Venue and accommodation
Venue
Conference room, IRMA
Institut de Recherche Mathématique Avancée
7 rue René Descartes
67084 Strasbourg Cedex, France
That is the postal address; the building itself — a seven-storey tower with entrances on its north and east faces — stands on rue du Général Zimmer, on the campus of the University of Strasbourg. IRMA publishes its own access page.
The workshop is hosted by the Inria MIMESIS and MACARON teams.
Getting to Strasbourg
By air
Strasbourg–Entzheim (SXB) is the closest airport. A shuttle train links the terminal to Strasbourg central station in about 8 minutes, up to five times an hour; the terminal and the station platform are joined by a covered walkway. A combined Bus-Tram+TER ticket covering the journey and onward city transport costs around €4.60.
Two larger airports are practical alternatives, both with direct rail connections:
- Frankfurt (FRA) — the widest choice of intercontinental flights, about two hours from Strasbourg by train.
- Basel-Mulhouse-Freiburg (BSL/MLH/EAP) — good European coverage, about ninety minutes away.
Participants travelling from South America generally connect through Paris, Frankfurt or Madrid.
By train
Strasbourg is on the LGV Est high-speed line. Paris Gare de l’Est to Strasbourg takes about 1 h 50 by TGV, with frequent departures through the day. There are also direct services from Luxembourg, Basel, Frankfurt, Karlsruhe and Stuttgart.
Strasbourg central station is in the city centre, a short tram ride from most hotels.
Reaching the venue
From the city centre or the station, take tram line C towards Neuhof, Rodolphe Reuss and get off at Universités. Walk along rue Edmond Labbé, then rue du Général Zimmer: the tower is on your left.
The city is compact and the tram network covers everything you are likely to need. Tickets are sold at every stop; a day pass is worth it if you plan to move around. Central Strasbourg is also very walkable — the old town is essentially pedestrian.
Accommodation
Strasbourg holds its Christmas market, the Christkindelsmärik, throughout December, and the city fills up. Hotels in and around the centre are heavily booked and priced accordingly during the workshop week. Please book as soon as your travel is confirmed — mid-December is the worst possible moment to leave it late.
Participants book their own accommodation. Two areas make sense:
- Around the central station — the widest choice of hotels at every price point, direct tram to the venue, and convenient if you arrive by train.
- The city centre and the Neustadt — closer to the old town and the evening venues, and within walking distance of the Inria site.
The Strasbourg tourist office maintains a list of accommodation across the city, including guesthouses and serviced flats, which are often easier to find than hotel rooms at that time of year.
Anyone having real difficulty finding a room should contact the organisers rather than give up — we would rather know early.
Weather
Expect it to be cold: December in Strasbourg typically means daytime temperatures a few degrees above freezing, with frost overnight and a fair chance of rain. Bring a warm coat.