We have a rail-drive package for June, and all our days are spoken for. To get from Lyon to Beaune, should we pay for an extra car day, or should we just take a bus or train? We plan to rent a car once in Beaune to see the area, but will we be missing a lot not going by car from Lyon to Beaune? Also, is it difficult to drive out of Lyon? Thanks very much.

You're looking at about 1.5 hours drive (if my memory serves me right). There are a lot of small nice towns along the way, but I would stick with your plan and use Beaune as your driving base.

In any case, last October, I drove out of Lyon but went south to Avignon. We used the Lyon tourist map that the hotel provided us with and it was fairly easy to get from our hotel in historic/old Lyon to the Autostrade as long as you have a good navigator by your side.

Good luck.

Thanks rcc. I think you are probably right, and we should have plenty to see around Beaune.

On the other hand, if you drive from Beaune you can make a stop at Pérouges, an interesting small medieval town, and see the church in Tournus, and perhaps the ruins of the great Abbaye de Cluny. You could also visit the superb Flamboyant Gothic church in Bourg-en-Bresse.

See Lyon and then take the train to Beaune. Drive from Beaune north to Nuits-St.George along the N74, . This is the heart of Burgundy. Stop for degustation and buying Burgundy wine, known in the USA as Pinot Noir. Passetoutgrains is a blend of Pinot Noir and Gamay and a good one to take home. You will be hard pressed to find it at home, or even find anyone who has ever heard of it. Also try the Marc (pronounced mahr) if you like cognac. Enjoy it with a fine Dutch cigar.

Dinner, afternoon or evening, in an auberge along the way will be a few hours you will never forget. Sunday is best.

Thanks, Hopscotch. Do you have any favorite places to eat along N-74?

Two possibilities: Les Maritonnes, in Romanèche-Thorins, which does wonderful classic Burgundian food, or Château d'Igé, in Igé, not quite as far from Lyon. The latter is a lovely old château with pretty grounds.

Having Sunday lunch at a restaurant is a tradition for many French families, and you will share in the good feelings.