It’s fast and easy to get to Alsace by train! The East European high-speed line reduces travel times through direct connections to major cities in France such as Paris (2h20 from Strasbourg), Lille (3h20), Nantes (4h55) and Bordeaux (6h20). A second high speed line on the north-south axis, the Rhine-Rhone TGV, is set to come into service by 2012. This will bring Alsace within 2h25 from cities like Lyon (from Mulhouse), Marseille (4h20 est.) and Barcelona, Spain (7h05) in its full extension.

The TGV network, in the framework of a larger European project called the “Magistrale", is connected to the German high-speed train network called ICE (InterCity Express). At project’s end by around 2015, the “Magistrale" will link Paris to Budapest on an uninterrupted railway line passing through Strasbourg. The East European TGV already connects directly to destinations such as Karlsruhe, Stuttgart, or Munich.

Many regional lines serve Alsace, enabling commuters to travel freely from home to work. Train passes at reduced rates are available. They are subsidized by the Region of Alsace to encourage travelers to use public transport for their daily commutes. 

A lot of cross-border workers also use these services to travel daily to Germany or Switzerland.