Alsace is very well-served by TGV. Paris-Strasbourg in 1h46 (LGV Est, from Paris-Gare de l'Est), Paris-Colmar in 2h20 (change at Strasbourg, or direct TGV in 2h50), Paris-Mulhouse in 2h40. Strasbourg is also connected to Frankfurt (2h by ICE), Basel (1h20 by TGV), Munich (3h30). Alsatian TERs link Strasbourg to Colmar (32 min), Sélestat (20 min), Obernai (40 min), Mulhouse (45 min).
A car is highly recommended for the Wine Route and villages. Rental from €30-50/day. Motorways: A4 (Paris-Strasbourg), A35 (Strasbourg-Mulhouse-Basel, crosses Alsace), A36 (Mulhouse-Belfort-Beaune). The Wine Route (D422) is travelled in 3-5 days with stops in villages. Count 25 min Colmar-Riquewihr, 35 min Strasbourg-Obernai, 1h Strasbourg-Colmar by motorway (or 2h by Wine Route).
The airport: EuroAirport Basel-Mulhouse-Freiburg (BSL/MLH/EAP), shared between France, Switzerland and Germany — many European low-cost flights (Easyjet, Wizz Air, Ryanair). Strasbourg-Entzheim airport (SXB) is more modest (Air France, seasonal flights).
In Strasbourg, the tramway (8 lines A-H, 56 km, France's longest network) and CTS buses are very efficient. Pedestrian centre. Vélhop bike-share scheme. Strasbourg is also the "French cycling capital": 600 km of cycle paths, 16% of trips by bike (French record).
Cycling is highly developed in Alsace: EuroVelo 5 (Via Romea Francigena, follows the Rhine), EuroVelo 15 (the Rhine by bike, from Lake Constance to Rotterdam), Alsace Vineyard Cycle Route (140 km along the Wine Route). Ideal in spring and autumn.
Read also
- Strasbourg, UNESCO European capital — Gothic cathedral, Petite France and Wilhelminian Neustadt: the most beautiful city in Alsace.
- France — Complete country guide: entry rules, regions, budget, gastronomy.
- Île-de-France — Paris and Versailles to the west, accessible in 1h46 by TGV from Strasbourg.
- Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes — Alps, Lake Annecy and Lyon to the southwest.