If I were to take a train from Paris to Dijon, is the train station near enough to the main town area that we could just walk to it? Or would we need to take a bus?

Where is the "main town" for you? The station (5, cour de la gare) is 1.4 km from Place de la République if that helps - 7/8th of a mile.

Use 5, cour de la gare 21000 Dijon and whatever address you're interested in, on Google maps under "Directions - walking"

Oh I don't know, I guess main town to me usually means a good place for wondering around near shops and restaurants....the usual tourist areas. I don't know where that is, because I haven't spent any time in Dijon. In the past we visited Beaune by car but on this trip we thought we'd just use the train.

Thanks for the address references, that should help!

My nephew went to university there and when we visited him from Lausanne we would always walk to and from the train station to the center where the food market and restaurants are. It's 15 minutes or so.

No need to take a bus since Dijon station station is actually in the town centre.
You'll already find shops, hotels and restaurants as soon as you leave it. It is only 5 minutes walk to the tourist office on the way to Place Darcy (with the Triumph Arch)

From there you go down rue de la Liberté and you'll get to the Ducal Palace in about 10 min.
Place de la République is far compared to where you want to go and has only some interest if you're heading to the Exhibition Center. The historic centre is much closer
Welcome to Dijon and do not forget to ask for a brochure "the owl's trail" (2.5&euro at the tourist office to see the main sites. Enjoy!
coco

Hi love,

www.viamichelin.com can give you walking distances and times between points in Dijon.

Thanks everyone, this helps alot.

And Ira, thanks! I forgot about that...silly me.

Hi love to sing, if you are planning to visit Dijon I recommend reading a fascinating book called
Long ago in France by M F K Fisher, this book is about a young recently married American, from California, living in Dijon in 1929. Dijon is such a revelation to her, as the way of life in France, the book has a little plan of Dijon the way it was then and there you can have an idea of how far or close rather is the Train station from Place Darcy, Place d'Arms etc but most interesting a feeling of life in DIjon in those days.
Miss Fisher has written many acclaimed books, including Serve it Forth. I love this one , I find for instance fascinating the French eating culture , and much more...
It is amazing to think that not so long ago most people washed their vegetables in the public pump!!
Are you staying in Dijon>?, if you are the IBis Central was the Central Hotel in those days and the Hotel de la Cloche is the Meridien .
When I read a book like this about DIjon ergo about France not that long ago, I cannot imagine how hundreds of cars are burnt now every night.
Anyway I recommend reading it before visiting Dijon
which is as you know the provincial capital of Burgundy. ( I hope that to-day no cars are burnt there)