Strasbourg calls itself the most bike-friendly city in France (and fourth in Europe). So of course I had to check it out.
OK, its self-promotion might be a slight exaggeration. This list, for one, puts it 3rd in France and 13th across Europe. Once clearly France’s cycling capital, it now falls behind Bordeaux and Nantes, or so say these folks (who see relative weakness vs those two other French cities in “usage and reach”).
We saw plenty of people on bikes, and wow, that Ring Road for cyclists, which circumnavigates the old core, is impressive. No cars allowed! Except to patiently cross. People on bikes played nice with people crossing the ring on foot.
We saw this new-to-us road signage by some traffic lights. Another cyclist explained (as we stopped, waiting for the light to change) that it meant we could keep going despite the red light (no vehicles were coming). Of course pedestrians take priority. It felt like the French version of an Idaho stop (slow down and yield at a stop sign; stop at a red light and then go if no traffic).
Strasbourg also has some impressive bike routes — velostras? — outside the city center and into the suburbs. Simple pavement markings!
But I did find French bike lanes could be narrow at times and have sharp, 90-degree turns. I’d prefer something more forgiving, especially given the number of cyclists on the road, but on the other hand it’s America’s forgiving road designs that lead to fast driving and more crashes.
Check this out, spotted in a business park in the suburbs. Looks like a bike sculpture, right?
It’s actually many separate parts.
Of course, how can you be in Strasbourg and not venture across the Rhine into Germany? Lovely bike (and rail) bridge. No passport checks.
The Germans take their bike signage to another level at a roundabout.
Also in Kehl, I found what I remember fondly about living in Germany: so many opportunities for Italian gelato!
The food!
Ah, yes the food. Strasbourg is a fun mix of France and German. I’ll count the Christmas markets, the half-timbered buildings and the sauerkraut as German, but the pastries are oh so French.
Of course we had to try using Too Good To Go here. This is an app where bakeries and restaurants can unload excess food at the end of the day for about 2/3 off. France is a great place for it! This is almost all of what we got from one bakery for 5 euros (I had already eaten the chocolate eclair):
Since we’re on the topic of food, should I mention the cheese? There are several shops like this aimed at tourists:
And cheese at a market:
More Strasbourg
I know you’ll go into the one-spired cathedral (one spire at first because no money, then it became its unique look). Look for the astrological clock in the back right corner.
We walked rather than biked to the European Parliament. Sunday, unfortunately, is the only day it’s closed to visitors.
Finally, what’s this? Not just another trash can on the street. It’s an animal-proof compost bin for your food scraps, including bones. France adopted mandatory composting in 2024; waste is transformed into either compost or biogas.
I’m trying to imagine a common compost collector in my suburban neighborhood.
Practical stuff
Ah yes, the trains.
If you want to get to Strasbourg from Paris via TGV (under 2 hours!), book early. There are only two bike spots!
They had been claimed by the time we planned our trip. But we were able to find spots on a TGV to Nancy, a lovely center of Art Nouveau in Lorraine also under 2 hours from Paris. There we switched to a regional TER train.
TERs generally don’t require bike reservations (the Loire in the summer is one exception), and we might have been able to get to Strasbourg solely on TERs with one extra change, between Paris and Nancy.
TGVs also go from Paris to Colmar, and then of course there are regional trains to Strasbourg from there.
We took a TER from Strasbourg to Colmar (about 30 minutes) and then biked through the vineyards following EuroVelo 5 to get back.
If you think you’ll be taking French trains a lot, look into the discount cards. Note that seniors get discounts all the time but adults between 37 and 59 only get price breaks on weekends.
Exploring by bicycle 