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Ivy-covered houses line a still canal in Strasbourg, the cathedral spire visible above the rooftops in the distance.
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StrasbourgTravel Guide

France8 stories

Capital of Alsace and seat of the European Parliament, Strasbourg blends a soaring Gothic cathedral and half-timbered canal quarters with a Franco-German food culture of winstubs and white wine.

Is Strasbourg right for you?

When to come

Spring, early autumn and the December market season

Around 26°C by day in July, 5°C in January — recorded at the local weather station.

What it costs

Mid-range. Comfortable without planning around money, expensive if you stop counting.

What we've planned, and who for

We have a weekend here planned hour by hour.

Strasbourg is inEnough for a long weekendDeepest in Europe
When to go
January: around 5 degrees by day, 0 at night, 35 millimetres of rain, some rain.
February: around 7 degrees by day, 0 at night, 34 millimetres of rain, some rain.
March: around 12 degrees by day, 3 at night, 39 millimetres of rain, some rain.
April: around 17 degrees by day, 6 at night, 42 millimetres of rain, some rain. We recommend this month.
May: around 21 degrees by day, 10 at night, 77 millimetres of rain, some rain. We recommend this month.
June: around 24 degrees by day, 13 at night, 69 millimetres of rain, some rain. We recommend this month.
July: around 26 degrees by day, 15 at night, 72 millimetres of rain, some rain.
August: around 26 degrees by day, 15 at night, 61 millimetres of rain, some rain.
September: around 22 degrees by day, 11 at night, 55 millimetres of rain, some rain. We recommend this month.
October: around 16 degrees by day, 7 at night, 60 millimetres of rain, some rain.
November: around 9 degrees by day, 3 at night, 48 millimetres of rain, some rain.
December: around 6 degrees by day, 1 at night, 45 millimetres of rain, some rain. We recommend this month.
Cold to hot, by dayDry to wetWhen we would go

Spring, early autumn and the December market season

Average daily highs, recorded at Strasbourg-Entzheim (SXB), 150 m, 1991-2020 normals.

Where this comes from

Météo-France normals via Wikipedia weather box (Meteociel; Infoclimat.fr)

Budget level

Mid-range

Typical cost profile for visitors

Combine it with
Plan itWhere to stay in Strasbourgad · Booking.comTours and tickets
On the map

Finding Strasbourg

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The stories

Reading Strasbourg

Half-timbered houses of the Petite France quarter in Strasbourg reflected in the calm water of the River Ill on a sunny day
01
Destinations

The Strasbourg essentials: getting there, getting around, doing it well

Under two hours from Paris and ten minutes from Germany, Strasbourg is an easy city to do well and a surprisingly easy one to get wrong — here is how to arrive, move, time it and eat.

France · 10 min
One of the medieval watchtowers of the Ponts Couverts standing over the River Ill in Strasbourg, half-timbered houses on the far bank and the cathedral spire rising behind under a clear blue sky.
02
Itineraries

48 Hours in Strasbourg: The Perfect Alsace Weekend

Two days, one astronomical clock, several tartes flambees — an hour-by-hour plan for the capital of Alsace.

France · 2 min
An Alsatian tart baked with bacon, onion and cream
03
Food

What to Eat in Strasbourg, and Which Streets to Avoid

Presskopf, a pichet of Edelzwicker and a choucroute that will cost you the afternoon. How Strasbourg's quarters differ, which market actually sells food on a Saturday, why line E skips Homme de Fer, and how long the walks really take.

France · 12 min
The single spire of Strasbourg Cathedral rising dark above the city's rooftops at sunset, a band of orange sky and drifting cloud behind it and the Vosges hills on the horizon
04
Itineraries

Strasbourg in 24 hours for the time-poor

Strasbourg's old town is an island barely a kilometre across — here is how to work it from early coffee to a lit cathedral, in the right order and around the one closure that ruins most one-day plans.

France · 12 min
Petite France, Strasbourg
05
Stays

Booking a Bed in Strasbourg Without Booking the Wrong Street

Strasbourg's old town is an island barely a kilometre and a quarter long, so paying to sleep on it buys atmosphere rather than access. A district-by-district guide to noise, arrival logistics and the dates that quietly double the price.

France · 11 min
A medieval stone bridge tower and the long arcaded weir of the Barrage Vauban mirrored in the still River Ill at Strasbourg, old-town roofs behind under a summer sky of white cloud.
06
The List

Strasbourg Deserves More Than a Morning

The cathedral repays a whole day, the imperial Neustadt explains the rest of the city, and a regional train reaches a mountaintop castle before lunch. What is worth booking a trip around in Strasbourg, what each thing costs you in time, and what to leave out.

France · 14 min
Half-timbered houses and flower boxes along a canal in Strasbourg's Petite France quarter
07
Destinations

Strasbourg Is a Hub, Not a Stopover

Germany sits at the end of a Strasbourg tram line and Switzerland is ninety minutes south, but the two railways running down the Rhine plain belong to different countries and different networks. How to plan a week around that.

France · 12 min
Tall eighteenth-century townhouses in Strasbourg with white shutters, dormer windows in steep tiled roofs and a wrought-iron balcony, catching low sun above a cobbled square.
08
Stays

Sleeping well in Strasbourg on every budget

Strasbourg is small enough that no address is truly wrong, but the gap between sleeping inside the Grande Ile and outside it is the gap between living the postcard and commuting to it.

France · 8 min
In pictures

Strasbourg, framed

A silver SNCF regional train waiting at a platform beneath the red iron canopy of Strasbourg's railway station in early morning light.
Photo: Antoine Schibler / Unsplash
Sausages grilling over a bed of sauerkraut, Alsace
Photo: Rich Smith / Unsplash
Sausages with sauerkraut and mashed potato, the Alsatian plate
Photo: Minyeong Jeong / Unsplash
The ivy-covered Au Pont St Martin restaurant and its wooden boathouse sit on a canal amid autumn colour.
Photo: nella n. / Unsplash
Our picks

What we'd do in Strasbourg

See and do

Eat and drink

Before you go

Practical essentials for France

Money

Euro (EUR)

Language

French; English is spoken in tourist settings in Paris, Nice and the larger cities.

Power

Type C/E, 230V 50Hz

Getting around

SNCF's TGV connects the cities, and each has its own local network — in Paris that is the Navigo Easy card and the Ile-de-France Mobilites app for metro, RER and bus.

Tipping

Service is included by law, so tipping is optional - round up or leave a couple of euros for good service.

Tap water

Tap water is safe to drink.

Driving

Right-hand side; an EU licence is enough, and other visitors should carry an International Driving Permit with their national licence.

Emergency

112; also 15 ambulance, 17 police, 18 fire

Country-level guidance, checked against official sources. Currency, fares and entry rules change — confirm anything time-critical before you travel.

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