Contents
This post will be sharing the details of my Paris to Strasbourg trip.
For my final trip of 2023, I decided to end with a bang by visiting the city with the oldest Christmas market in Europe.
I’m not fond of Christmas markets, as I think they’re generally overpriced.
But there’s nothing like wandering around a heavily festive city that invokes the Christmas spirit.
After trying to get cheap flights to one of the iconic German Christmas markets to no avail, I just settled for a French one.
So, I booked my return tickets in September because I knew how crazy the flight prices would be.
Based on my experience, I ensured I didn’t go beyond the first week of December.
This is because the closer it is to the holidays, the more chaotic the airports are with delays and whatnot.
So, I generally try to avoid travelling during the holiday period, and for the third year running, this has proven to be one of the best travel decisions.
The kids haven’t closed from school yet, and the airports, albeit slightly busy, are not too crazy.
So I’m in and out and retired for the holidays on or before the 10th of December.
Since France is super close to the U.K., planning this trip wasn’t too crazy, especially since I’ve been to France multiple times already.
But here are the details;
How To Plan A Paris To Strasbourg Trip On A Budget
This was mainly an iconic trip for me because it was my first time returning to Paris, coincidentally my first solo trip in January 2020, just before the pandemic began.
Despite visiting Montpellier, Nice, and Monaco, this is my first time visiting Paris in almost three years.
If I lived in London, I’d probably be jumping on the Eurostar to Paris every chance I get, but I don’t, and the fastest way to get there is to fly.
Also, Paris is quite a distance from the other French cities I’m interested in, so flying to Paris doesn’t make sense if I don’t need to.
That said, whilst I briefly passed by the city through the airport, it was good to be back.
Flights
Return Costs: £60.95/€71.05
One thing is certain: you’ll always find cheap flights to Paris.
Like Geneva, EasyJet also has multiple daily flights from Manchester to Paris(CDG), so you need to pick the best time that works for you.
I picked an afternoon flight closest to my train departure to avoid waiting too much in the airport.
The flight time was super quick and only took an hour.
Paris To Strasbourg Train
Return Cost: £103.02/€120.09
While there were direct flights to Strasbourg, it was so much cheaper to fly into Paris and then take the train to Strasbourg, which is precisely what I did.
Thankfully, the CDG airport had a train station tied to it, so it was super easy to jump on a direct train to Strasbourg right there.
I had already planned to take the train from Gare Du Nord train station to Strasbourg, but that would have been much more stressful, so I’m glad the airport station came through.
Despite having to wait for about an hour after my flight, it made the trip a lot less stressful.
The train arrived early; I found my seat and headed down to Strasbourg.
It’s been a while since I’ve been on a regional train, so I was looking forward to it.
With just two stops along the way, the journey was smooth.
Accommodation
Cost: £185.33/€214
Finding accommodation for my dates turned out to be a nightmare.
I had to stay in a €400 hotel room or a €200 hostel.
After a bit of back and forth, I booked the hostel because I thought it was close to the train station, and I was planning also to visit Colmar nearby.
Before I go on a rant about this hostel, which turned out to be a terrible decision, I’d like to reiterate how important it is to follow your instincts every single time.
Initially, I did not want to book this hostel.
I did and ended up regretting it.
I honestly shouldn’t have at all.
Hostel Review
I stayed in The People Hostel Strasbourg, a 20-25 minute walk from the train station.
I didn’t mind the walk, to be fair; I just thought it would have been closer than that.
The hostel is in a refurbished old tobacco plant, initially throwing you off.
But if I’ve learnt anything from my trip to Budapest last month, unusual locations sometimes turn out to be impressive, so I am more open to them now.
The hostel has about three floors of rooms that look like a university dormitory.
As someone else said, it is soulless no matter how they try to play loud music in the bar on the ground floor.
My biggest issue with this hostel is the bathroom situation.
Now, I don’t mind shared bathrooms in the hallways, although these days, I skip them entirely because of my bladder.
I need a bathroom in my room.
So imagine my surprise to find just three toilets and three bathrooms for almost ten rooms on a floor.
I thought this set-up was insane, and I had regressed to the 19th century.
I also think that it comes down to the owners’ greed.
Instead of making as much money as possible by making every space a room, they need to knock down a few rooms to make space for ensuite bathrooms in the rooms.
Anyway, I left reviews and gave the hostel some space in my mind.
I do not recommend this hostel at all.
Public Transportation
It’s super easy to move around Strasbourg.
Just jump on a tram or the bus to get to your destination.
You can get tickets from the bus/tram stops.
But for the most part, the city is walkable, so you can explore most places on foot.
Major Attractions
As I visited during the winter, the weather was freezing; this meant I didn’t have the luxury of walking around exploring the city.
There was no way I was going to do that.
Instead, I jumped on the very first tour train I saw.
I saw the departure station for Le Petite Train de Strasbourg by the rear of the Notre Dame Cathedral, and I immediately jumped on it.
Thankfully, I had some spare change, and I was happy to pay for the tour ticket of €8.
I later discovered that they accepted card payments as well.
Anyway, I recommend this mini-train tour if you visit Strasbourg in winter.
It takes you around the seven major sights and lasts 40 minutes.
Let’s look at some of the major sights you need to see in Strasbourg.
Iconic Landmarks
- Notre Dame Cathedral: The iconic 14th-century cathedral with its famous Astronomical clock is a Gothic masterpiece and was the world’s tallest building for almost three centuries.
- Kammerzell House: One of the well-preserved Gothic ornate medieval buildings from the 14th century.
- Place Kleber: The largest central square in Strasbourg, also one of the major locations of the Christmas markets.
- Ponts Couverts: A 14th-century set of three bridges and four towers erected over the River III.
- Barrage Vauban: A covered bridge with a rooftop terrace with a viewpoint of the Ponts Couverts and the Petite France quarter. I cannot recommend the climb up to the terrace enough. The views are stunning!
- Strasbourg Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art: A 19th-century art museum which is one of the largest in France.
- Palais Rohan: The former residence of French royalty, which is now home to three of Stasbourg’s most important museums:
- The Archaeological Museum
- The Museum of Decorative Arts
- The Museum of Fine Arts
- Palais du Rhin: A 19th-century former imperial building known for its Prussian architecture.
- Place Broglie: Another main square in Strasbourg which is surrounded by major historic buildings, including:
- The Opera House
- City Hall
- The Governor’s Palace
- The Bank of France, etc.
Experiences
Other than a walking tour, especially in the winter, I recommend taking a Sightseeing Boat Cruise to see the sights from a unique perspective.
This cruise covers the three symbolic districts of Strasbourg, including the Grand Ile, Neustadt and the European Quarter.
Also, don’t forget you can also take the mini train tour.
You can combine both experiences to see more sights in a short time.
In Conclusion
The Paris to Strasbourg trip was honestly worth it.
Despite the hiccups with the accommodation, I did not let that dampen my mood.
There’s nothing like visiting the capital of Christmas.
It was still very busy despite visiting in the first week of December, so bear that in mind when planning your trip.
Prepare for crowds and have fun while at it.