When to Go

When to Go

Lyon and the Rhône-Alpes are so diverse in altitude and climate that the weather will depend mostly on where you are and when, and which way the wind blows. Freezing gales have been known to turn late September's dance festival into a winter carnival, with icy blasts from the Massif Central sweeping down the Saône.

As a rule, however, Lyon may be rainy and misty, but not especially cold, whereas Grenoble and the Alps can be bitter cold any time of year, though especially from December to April.

The Beaujolais wine region is generally temperate, though a November 3 Thursday Nouveau Beaujolais fest a few years ago froze vines and revelers alike.

South of Lyon along the Rhône the sun beats down on the vineyards in full summer (Côte-Rotie really does mean "roast hillside") but the winds howl in winter. Come prepared for rain, snow, and, in summer, heat.