Getting Here & Around

Getting Here & Around

Lyon is best explored on foot, with the occasional tramway or subway connection to get you across town in a hurry. Boat tours around the Presqu'Île give you another perspective on this riverine metropolis, while bike rentals can also be handy.

A car is the best way to get around the Beaujolais wine country and the rest of Rhône-Alpes. Regional roads are fast and well maintained, though smaller mountain routes are slower, and passes may be closed in winter.

Lyon is an important rail hub, with two in-town train stations and a third at Lyon-Saint-Exupéry airport. Trains from the Part-Dieu train station connect easily with Villefranche-sur-Saône in the middle of the Beaujolais country, while the Gare de Perrache serves points south such as Valence and Vienne.

The main train stations in this chapter are in Lyon, Annecy, and Grenoble, but most small towns along the way have train stations, too, or, more accurately, a building with a few wooden seats along the tracks. So one of the best ways to explore the Alps is to keep your eye out for a stop that looks interesting and abandon ship.

Buses from Lyon and Grenoble also efficiently serve the region's smaller towns. Unfortunately, you can't get to many small towns without passing through major towns, even if it means backtracking many kilometers and many euros.

Many ski centers, such as Chamonix, have shuttle buses that connect them with surrounding villages. Tourist destinations, such as Annecy, have convenient bus links with Grenoble, while Satobus links Lyon's Saint-Exupéry airport with all major ski stations in the Alps.

Consider taking advantage of the Lyon City Card, a one-, two-, or three-day pass to museums with discounts at boutiques, restaurants, and cultural events costing, respectively, EUR 13.56, EUR 20.70, and EUR 27.84.