Mobility and accessibility
Living in Alsace offers excellent accessibility and transportation options! Its strategic location at the crossroads of major European routes ensures easy connectivity to the rest of Europe, with train journeys to Paris taking under 2 hours. Alsace is centrally positioned within the European motorway network, intersecting the Paris-Munich and Hamburg-Milan routes.
Each area in the region is within 20 minutes of a major city or motorway, thanks to a dense and well-maintained road network. Urban and interurban travel is supported by multimodal public transport systems, and metropolitan areas are increasingly prioritizing sustainable mobility options, such as cycling.
Numerous accessible airports
EuroAirport Basel-Mulhouse serves over 100 destinations and is home to more than 25 airlines. As one of France’s major airports, it is also well-connected by frequent buses and trains.
Strasbourg-Entzheim Airport offers 45 regular destinations across Europe and beyond, serviced by 17 airlines. It is conveniently reachable from Strasbourg train station in just 9 minutes via a shuttle bus that runs every 15 minutes.
Across the borders, Baden-Airpark and Frankfurt Airport in Germany are ideal for international departures from northern Alsace, while Zurich Airport in Switzerland is easily accessible from southern Alsace.
Finally, Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport can be reached in just 2 hours and 20 minutes from Strasbourg via the TGV train.
A very dense railway network
Alsace is served by two high-speed rail lines: TGV Est Européen and TGV Rhin-Rhône. With four TGV stations in the region—Strasbourg, Colmar, Mulhouse, and Saverne—you can quickly connect to major European cities such as Brussels, Luxembourg, and Frankfurt, as well as other major French cities.
The regional railway network (TER) is among the most extensive and well-served in France, featuring over 130 stations across Alsace. For instance, the trip from Strasbourg to Mulhouse takes just 50 minutes!
Fast and efficient public transportation
The Alsace region boasts a dense network of public transport options. Whether you’re heading to school, commuting to work, shopping, or exploring Alsace beyond the cities, you can reach your destination quickly and easily.
Check out the FLUO service from the Grand Est Region, which helps you plan your door-to-door journey by combining all available transport modes: regional and urban public transport (bus, train, tram), bicycle, carpooling, and car sharing.
Here’s a brief overview of the main public transport networks in Alsace:
FLUO regional coaches
The FLUO Grand Est interurban coach network makes it easy to travel across the region. It offers regular lines for daily commutes, tourist lines for scenic trips, and on-demand transport tailored to your needs.
In Bas-Rhin, FLUO lines are operated by CTBR (Compagnie des Transports du Bas-Rhin), your go-to for tickets and subscriptions. Find all network maps here: Network Maps
Discover all the FLUO network plans here.
Haguenau: the RITMO network
RITMO is the urban public transport network of the Haguenau Agglomeration Community (CAH), serving the entire area. Since its creation in 2006, the network has continuously evolved to provide a diverse and adapted service for all residents.
RITMO in numbers:
- 5 urban lines
- 4 peri-urban lines
- 17 school lines
- 3 on-demand transport services
Strasbourg : the CTS network
Founded in 1877, CTS is renowned across Europe for its quality services and innovation. It handles the design, construction, and financing of infrastructure: tracks, stations, ticketing, video surveillance, and park-and-ride facilities.
CTS in numbers:
- 6 tram lines, including 1 cross-border line to Germany
- 41 bus lines, including 3 night lines
- 1586 stops
- 10 park-and-ride facilities
Colmar : the TRACE network
With 8 bus lines, TRACE (urban transport of Colmar and surroundings) makes it easy to travel throughout Colmar and the 21 surrounding municipalities.
Mulhouse : the SOLEA network
SOLEA operates 3 tram lines and 24 bus lines, serving the 39 municipalities and 280,000 residents of the Mulhouse agglomeration daily.
Saint-Louis : the DISTRIBUS network
The Saint-Louis agglomeration runs the DISTRIBUS network, featuring 14 bus lines, including 3 cross-border lines to Switzerland. This network serves all 40 municipalities and is complemented by several stations from the Basel tramway network, facilitating travel between France and Switzerland.
Cycling in Alsace
Cycling is integral to life in Alsace, with Strasbourg leading as France’s top cycling city, boasting 1.17 km of bike lanes per 1,000 residents and 4.4 km of bike lanes per km².
Beyond urban areas, the region features over 2,500 km of cycle routes and greenways. These include EuroVelo and Véloroutes, local and regional loops, Alsace tours, and cross-border trails, offering diverse experiences for exploring Alsace by bike.
For more details, visit: www.alsaceavelo.fr
The Grand Est Region, which includes Alsace, supports cycling through a pluriannual plan to enhance cycling infrastructure, such as bike lanes and parking facilities, and promote the integration of train + bike combo travel. It also offers subsidies for electric bike purchases for residents.
Numerous charging stations for electric vehicles
As of early 2024, Alsace boasts 3,300 electric vehicle charging points across more than 1,000 stations, providing roughly one charging point for every 15 electric vehicles in the region.
This represents a nearly 40% increase in charging stations over the past year, placing Alsace well above the national average.
High-speed internet connectivity
Located along the Paris-Frankfurt axis, the third-largest data route in the world, Alsace enjoys excellent internet connectivity. By the end of 2023, over 90% of the region is covered by a fiber optic network.
The upcoming construction of a Microsoft data center in the Mulhouse region is expected to further enhance Alsace’s network infrastructure.