) 9235 3535; website: www.sncf.com ) operates the national railway service. The main train station, located at 20 place de la Gare (tel: (03) 8875 4120), 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).
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Getting There By Rail