Strasbourg Gare Centrale

The historic 19th-century station building wasn't replaced during a refurbishment, but completely enclosed in a vaulted glass shell. As a result, the sandstone building now stands inside a bright interior space that reads as a dome from outside. Photographically that's the strongest point in the station – though it's an architecture subject, not a vehicle one.

Yes. Cross-border regional traffic towards the Ortenau runs across the Rhine, and there are long-distance services between France and Germany on top of that. Because the electrification systems differ on either side of the border, mostly multi-system vehicles run there – for instance from the ICE family, such as the Class 406. Exactly which services run changes with the timetable periods; the article Timetable change explains what to watch for.

The north end of the platforms, because from there you see both the long-distance departures and the traffic branching off towards the Rhine. In the afternoon the south end has the better light. For a clean vehicle portrait without a platform roof in the way, you need the public paths along the approach tracks – around a ten to fifteen minute walk. The basics of choosing a viewpoint are in the guide The platform as a photo spot.

Noticeably lower. At Gare du Nord there's practically always a train at every track, whereas in Strasbourg there are genuine gaps. What makes up for it is the variety: you see more different vehicles per hour here, even though you see fewer trains overall. For spotters after variety of types, that's the better trade.

Yes, but mostly outside daytime off-peak hours. The Rhine Valley axis is an important freight corridor, and part of it runs on the French side. During the day you're more likely to see through-runs than dwell time. Anyone specifically wanting to document freight traffic should plan for early morning or evening – or head straight to a border point such as Aachen West. The article Tracking freight trains live is a good starting point.

Photography for private purposes is common at French stations, but France applies somewhat different rules for photography on railway premises than Germany does, and the practice can vary by station. The operator's house rules apply. The forecourt and the paths along the approach tracks are open, publicly accessible ground. The basic principle is described in the article on House rules at the station.

Very much so. On the German side, a different system with different vehicles, different operators and different rules starts immediately behind the border. With cross-border regional trains you're over there in a short time. That makes Strasbourg one of the few places where you can compare different railway operators from two countries in a single day.

Trams and buses stop right at the station, and the old town is a few minutes' walk away. You don't need a car. Anyone planning a longer tour along the Rhine axis – from Basel SBB in the south to Cologne in the north – will find pointers in the article Interrail for train enthusiasts.

On the platforms, a fast standard zoom, because the roofing eats up light. For the approach tracks outside, a moderate telephoto zoom up to around 200 mm. For the glass dome, a wide angle – the interior is tall, and without a short focal length you won't get the building into the frame. A breakdown by focal length is available at which focal length for train photography.

Very much so. The station is easy to read, the departure boards are clear, it isn't overcrowded, and you have plenty of time between trains to get organised. Unlike at Gare de Lyon, you won't be overwhelmed by the frequency here. How to turn that into a structured session is set out in the guide Planning a station-spotting tour.