Coming to Strasbourg
By train
All trains will arrive to and depart from the central station in Strasbourg. Again,
if you need to travel by train from another French city, please make sure to book
your tickets in advance (tickets can NOT be purchased on board), see the
SNCF website. The station is very close to
the historical center, and many trams and buses depart from it (especially tram C
going to campus, see below).
By Car
Driving to Strasbourg is relatively straightforward; the highway (either A4 if
you arrive from the north or A35 if you arrive from the south, roughly) will bring
you very close to the city center. Please be aware, however, that parking in
Strasbourg can be quite difficult (on campus, it is nearly impossible). If your
hotel does not provide you with a parking spot, you can use one of the Park &
Ride parking ran by the local public transport company, see
here.
By aircraft
The closest airport is Strasbourg-Entzheim, however it is a small airport with
few international flights. It is recommanded to fly to larger airports and then
take a local transport.
- If you travel with Air France, you can buy a combined ticket for your flight
and train using
TGV AIR;
simply search for Strasbourg as your final destination instead of Paris.
- If you travel with Lufthansa,
the flight ticket can include a bus Frankfurt–Strasbourg, again search for Strasbourg
as your final destination instead of Frankfurt.
If you arrive in Paris-Charles de Gaulle with other air companies, there
are direct trains to Strasbourg leaving from the airport. You have to
buy the train ticket separately, please keep in mind that tickets should
be booked in advance (usually 1 or 2 months before the trip), for instance
here.
If you arrive in Strasbourg-Entzheim, from there you can either:
- take a taxi to Strasbourg (usually 40 - 50€),
- take a train from the airport station to the central station in Strasbourg.
To access the station, leave the airport and cross the footbridge. Tickets may
be purchased on the platform; you can either buy a single trip to Strasbourg
(2.70€) or a combined ticket including access to all public transport in town,
valid for 1 hour and 30 minutes starting from the time you buy it (4.40€).
The train frequency is quite good, but you may want to check the
schedule.
Another possibility is Basel Mulhouse Freiburg airport. You may then take a
train to Basel central station and from there, another train to Strasbourg.
There are also but shuttles between the airport and Strasbourg.
Coming to the IRMA (Institut de Recherche Mathématique Avancée)
The conference venue is located on the Esplanade campus,
very close to the city center; the IRMA
building is here. The exact address is
- Institut de Recherche Mathématique Avancée,
7 rue René Descartes,
67084 Strasbourg Cedex
-
For additional information check out the
guide.
From the main station, you have several options:
-
The safest option is to take tram C from the station. You must leave the
station on the left when coming from the platforms, and outside you will
find the tram C which goes in only one way from there, so you cannot make
any mistake. You must then leave the tram at the station « Université », and
walk south for a few minutes until you see a seven-story tower on your left;
this is IRMA. The whole trip takes 20-25 minutes.
- Walking is usually nice at this time of the year, and goes through
the historical center (cathedral, etc.). It takes 30-35 minutes if
you know your way around (maps are available in the station).
-
Taking a taxi should cost around 20€.
Here is a useful map of the city: StrasMap.
You also have access to maps and schedules on the website of
CTS, the local public transport company.
Sightseeing
If you have some free time, you may consider visiting Strasbourg and its surroundings.
Here is a small list of interesting places:
- The cathedral is a must-see. You can either visit the inside (and see the beautiful
astronomical clock for 3€), or climb to a platform on the roof offering an amazing
view of the city, for 5€ (the ascent may be difficult, with a lot of stairs to climb,
and painful if you are acrophobic). Here is a
schedule
for visits of the cathedral.
- « Petite France » is a charming neighborhood with small pedestrian streets, half-timbered
houses and nice views on the river. Going on top of Vauban Dam will reward you with a nice
view on the famous « Ponts Couverts » and the city center.
- There are also several museums, boat tours, etc. For more information, see the
tourist office website; you can also
directly go to the tourist office located near the cathedral.
- Trying local cuisine is highly recommended; organizers will be happy to give you
some advice about restaurants.