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A Journey Through Time: Visiting Alsace’s Memorial Sites
- February 27, 2023
- To Know
Alsace is a region that has been marked by several historical events, including both World War I and World War II. As... Read More
How to come to Alsace
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by Ralph Ward
- July 11, 2020
- To Know
- 0
So, you’ve been inspired by all the colorful timbered houses and now you want to come to Alsace? It turns out you have many options! France and Germany have fighted over Alsace many times because geographically speaking, it’s perfectly situated for trading, by air, land, and water.
By Plane
Alsace has 2 major airports: Basel-Mulhouse EuroAirport and Strasbourg Airport.
The latter is quite small and is mostly used for domestic flights, and it’s most likely you will land at the EuroAirport.
It’s strategically located in the South of Alsace, at the border between Switzerland and Germany. It’s shared with the 3 countries so it can be quite a busy airport. Many destinations are offered, and often with low cost airlines! You can check here all the direct flights, and check Google flights to find the best prices.
How to leave the airport
Public transport
💡 Good to know: Although EuroAirport is quite small, it is not very well indicated how to find the shuttle. When you leave the airport, look for the blue sign “Distribus” (see image).
This shuttle bus will take you to the closest train station (called “Saint-Louis”) in 12 minutes and costs 2,50€. They depart every 10 minutes but the schedule may vary, be sure to check the timetable here (in French).
Bus
You can also find Flixbuses just outside the airport, which travel to many different cities. You’ll have to book in advance, check out their website.
Taxi
Like all airports, there are many taxis waiting for travelers. Here’s a list of various companies.
💡 Good to know: taxis in France are properly marked with the rooftop sign and although the risk is very low, you should ignore any rogue taxi driver offering his car. Unlike some cities, the fair is non negotiable, and is also not fixed going to a particular city. Depending on the season and time of day, going to Mulhouse will cost about 50€, Colmar about 80€ and Friburg about 140€.
💡 Good to know: You can take Ubers, but they are usually used for smaller trips within cities, so you will likely not see any close to the airport, and the price will be the same as a regular taxi.
Car rental
One of the most convenient ways to experience traveling around Alsace is by car. There are quite a few car rental companies to choose from at the airport, here is the full list.
💡 Good to know: If you book your accommodation with us, we can offer a 25% discount on Avis and Europcar!
🥨 Our recommendation: The bus shuttle is definitely the cheapest option, although they can get crowded and waiting for the next one could delay your time to catch the train. Taking a taxi is the comfortable option, although that can get quite expensive! The most flexible option is renting a car which is ideal if you wish to visit many villages, but this also can become expensive if the demand is high!
By Train
The railway network in France is state-owned, and you can use their official website for booking your train. Here’s a quick list of time durations to Strasbourg from major cities:
- Paris: 1h 46 min
- Charles de Gaulle airport: 1h 50 min
- Brussels: 3h 30 min
- Luxembourg: 1h 35 min
- Frankfurt: 1h 48 min
- Munich: 3h 30 min
Once in Alsace, you can travel across the region in under 2 hours by train. Check out how to get around by other means here.
💡 Good to know: The regional trains, called “TER” are at a fixed price which is a relief as you don’t have to plan ahead so much. You are also not guaranteed a seat, even if you book.
By Car
Sure enough, you can come by car to Alsace, and here’s a quick list of time durations from major cities to Strasbourg:
- Zurich: 1h 30 min
- Bern: 1h 30 min
- Frankfurt: 2h 15 min
- Brussels: 4h 30 min
- Munich: 4h
- Milan: 4h 30 min
- Vienna: 8h 30 min
💡 Good to know: Once in Alsace, there are no tolls on the motorway!
🥨 Our recommendation: If you don’t have a car and are looking for a local experience, you can also do carpooling with the BlaBlaCar, very popular in France and is often a cheap alternative!
🥨 A good website to compare all 4 options above (plane, train, bus and carpooling) is Omio.
By Boat
This is quite an uncommon means of transport but it is possible to come to Alsace by boat. There are 3 main canals:
- Canal de la Sarre & Canal de la Marne au Rhin if you’re coming from the North
- Canal du Rhône au Rhin if you’re coming from the South
The biggest cruise company is CroisiEurope, check out their website here (in French).
