Transportation in Strasbourg

Strasbourg's tram network, run by CTS, is the system you'll lean on hardest, six lines threading through the city center and out to the suburbs, frequent enough that memorizing a schedule is pointless. A single ticket works on both trams and CTS buses within a time window, so transferring costs nothing extra. The fare is cheap by Western European standards, and if you're staying more than a day or two, the rechargeable pass from any tram-stop vending machine pays for itself quickly and skips the per-ride fumble. The Grande Île, the old-town island core, is largely pedestrianized, which means the tram drops you at the edges and your feet do the rest. Don't waste money on a taxi for short hops across the center; it's faster to walk. For the airport, a shuttle train links Strasbourg-Entzheim (SXB) to the Gare Centrale in roughly nine minutes, it's fast, dirt-cheap compared to a cab, and the simplest move after landing. The catch: service doesn't run around the clock, so if you're arriving on a late flight, check the last departure time before you land or you'll be stuck with a taxi at a much steeper fare. Vélhop, the city's bike-share system, is worth a look once you're settled, Strasbourg is one of France's most bike-friendly cities, with dedicated lanes that go where you need them, and a day pass costs a fraction of what you'd spend on individual tram rides if you're covering ground. Skip the hop-on-hop-off tourist buses. The tram hits every major landmark anyway, and the city is compact enough that a sightseeing bus just adds cost for the same views at a slower pace.