Strasbourg is one of the best cities in France and shouldn’t be missed. The good new is that it is super easy to travel fro Paris to Strasbourg.
The bad new is that it can be quite expensive- especially if you don’t book your ticket in advance!
You can travel from Paris to Strasbourg by train, bus, car, or ride share, but the only realistic way for a tourist to travel from Paris to Strasbourg is by train. It takes over 5.5 hours to drive from Paris to Strasbourg. The Paris to Strasbourg train takes less than 2 hours. The train from Paris to Strasbourg is slightly more expensive than the bus or a ride share, but it is worth the extra money to arrive in Strasbourg quickly!
In this post, we’re going to discuss all the different ways to travel to Strasbourg from Paris, so you can figure out what transportation method is the best for you.
But it will most likely be the train!

Option One: Taking the Train from Paris to Strasbourg
It isn’t even a discussion.
The best way to travel from Paris to Strasbourg is to take the train!
It is the quickest way to travel between the two cities and is the only real viable option for tourists. Especially if you’re taking a day trip to Strasbourg.
I’m not going to sugar coat it.
The Paris to Strasbourg train can be expensive, but we’ll discuss the best way to lower your ticket cost a little bit later.
The price is worth the convenience the train provides!
How Long Does the Paris to Strasbourg Train Take?
There is always some variability in the length of your train journey.
It depends on what time of day and how busy the train lines are.
On average, the train from Paris to Strasbourg takes just under 2 hours!
That’s significantly faster than any other mode of transportation!
How Much Does a Train Ticket Cost?
There is a lot of fluctuation when it comes to how much a train ticket from Paris to Strasbourg costs.
Tickets range anywhere from €16 to €230. That is approximately $19USD to $275USD.
That’s a huge price difference!
You don’t want to get stuck paying a fare closer to the higher end of that range.
There are a number of things that impact the price of your ticket:
- How far in advance you book your ticket. The earlier you purchase your ticket, the cheaper it is.
- What time of day you depart. It is always cheaper to travel during off-peak times.
- What day of the week you travel. Weekends are more expensive than weekdays.
- Your age. France has discounted train fare for people under 26 and older than 60.
- What class you travel in. Second class is much more affordable than first class.
Out of all of the factors, the most important one is booking your ticket early!
You can book your train ticket 3 months in advance.
The closer you are to the date of departure, the more expensive the ticket is. Even if there is still lots of seat available, the ticket price continues to rise as the date nears.
It requires some advance planning, but it is well worth planning and knowing when you’re travelling from Paris to Strasbourg as close to three months in advance as possible.
I like to wing my trips a fair amount, but I’m 100% down to plan in advance if it saves me a lot of money!
The last time I booked a train ticket to Strasbourg from Charles de Gaulle Airport, it was around €40, and I booked it almost exactly three months in advance.
And then reluctantly had to cancel it because of COVID-19. 🙁

Where to Purchase Train Tickets
You can either purchase your ticket online in advance or at the train station.
I highly recommend purchasing your ticket online in advance. It will save you a lot of money!
You can easily book your train ticket through the SNCF website.
The website is super easy to use, have an English option, and accepts foreign credit cards.
One thing to note is you do need to print your ticket and have a paper copy to show the ticket checker onboard.
The other option is to purchase your ticket at the train station.
You can either purchase it a few days in advance at the station or purchase your train ticket on the day you departure.
Look out for the yellow SNCF ticket booth.
That’s where you purchase the train ticket from Paris to Strasbourg. You can also purchase it from a ticket booth employee, but, in my experience, there is always a long line to purchase your tickets from an actual human being.
Using the ticket booth is a much simpler option!
But buying your ticket online in advance is the best option by far!
Where Does the Train Depart from in Paris?
You can jump on the Paris to Strasbourg train from either:
- Paris Est
- Charles de Gaulle
Both are convenient, and it is really a matter of what is the best station for you. Most people depart from Paris Est, but some people arrive at Charles de Gaulle and go directly to Strasbourg.
Where Does the Train Arrive at in Strasbourg?
The train arrives at Strasbourg Station.
It is the only train station in Strasbourg, and it is located in the city centre!
Advantages of Taking the Paris to Strasbourg Train
- Fastest way to travel from Paris to Strasbourg
- 14 trains depart per day
- Train departs and arrives in central areas
Disadvantages of Taking the Paris to Strasbourg Train
- Expensive
- Have to book months in advance to get a decent price
- Have to have a physical ticket (electronic tickets not accepted)
Option Two: Taking the Bus from Paris to Strasbourg
The next best option is taking the bus from Paris to Strasbourg.
It is a distant second place but second place nonetheless.
I don’t really see a reason to take the bus to Strasbourg from Paris unless you have a lot of time on your hands and are on a very tight budget.

How Long Does the Bus from Paris to Strasbourg Take?
This hurts to tell you.
On average, it takes 8.5 hours to travel the 491km from Paris to Strasbourg.
Ouch, right!
That’s three hours longer than it takes to drive straight to Strasbourg from Paris. It is a painful journey.
The journey time is the reason I don’t recommend taking the bus between these two cities.
It isn’t that much cheaper, and it is actually more expensive than the train when you factor in what your time is worth!
How Much Does a Bus Ticket Cost?
The bus ticket isn’t as inexpensive as you may think!
I kind of expect such a long journey that takes four times as long as the train to come at a discounted price, but it doesn’t really.
Of course the price of a bus ticket fluctuates based on what time of day you leave and what day of the week it is.
On average, a bus ticket costs €21 (approximately $25USD).
That is actually more expensive than the cheapest train ticket! It is, however, about €20 less than the average price of a train ticket.
Let’s be honest though. Those six extra hours you’re on the bus is worth a whole lot more than €20!
Where to Purchase Bus Tickets
Just like the train, you can purchase your bus tickets either in advance online or in person on the day of departure.
There is no price advantage to purchasing your bus ticket online in advance like there is with the train.
If it were me, I would just pick up my ticket at the station the day I leave. Just make sure you leave extra time in case there is a line for tickets!
The best place to purchase bus tickets online in advance is through Omio. They historically have the best ticket prices around!
Most buses accept an electronic version of your ticket, so that is a nice change from the train. You’re good to go as long as you have a screenshot or email with the ticket code on it!
Where Does the Bus Depart from in Paris?
The bus from Paris to Strasbourg departs from Quai de Bercy.
It is located right along the Seine about 5km south of the Louvre.
PS- be sure to check out my post about the wifi situation in Paris!
The closest metro station to Quai de Bercy is Cour Saint Émilion, and it is only a couple blocks away from the bus station.
Where Does the Bus Arrive at in Strasbourg?
The bus arrives at Place de l’Étoile in Strasbourg.
It is very central and is less than 200m from the train station!
Advantages of Taking the Bus from Paris to Strasbourg
- Don’t have to purchase tickets in advance
- Can present an electronic ticket
- Dedicated luggage storage under the bus
Disadvantages of Taking the Bus from Paris to Strasbourg
- Very time consuming
- Not much cheaper than the train
- Departure station in Paris less central than Paris Est
Option Three: Catching a Ride Share from Paris to Strasbourg
I’m not going to chit chat about these last two options in too much detail.
They are by far the least used options, and I don’t think many of my readers will see them as the best option for them.
But a few of you may, so I want to give you all the information!
The third best way to travel from Paris to Strasbourg is to participate in a ride share.
You can connect with other people ride sharing through Carpool World. It connects passengers and drivers who want to ride share, save on gas, and help the environement!
It is difficult to give you an exact price for ride sharing from Paris to Strasbourg. There are just too many variables.
The biggest thing that changes the price is how many people are participating in the ride share. The more people that share a ride, the less expensive it will be!
If you drive straight from Paris to Strasbourg without stopping, it will take about five hours to make the journey to Strasbourg from Paris.
I think participating in a ride share is a good option for people who are free spirited and up for an adventure.
You’ll probably meet some very interesting people when you participate in a ride share!

Option Four: Renting a Car and Driving from Paris from Strasbourg
Your final option is to rent a car and drive from Paris to Strasbourg.
I don’t recommend this option unless it is part of a larger road trip around France or Europe.
It simply isn’t worth the expense or stress of driving from Paris to Strasbourg when you can take the train.
Kick back, relax, and enjoy the scenery from the window of a train!
If you do choose to drive from Paris to Strasbourg, it will take about 5 hours. Most people who road trip aren’t driving almost 500km without stopping.
I highly recommend you take your time and stop at some small towns along the way to get a sense of what life outside of a big city in France is like!
Pro tip: before spending an arm and a leg on car insurance, make sure you look into what insurances your credit card has. Most travel credit cards come with extensive car insurance, so you don’t have to pay for the expensive insurance car rental companies try to sell you!

Conclusion
As you can see, there are a number of different ways to travel from Paris to Strasbourg.
But!
There is only one realistic and viable way, and that is taking the Paris to Strasbourg train.
It is the quickest way to travel to Strasbourg from Paris by a long shot! The next quickest option is about three hours longer than the train!
You could literally travel from Paris to Strasbourg and Strasbourg to Paris and still have an hour to kill before someone driving arrived!
I think you should most definitely visit Strasbourg. I always recommend for people to get out of Paris and see more of France.
PS- be sure to read my post on the best day trips from Paris!