World City Guide

Getting Around

Public Transport
The Compagnie des Transports Strasbourgeois – CTS (tel: (03) 8877 7070; website: www.strasbourg.com/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 Klber 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 Cathdrale (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 Klber 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 (tel: (03) 8822 1919) and Taxi 13 (tel: (03) 8836 1313) 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 Gnral de Gaulle (tel: (03) 8845 9191; fax: (03) 8845 9190; e-mail: aics@noos.fr; website: www.alsace-limousines.com ), provides a chauffeured limousine service at a rate of 499.25 per day. Similar services are offered by American Limousine Service, 5 rue Lyautey (tel: (03) 8819 6169), and VIP Car Solutions, 58 rue de la Loire (tel: (03) 8833 6366).

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 Muse 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 (website: www.parcus.com ), as well as Communaut Urbaine de Strasbourg (website: www.transports-strasbourg.org ).

Car Hire
Providers include Avis (tel: (03) 8832 3044; website: www.avis.fr ) and Europcar France (tel: (03) 8815 5566; website: www.europcar.fr ), both located near the train station, and Hertz France, 10a boulevard Metz (tel: (03) 8832 5762; 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 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-Aurlie 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 Vlocation, located not far from the station, at 4 rue du Maire Kuss (tel: (03) 8852 0101), 10 rue des Bouchers (tel: (03) 8835 1165), Sainte-Aurlie 1, boulevard de Metz (tel: (03) 8832 2011), Petite France, Tours des Ponts Couverts (tel: (03) 8822 5919), and Place du Chteau (tel: (03) 8821 0638), as well as from Bus Vlocation, at the European Parliament (tel: (06) 1449 4360).

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 (concessions available). Internet booking is also possible (e-mail: info@velo-strasbourg.com; website: www.velo-strasbourg.com ) and maps of the cycling routes are on sale at the point of hire.