Hi all, we are traveling to Lyon in late July for four days, and then on to Chamonix for three days, and finally, Annecy for two. My husband has never been to France, and this is my second trip (Paris and Nice 15 years ago). We are interested in history, culture, food and wine, and natural beauty. Of course, we want to do hikes in Chamonix. We are looking for suggestions for an itinerary that would also include any day trip from Lyon that is not to be missed.
Thank you,
Pat
Hi,
Are you driving once you leave Lyon, or using public transportation all the way?
Regardless, from Lyon you have a few day trip options including:
Thank you for the day trip ideas. Is Vezelay a practical trip to consider? We haven't made arrangements for traveling by train vs car from Lyon to other towns. Do you have advice on that, and I assume you recommend booking transportation ahead of time? I've read that getting to the Geneva airport from Annecy is faster by bus than by train. Also, I've read that buying a multi-day City Pass in Lyon is the way to go, but we wonder if a tour guide for the Old Town is the best way to get a historical perspective. We are very interested in learning and experiencing first-hand the UNESCO sites. But we also would love insider tips to take in sights that tourists often miss.
Vézelay is very far, closer to Paris than to Lyon: are you sure you are not confusing it with another place?
If you want to visit a monastery, Bourg-en-Bresse has an amazing one (Monastère Royal de Brou) and it is an easy day trip.
I have no idea about transportation/city passes in Lyon, sorry.
Regarding driving, you don't need a car in Chamonix, but if you find an affordable deal to rent a car in Lyon and drop it off in Annecy, it is worth considering, you'll save time (Lyon to Chamonix is a slog by public transport) and open up some options.
Another day trip option, if you're interested in history, would be to go to Cluny and tour the ruined abbey to learn about the history of this Benedictine site, which had an incredible reach at its height of power and influence. You could then go on to La Roche de Solutré (the rock of Solutré) a faulted scarp remnant/erosional monadnock which has a fine climbing hike to some very pretty views of largely Pouilly Fuissé southern Bourgogne vineyards and (on clearer days) the Alps in the east. Step carefully as there are no barriers off the edge when at the top. Then, upon descending, there's a small, but pretty good, prehistory museum about the stone-age people who lived in the area. Their tools on display are quite similar to those you might see in a museum dedicated to Native American history in the U.S.
Thank you for these replies. We really would like to explore a monastery or abbey and learn its history. I'm sorry that Vezelay is far from Lyon. Your suggestion of Cluny sounds like a good option. How does it compare to the Abbey at Hautecombe or Fontenay? We appreciate your insights since we have to make one choice.
I can comment on Hautecombe Abbey: it is a beautiful place and historically very significant, but there is not much that you can actually visit there (only the church). For that reason, it would not be a top choice for me.
Cluny is a better choice but you definitely need a car for that one.
Never been to Fontenay.
Your feedback really helps. Cluny does seem a better choice. And we've decided to rent a car to explore the Rhone Valley, so if you've driven the area, any tips would be great.
Thanks so much!
Pat
The driving itself is not too hard, but traffic in and around Lyon is very dense, and intercity holiday traffic is heavy on summer weekends. Avoid any non-local driving on the last Saturday in July if possible! That's the worst traffic day of the whole year, typically, and the highways around Lyon are a traffic hot spot.
The Lyon City Pass is worth it. We bought one at the TI and they booked some tours for us. We spent 4 nights in Lyon and didn’t have time for any day trips.
I really appreciate all your replies. We have extended our trip on the front end to see Avignon and the Provence sights for two days. At this point, I am looking for suggestions of restaurants in Avignon, Arles, Lyon and then Annecy. We prefer places with wonderful food, yes, but also with local ambience. I'm sure there are many options and would love recommendations.
Thank you!
Since we've added these two days at the front of our trip -- I wish we had at least two more -- I'd like advice on how to see Arles and Aix-en-Provence from Avignon. Is a driver the only way to visit both places in one long day? Train and bus schedules appear to take too much time. Our first day is already taken up with a group tour.
You could easily spend a single day in Arles alone. If you want to see both Arles and Aix in a day, then yes you need a car. You could hire one and drive yourself, or hire a driver - no idea about how to arrange option #2.
Is it even practical to do the two in one day? Since we're doing a whirlwind tour of Provence sights the first day--not the way we like to experience a place, but we're short on time--it looks like choosing one to enjoy the whole day makes more sense. Do you recommend Arles or Aix-en-Provence? It's a difficult choice for me because I love Cezanne, but have read that Arles is a good experience, too.
