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Help planning a road trip from Berne, Switzerland

Hi everyone,

New to this forum, so any help would be much appreciated!

I will be in Bern, Switzerland in late September 2014 for my sister's wedding. We're planning a 4-day road trip to Lyon from Bern, and then perhaps down to the Mediterranean from Lyon and then back to Bern - however, here's where I need your guidance!

  1. Is it generally better to take trains vs. drive? I know there are pros and cons for both, but we're trying to keep budget in mind. However, I've been told driving takes a lot longer than it appears on a map, so would trains be worth it in this case - even just for the view?

  2. For our third leg, we're thinking Lyon to either Camargue, the Cote d’Azur or Provence. Which of these is worth driving to? Should we train instead? Are there any other recommendations you would make in terms of places? It's my first time to the South of France, so I am open to any and all experiences - slow and leisurely, or anything else!

Thanks a lot!

Posted by
16895 posts

Bern-Lyon and Lyon-Nice each take about 5 hours by train; maybe you don't want to go as far as Nice. If you spend two nights in Lyon and two nights at the next stop, I'd look at flying from Marseille (or Nice) back to Bern, Geneve, or Basel; see www.skyscanner.com.

If you haven't been in the alps during your earlier stay in Switzerland, you might route by train Bern-Lyon-Chamonix-Bern, instead. How to Look Up Train Schedules Online gives you the DB train schedule link and tips for using it.