Car Rental in Strasbourg

Why rent a car in Strasbourg?

Strasbourg is a fascinating place to visit. Although better known for its political status, the city is home to wonderful museums, varied architecture, and a unique culture that is a blend of different influences. After seeing Strasbourg, travel to explore the rest of the scenic Alsace region or even pop over the border to Germany, Switzerland, or Luxembourg.

Top ways to enter Strasbourg

• Strasbourg Airport: The primary airport serving Strasbourg, it handled 1.3 million travelers in 2019. The airport is served by around 15 different airlines, with most of the traffic provided by Volotea. Located about 15km (9.3 miles) southwest of the city center, the airport can be reached in 15 minutes.
• EuroAirport Basel Mulhouse Freiburg: Located in France, but serving three countries at once, EuroAirport is the largest airport in the region. It handled 9.1 million travelers in 2019. The airport is a huge hub for easyJet and is also served by around 20 other airlines. EuroAirport is divided into French and Swiss sectors - if you will arrive at the Swiss sector, ask your rental car provider in advance if they permit you crossing the border with France (while Switzerland is part of the Schengen area, some rental car providers do not permit crossing the border). Located 130km (80 miles) south of Strasbourg, the airport can be reached in about 80 minutes.
• Metz–Nancy–Lorraine Airport: Located in the northeastern corner of France and serving the whole Lorraine region, this small airport handles about 250,000 travelers every year. As of October 2019, Metz-Nancy Airport is served only by three airlines collectively providing flights to destinations in Southern Europe and North Africa. Located 185km (115 miles) north of Strasbourg, the airport takes about two hours to reach.
• Stuttgart Airport. Serving the largest metropolis of southwestern Germany, Stuttgart Airport is only a two-hour drive northeast of Strasbourg. While not as busy as its counterparts in Frankfurt or Munich, Stuttgart Airport welcomes about seven million travelers annually and is a big hub for Eurowings, a German budget company, while also being served by more than two dozen other airlines.
• Frankfurt Airport: The largest in Germany and fourth-busiest in Europe, Frankfurt Airport handled 70.5 million travelers in 2019. The main hub for Lufthansa and served by tens of other airlines, the airport hosts flights to and from all the continents of the world. Located 215km (133.5 miles) north of Strasbourg, the airport takes just two hours and 15 minutes to reach. If you plan to pick up a rental car at Frankfurt Airport and then drive to Strasbourg, ask your rental car provider if they permit you crossing the border (another option is to go by public transportation and pick up a rental car after arriving in Strasbourg).
• Zurich Airport: The busiest airport in Switzerland handled 31.5 million travelers in 2019. The airport, a large hub for Swiss Air Lines and Edelweiss Air, is served by around 30 airlines and hosts flights to more than 100 destinations around the world. Located 225km (140 miles) southeast of Strasbourg, the airport can be reached in about 2 hours and 30 minutes. Like with Frankfurt, ask your rental car provider in advance if they permit you crossing the border between Switzerland and France.
• By rail: If you’re arriving in Strasbourg by train, you can conveniently pick up your rental car at Gare de Strasbourg-Ville Station, RRS Railway Station, or Strasbourg-Souffelweyersheim Station.

City facts

• Although located hundreds of kilometers from the nearest coast, Strasbourg has a semi-continental climate with cold winters and warm summers. The average high temperature is 26°C  (79°F) in July, the hottest month, and 5 °C  (41°F) in January. July is also the most humid month and January is the driest. Summers in Strasbourg in general are a lot more humid than winters. The city experiences some 20-30 snowy days every winter.
• Strasbourg has a population of 277,000 making it the seventh-most populated city in France. Around 500,000 other people live in the city’s larger metropolitan area. The German city of Kehl, on the other side of the river Rhine, is within walking distance from Strasbourg. 

Top sights and activities

• Strasbourg Cathedral. Built during medieval times for more than 400 years, Strasbourg’s Gothic cathedral was well worth the long wait. One of the most impressive churches in Eastern France, Strasbourg’s own Notre Dame, 142 m (466 ft) tall, dominates both the city skyline and the photo collections of its visitors. While visiting the cathedral, make sure to also check out the impressive astronomical clock that’s inside it — it is one of the most popular things to do in Strasbourg.
• The Alsatian Museum. For centuries shared between (and fought over by) the Germans and the French, Alsace has ended up with its own unique culture, traditions, and cuisine. The Alsatian Museum celebrates this heritage by showing the lives of Alsatians from the 13th all the way to the 19th century.
• The Palais de Rohan. Built in the late 17th century, this palace is a fine example of Baroque architecture and one of the most beautiful buildings in Strasbourg. But there’s even more to it, as nowadays the palace also hosts the Museum of Fine Arts, the Archaeological Museum, and the Museum of Applied Arts.
• Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art. Opened in 1998, MAMCS is located in one of the most futuristic buildings in Strasbourg and is one of its leading cultural institutions. Situated next to the historic Vauban Dam, itself a notable attraction, the museum has more than 18,000 works on display, including art by such world-famous creators as Gustave Doré, Wassily Kandinsky, and Paul Klee.
• Try Strasbourg cuisine. As Strasbourg shares a border with Germany, a lot of the foods here have more of a German influence than in other parts of France. Strasbourg boasts delicious choucroute, a sauerkraut that accompanies pork dishes, and delicious spaetzle, a buttery dumpling. Don’t miss out on trying the mouth-watering flammekueche, a pizza-like dish topped not with red sauce and cheese, but with creme fraiche, thinly sliced onions, and lardons. 
• Strasbourg Opera House. One of the most recognizable buildings in the city, and also one of its busiest cultural venues, the Opera House celebrated its 200th birthday in 2021 (and has been a recognized architectural monument since 1921). Known not just for its opera, ballet, and theatrical performances, the building is also famous for its Neoclassical exterior that includes statues of Greek muses of dance, performance, and tragedy. Strasbourg Opera House is part of the Rhine National Opera network that also includes the Opera of Mulhouse and the Ballet of Rhine in Colmar.
• Palais du Rhin. Another famous palace, this imposing building dates back to the 19th century and is one of the most distinctive examples of Prussian architecture in Strasbourg. In German, it is known as Kaiserpalast or the Imperial Palace as it was one of the official residences of Kaisers William I and II, the latter of which visited it about a dozen times at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries. 

Traffic and parking

• The speed limit in cities is 50km/h, although in certain areas the speed limit may be reduced to 30km/h. Unlike with inter-city roads, the urban speed limit is unaffected by weather.
• Outside cities, as of July 2018 the speed limit depends on the type of the road. Highways are limited to 130km/h, 4-lane expressways to 110km/h, and 2- or 3- lane roads to 80 or 90km/h. When it is raining, the limits are respectively lowered to 110km/h, 100km/h, and 80km/h. The general speed limit is lowered to 50km/h during heavy fog or other cases of bad visibility.
• Proof of insurance and the car’s documentation needs to be in the car whenever you’re driving.
• When driving, you need to have your passport or ID card with you at all times.
• As of 2018, hands-free mobile phone use is banned in France and the fines are hefty.
• The legal alcohol limit is 0.05% for experienced drivers and 0.02% for novice drivers.
• The emergency number is 112.

Toll roads

Most of the main highways in France (autoroute in French) are toll roads. Their names start with the letter A and you can recognize them by their red number sign. The toll for using a toll road depends on the specific route, distance traveled, as well as the type of vehicle - trailer cars and caravans have to pay more than regular cars. You can pay by credit card or in cash. You’ll be given a ticket that you have to keep while on the toll road.

Some rental cars are equipped with toll road transponders that can be used at the automatic toll road payment booths (Télépéage). Ask your rental car provider to find out if they offer cars with toll road transporters.

See the official French toll road website for more information. Use the website's toll road calculator to find out exactly how much you’ll have to pay for using the toll roads on your planned route.

Ideas for day trips

• Colmar. A small and picturesque Alsatian city, Colmar is the perfect weekend getaway if you ever grow tired of Strasbourg. Home to both wooden and renaissance architecture, its old town has the atmosphere of a medieval fairy tale. Colmar is also home to the Unterlinden Museum which houses works of such world-famous artists as Renoir and Picasso. Located 73km (45 miles) south of Strasbourg, the town can be reached in about one hour.
• Mulhouse. A former industrial center, Mulhouse might not be as scenic as Strasbourg and other cities in the region, but what it lacks in history, it more than makes up for with interesting museums. The National Railway Museum is simply stunning, and the National Auto Museum and Electricity Museum are both unique and worth a visit. Located 115km (71 miles) south of Strasbourg, Mulhouse can be reached by car in about 1 hour and 15 minutes.
• The Vosges. Although not nearly as high as the Alps or even the Pyrenees, the Vosges is the most notable mountain range in this corner of France — and a lovely place to visit. Scenic and accessible, the area is characterized by a network of hiking and biking trails, as well as charming castles and manors. The Grand Ballon, the highest peak of the range, is about a two-hour drive from Strasbourg, but the nearest corner of Vosges is less than half of that away, so the area can be conveniently visited on a day trip.
• Freiburg im Breisgau. Sitting on the Dreisam River and surrounded by beautiful mountains, the university city of Freiburg is made up of narrow old streets, small canals, and archetectural gems like the Merchants’ Hall and Martinstor, the old city gate, Freiburg is one of the most beautiful cities in Southern Germany. It may be on the other side of the border, but, being only 87km (54 miles) south of Strasbourg, it feels like right around the corner and can be reached in one hour. Before driving to Freiburg, ask your rental car provider if they permit you crossing the border.

Most popular cars

The most popular rental car in Strasbourg in the Renault Twingo, closely followed by the Opel Corsa and the Citroen C3. The most popular rental car types are mini, economy, and compact.

Further destinations

• Metz. A small, but impressive city, Metz is home to impressive cathedrals, immense squares, and old grand villas. But from its large, beautiful parks to the Moselle River which runs right through it and a number of nearby protected areas, the city also has plenty of greenery. Located 165km (102 miles) northwest of Strasbourg, Metz can be reached in just under two hours.
• Dijon. One of the fanciest cities in France, Dijon is as famous for its mustard as it is for its well-preserved architecture and high quality of life. Just as importantly, it is the eastern gateway to Burgundy, that charming region of endless vineyards, ancient forests, and rolling hills. The drive from Strasbourg to Dijon takes only about 3 hours and 30 minutes, with the rest of Burgundy easily explorable from there.
• The Black Forest. One of the most impressive forests in Europe, Schwarzwald is located right on the other side of the border. Fom skiing and paragliding to visiting one of the area’s cozy spa towns, There are plenty of things to do. But the number one way to enjoy the Black Forest is to park your car at a hotel and go on a long hike through its woodlands, mountains, and lakeshores. Ask your rental car provider in advance if they permit you crossing the border with Germany.
• Basel. German-speaking, but with a unique Swiss touch, Basel is a sophisticated city of fine contrasts. There’s plenty of impressive historic architecture, like the Basel Town Hall and Elisabeth Church, but you’ll also find contemporary museums and cultural centers of the highest quality. About 135km (84 miles) south of Strasbourg, Basel takes 90 minutes to reach. Ask your rental car provider in advance if they permit you crossing the border with Switzerland. 

Car rental prices in Strasbourg

• Small cars - from $27 per day
• SUVs - from $32 per day
• Vans - from $54 per day
• Station wagons - from $39 per day
• Medium cars - from $32 per day
• Large cars - from $37 per day
• Premium cars - from $102 per day

Money-saving and other tips

Increase your chances of landing a great rental car in Strasbourg by following these tips:

• Compare the rates of different rental car providers
• Book your rental car well in advance
• Plan your route before you go
• Know your fuel and mileage requirements
• Visit during the month when the rental prices are the cheapest. According to our data, visiting Strasbourg is the cheapest in July when renting a car is about 33% cheaper than the yearly average. Some see Alsace in the height of summer!