Traveling to Strasbourg

By plane

The air connections to Strasbourg-Entzheim international airport (SXB) are rather limited. Unless you find a convenient flight to Strasbourg, we advise you to land instead in Paris and connect by train (option 2 below), or in Frankfurt and connect by shuttle bus (option 3 below).

Option 1: directly to Strasbourg airport (SXB)

Regional trains (TER) connect Strasbourg airport to the central station in the city center (up to 5 times per hour). Trains are replaced by buses at night. Once you have collected your luggage, turn right to reach the far side of the terminal building. Buy a train ticket at the CTS kiosk. Exit the terminal building and follow the concourse in between the parking lots to the train station. Go up, above the highway, and down on the first platform.

Don't forget to stamp your ticket before you board the train.

Option 2: land in Paris (CDG) + fast train to Strasbourg city center (2 hours)

If you cannot find a convenient connection to Strasbourg airport, the best option is to land in Paris-Roissy Charles de Gaulle airport (CDG), and take a high-speed train (TGV) from the terminal building. The train takes 2 hours to cover the 500 km to Strasbourg.

Make sure your train leaves from the CDG airport, and not from Paris city center (Gare de l'Est or Massy, which would be much longer and less convenient).

If you travel with AirFrance, you can book the flight and the train together as parts of the same trip, and have a guaranteed re-booking in case of delays. (AirFrance uses the code XWG for Strasbourg train station.) 
If you travel with another airline, you have to book the train separately (see below). It is very strongly advised to book the train in advance.

Important: you have to collect your checked luggage at Paris airport (and pass immigration controls and customs if you travel from outside the Schengen area).

Follow the signs toward the train station (Grandes lignes) located between the terminals 2C/2D and 2E/2F. If you land at terminal 1, take the CDGVAL automatic shuttle to terminal 2. The shuttle arrives right next to the train station. 
The plateforme number of your train to Strasbourg is shown on the monitors about 20 minutes before the train leaves.

In Paris-CDG airport, follow the signs to the train station, and the mainline services (Grandes lignes)

In the train station, look for the blue screen (green is for arrivals). The plateforme number is shown to the right, about 20 minutes before departure (red arrow in the picture).

Option 3: land in Frankfurt (FRA) + shuttle bus to Strasbourg city center (3 hours)

If you arrive in Frankfurt airport (FRA), you can connect to Strasbourg station with the Lufthansa Express Bus service. The ride takes about 3 hours.

If you travel with Lufthansa, you can book the flight and the bus together as parts of the same trip, and have a guaranteed re-booking in case of delays. (Lufthansa uses the code XER for their bus stop in Strasbourg.)
If you travel with another airline, you have to book the bus separately. 

It's not possible to buy a ticket at the airport nor in the bus.

Important: you have to collect your checked luggage at Frankfurt airport (and pass immigration controls and customs if you travel from outside the Schengen area). 

Follow the signs toward the train station (Bahnhof) located in the Squaire building. At the train station, turn left toward the Rewe supermarket, and exit the building immediately right of Rewe. The bus arrives at (and leaves from) Strasbourg main train station.

Option 4 (not recommended): land in Paris Orly (ORY) + Paris subway + fast train to Strasbourg city center (3 hours)

The connections to your onward journey are less convenient if you land in Paris Orly airport (ORY), but still quite easy. 

Take the automatic express shuttle OrlyVal between Orly airport and the metro/RER station Antony. Then, take the local train RER B either southbound to Massy-Palaiseau ( in the South suburbs of Paris), or northbound to Paris Gare de l'Est (in Paris city center).
From either of these station, you can take a high speed train TGV to Strasbourg (about 2 hours). Booking the TGV in advance is highly recommended.

By train

Once a stop along the Orient-Express lines, Strasbourg main station is very well connected:
- the French SNCF operates high-speed trains TGV inOui, low-cost high-speed trains Ouigo (additional fees for luggage), and regional trains TER,
- the German DB operates high-speed trains ICE

Trains from Paris leave from Gare de l'Est (city center), Massy-Palaiseau (South suburbs, near Orsay/Saclay, Orly airport), and CDG airport.

By car

We advise against coming to Strasbourg by car, unless your accommodation is far from the public transport network. It is rather difficult to drive in the city center as most streets are closed to car traffic.

Strasbourg is a low emission zone (ZFE), meaning that you must display a special sticker (Crit'Air) on your windshield to prove that your vehicle has a low carbon imprint. Vehicles without it are not permitted in the city. You can purchase the sticker online, even if you have a foreign license plate, but allow for a few weeks for process and delivery.
Furthermore, parking is very expensive in the city for non-residents, specially around the conference venue.

If you still come by personal or rental car, you can consider using the Park-and-Ride option: park the car outside the city in dedicated parking lots, and hop on a tram. It costs about 5 euros the first day, and 10 euros for any additional day. A return tram ticket is included for all the persons in the car. Otherwise, you will probably find (very expensive, you have been warned!) parking spots near the Observatory along Rue de l'Université. 

Getting around Strasbourg

From Strasbourg train station to the tram network

- Line C (to city center, the conference venue, the Observatory): immediately after exiting the station (ground level), turn left toward the tram stop. Take any tram leaving from there.

- Lines A and D (to city center, Southern suburbs (Illkirch), Germany (Kehl), etc.): inside the hallway of the train station, go to the underground tram station.

Getting around by tram

Most locations and attractions are at a walking distance from the conference venue. Yet, Strasbourg offers an extensive network of trams and buses. You can purchase tram tickets at a kiosk at every stop. (Tickets cannot be purchased in the tram.) You may want to consider getting a bundle of 10 tickets, for a small discount. 

Don't forget to stamp your ticket, or to badge your card before boarding the tram. 

Connections are included with your ticket for 1 hour (no need to re-stamp nor re-badge).

Trams run from 4:30 in the morning (5:30 on Sundays) until 0:30 at night. Most bars and restaurants close at similar times, but some stay open until late/early...

To reach the conference venue:

Local information

To reach the historical city center (Grande Ile)​:

All the tram lines pass by the heart of the city. 

The tram stops "Homme de Fer" (lines A, B, C, D, F), "Broglie" (lines B, C, F) and "Langstross Grand'Rue" (lines A, D) are the main ones to start your visit. 

Note that the city center is only about 20 minutes by foot from the conference venue and the Observatoire (and it's a nice walk!). It takes about 40 minutes by foot to go from the campus to the train station.

Getting around by rental bike

The Velhop service offers rental bikes at many station (1.20 euros per hour. Extra charges apply for more than 24 hours).
Download the app, scan the QR code at the back of the bike and let's go! 
You can park your bike without ending the rental (use the "pause" button). 

Important: you must return your bike at the same station you picked it up, or extra charges will apply. 

You can also rent a bike for a week (21 euros) or a month (25 euros): check the Velhop desk at the train station.