FR
Strasbourg
A French-German blend of half-timbered houses, canals and a soaring Gothic cathedral, home to a famous Christmas market
A French-German blend of half-timbered houses, canals and a soaring Gothic cathedral, home to a famous Christmas market
A masterpiece of Gothic architecture in pink sandstone, with a lace-like façade and an astronomical clock whose figures parade daily at 12:30. You can climb to the viewing platform.
Photo: Txllxt TxllxT, CC BY-SA 4.0
The old tanners’ and millers’ quarter, with half-timbered houses along canals, locks and the Ponts Couverts.
Photo: Syced, CC0
One of Europe’s oldest Christmas markets, dating back to 1570, spread across squares throughout the old town from late November to late December.
Book accommodation many months ahead for December.
Photo: francois, CC BY 2.0
The grand German-built imperial district of the late 19th century, with Place de la République, the university and wide boulevards.
Photo: Jerome SXB, CC BY 2.0
Try choucroute garnie, tarte flambée (flammekueche), baeckeoffe, kougelhopf and Alsatian white wines.
Traditional winstubs (wine taverns) serve hearty Alsatian food.
High-speed trains from Paris take under two hours. Strasbourg Airport is linked to the main station by a shuttle train. Trams and bikes are the easiest way around.
France is in the EU and the Schengen area and uses the euro. EU citizens need only an ID card; citizens of the UK, US, Canada, Australia and many other countries can visit visa-free for up to 90 days in any 180-day period, with biometric registration under the EU Entry/Exit System. An ETIAS travel authorisation is also due to be introduced. Check current rules before you travel.
Strasbourg is moderately priced, but hotel prices soar in December.
Prices can double in December.
Old town and Europe.
See the cathedral and its astronomical clock, climb the platform, then wander Petite France and take a canal boat tour.
Explore the Neustadt, then visit the European Parliament area and Parc de l’Orangerie.
🛂 Entry rules: EES and ETIAS
France is in the Schengen area, which has two EU border systems for non-EU visitors.
EES (in force): since 10 April 2026 the EU’s Entry/Exit System registers non-EU visitors’ passport details, fingerprints and a photo the first time they enter the Schengen area, replacing passport stamps. Allow extra time at the border on your first trip; later crossings are quicker. EU, EEA and Swiss citizens are not registered.
ETIAS (not yet running): a €20 online travel authorisation for visitors who don’t need a visa, such as UK, US, Canadian and Australian citizens. It hasn’t started and no start date has been confirmed, so nobody can apply yet; ignore websites that offer to “pre-register” you for a fee.
Visa-free visitors can stay up to 90 days in any 180-day period across the whole Schengen area, not per country.
Official information: EU: Travel to Europe (EES & ETIAS) · Reviewed September 2026
Watch your belongings on public transport and at busy sights.
The Christmas market runs from late November to late December; weekends are very crowded.
Strasbourg has one of France’s best cycle networks.
The Alsace Wine Route’s villages, such as Colmar and Riquewihr, are easy day trips.
Quick answers for planning time in Strasbourg.
Citizens of the UK, US, Canada, Australia and many other countries can visit visa-free for up to 90 days in 180, with registration under the EU Entry/Exit System.
From late November to late December.
Its figures parade every day at 12:30.
Under two hours by high-speed train.
Yes, visits are possible, especially during plenary sessions; check the Parliament’s visitor information.
French is the language; a few words of French and a polite “bonjour” go a long way.
Free
Planning a wider trip? Our France travel guide covers getting there, costs, when to go and more.