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Strasbourg on a budget: how to do it well
Short answer
Yes, Strasbourg works on a budget outside the Christmas market weeks. Plan on about €90 per person per day (bed €45, food €30, sights €10, transport €5), staying near the station and eating tarte flambée and lunch formules.
A realistic daily budget
| Budget | Mid-range | Comfort | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bed (per person, sharing) | €45 | €85 | €170 |
| Food & drink | €30 | €55 | €100 |
| Sights & tickets | €10 | €30 | €60 |
| Local transport | €5 | €15 | €35 |
| Per person, per day | €90 | €185 | €365 |
Approximate 2026 prices, two people sharing a room. From our Strasbourg day-cost table.
Free things to do
- Visit Notre-Dame cathedral (entry to the church is free)
- Walk the canals and half-timbered lanes of Petite France
- See the Ponts Couverts and climb onto the roof terrace of the Barrage Vauban
- Walk the Neustadt from Place de la République to the Palais du Rhin
- Visit the Parlamentarium Simone Veil at the European Parliament (free, on most weekdays)
- Stroll in the Parc de l'Orangerie
Cheap eats
- Bretzel from a bakery: about €1.50–2.50
- Slice of kougelhopf: about €3–5
- Tarte flambée to share: about €9–15
- Weekday lunch formule in a brasserie: often the cheapest full meal
- Kebab or Turkish food in Krutenau or near the station: under €10
Where to sleep for less
Budget travellers stay around the railway station (Quartier de la Gare), where doubles cost about €80–120, or in Krutenau (€110–180). Strasbourg has a few hostels with dorm beds. Prices rise sharply during the Christmas market and Parliament plenary weeks.
Getting around cheaply
The centre is walkable. A tram single costs about €2 and a 24-hour pass about €5; Vélhop bikes are cheap for longer stays. The airport shuttle train reaches the station in about 10 minutes. TER trains to Colmar take about 30 minutes for roughly €13–15 each way, and tram D crosses the Rhine to Kehl in Germany.
A sample budget day
- Morning: cathedral at opening time (free) and a bretzel (about €2)
- Lunch: lunch formule in a brasserie, or a picnic by the Ill (about €10–15)
- Afternoon: Petite France, the Ponts Couverts and the Barrage Vauban terrace (free)
- Evening: tarte flambée and a glass of Riesling in a winstub (about €18)
- Total: about €35 plus your bed (€45), so roughly €80–90
More ways to save
- Visit in May, June, September or October for good weather and normal prices.
- Book the cathedral platform or astronomical clock only if you really want them; the church itself is free.
- Look for all-you-can-eat flammekueche evenings for a filling, cheap dinner.
- Shop at the Boulevard de la Marne market for picnic supplies.
- Drink Crémant d'Alsace instead of champagne.
- Take the train to Colmar rather than a coach tour.
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Common questions
Can you visit Strasbourg on a budget?
Yes. Stay near the station, eat tarte flambée and lunch formules and enjoy the free sights for about €90 a day.
How do I get from Strasbourg to Colmar cheaply?
By TER train, about 30 minutes and roughly €13–15 each way.
What is free in Strasbourg?
The cathedral, Petite France, the Barrage Vauban terrace, the Neustadt, the Parlamentarium and the Orangerie park.