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Voykit pocket guide · France
Dijon
Give Dijon 2 nights: one full day for the owl walk, the Ducal Palace and Les Halles, plus a half-day wine or Beaune run. Skip it as a day trip from Paris.
Dijon is the capital of the Côte-d'Or and the old seat of the Dukes of Burgundy, 1 h 40 min from Paris by TGV. The centre is compact, largely pedestrian and intact, so two nights cover the landmarks, the free museums and the market, with a third night only if you add wine country or Beaune. It is a food and wine town more than a monument town, and it works well as a base for the Côte-d'Or.
- Country
- France
- Best months
- May–Jun, Sep–Oct
- Avoid
- Jul–Aug (hot, busy), late Dec
- Stay
- 2 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- EUR
- Money
- Currency is the euro (EUR, €). Contactless cards work in most shops, cafés and restaurants.
- Daily spend
- Budget €55–85 excl. bed · Mid €90–150 excl. bed · High €160+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Orange, SFR, Bouygues Télécom and Free sell prepaid SIMs in their shops and at tabacs; ID is required to register.
- Emergency
- European emergency number 112 · Ambulance (SAMU) 15 · Police 17 · Fire 18
- Plugs
- Types C, E · 230 V · 50 Hz · Round two-pin plugs; type E sockets have an earth pin sticking out, so Schuko (type F) plugs need a C/E hybrid or an adapter.
- Tipping
- Café or bar: Leave small change, €0.20–1.; Restaurant: Service is included; leave 5–10% in cash for good service.; Taxi: Round up to the next euro or two.; Hotel porter or housekeeping: €1–2 per bag or per night.; Tour guide: €5–10 per person for a half day, more for private guides.
- Water
- Tap water is safe everywhere unless signed otherwise. Restaurants must serve a free carafe of tap water on request.
- Toilets
- Paris has free automatic public toilets (sanisettes); elsewhere use cafés (buy a coffee), museums and stations, where some charge €0.50–1.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee at a café | €1.50–3 |
| Baguette sandwich | €4–7 |
| Prix fixe lunch menu | €15–25 |
| Dinner, mid-range, per person | €25–45 |
| Glass of Burgundy wine | €5–9 |
| Divia single tram or bus ticket | €1.40 (check) |
| Museum entry (most Dijon museums) | Free |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- DIJ · Dijon-Bourgogne Airport
- No commercial flights; general aviation only. Most travellers arrive via Paris CDG or Lyon and continue by TGV.
Typical fares
- TGV Paris Gare de Lyon → Dijon-Ville
- about 1 h 40 min; fares vary, book ahead (check)
- TER Paris Bercy → Dijon-Ville
- about 3 h; fixed fare about €36 adult, €18 under 26 (check)
- Tram or bus, single ride
- €1.40, plus €0.30 for a reloadable card (check)
- Divia 24-hour ticket
- €4.20 (check)
Get around
Walk: the centre is small, pedestrian and flat, and the owl markers guide a self-guided loop. Tram and bus (Divia) cover the station, the Toison d'Or mall and the edges; buy a 24-hour ticket if you take three or more rides. Bikes (DiviaVélodi stands, or a rental from La Bécane à Jules) are the fast way to reach the Well of Moses and the Coulée verte. Driving in the centre is restricted: park at a P+R and switch to tram.
See and do
Known for
- Palais des Ducs de Bourgogne
- Parcours de la chouette (owl walk)
- Les Halles market
- Mustard and Burgundy wine
- Musée des Beaux-Arts
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Beaune | TER or TGV from Dijon-Ville, about 20–25 min | About 45 min |
| Semur-en-Auxois | TER from Dijon-Ville, about 45–55 min, then walk uphill | About 1 h 15 min |
| Châtillon-sur-Seine | TER from Dijon-Ville, about 1 h, then a local bus or taxi | About 1 h 30 min |
| Saulieu | Car or coach via the A6, about 1 h | About 1 h 15 min |
| Époisses | Car, about 1 h; no useful train | About 1 h |
| Aiserey | TER from Dijon-Ville, about 20 min | About 40 min |
Sleep
- Around Place Darcy and the station
- Closest to Dijon-Ville station and the tram; best for a short stay with bags.
- Old centre (Place de la Libération, rue de la Liberté)
- Walk to the palace, Les Halles and the owl walk; quiet at night, few cars.
- North of the centre (Toison d'Or side)
- Cheaper chain hotels on tram T2, about 12 min from the centre; only if you have a car or want parking.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello | Bonjourbon-ZHOOR |
| Thank you | Mercimair-SEE |
| The bill, please | L'addition, s'il vous plaîtla-dee-SYON seel voo PLEH |
| I would like this one | Je voudrais celui-cizhuh voo-DREH suh-lwee SEE |
| Do you speak English? | Parlez-vous anglais ?par-lay VOO ahn-GLEH |
| Where is the station? | Où est la gare ?oo eh la GAR |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Say 'bonjour madame/monsieur' on entering any shop, bus or office; avoid: Asking a question before saying bonjour — it is read as rude
- Cheek kisses (la bise): Follow the other person's lead; one to four kisses depending on region; avoid: Initiating la bise with strangers or in business
- Addressing people: Use 'vous' and titles until invited otherwise; avoid: First names and 'tu' with older people or staff
- Restaurants: Wait to be seated in restaurants; call the waiter 'monsieur' or 'madame'; avoid: 'Garçon', snapping fingers, asking for the bill before you are finished
- Conversation: Debate is a pleasure; food, politics and philosophy are fair game; avoid: Asking about salary or religion; loud voices on trains
- Dinner at a home: Bring flowers (not chrysanthemums), chocolates or a good bottle; arrive 10–15 minutes late; avoid: Cutting the tip off a cheese wedge or asking for ketchup
- Dress: Smart-casual in cities; covered shoulders in churches; avoid: Beachwear in town centres
Scams and watch-outs
- Dijon mustard is mostly not made in Dijon any more; the Maille boutique on rue de la Chouette is the reliable tasting stop.
- The Well of Moses sits on hospital grounds outside the centre: check access hours before walking out.
- Most museums are free but close on Tuesdays and on French public holidays.
- Restaurant kitchens in the centre often stop serving by 21:30; book or eat earlier.
- The station-area orientation maps are rotated with west at the top: check before you set off.
Dijon is a calm, walkable city and violent crime against visitors is rare. The usual French city cautions apply: watch bags at the station and on the tram, expect petty theft around Les Halles and Place Darcy at night, and keep to lit streets after midnight.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Dijon yet. Suggested stay: 2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Palais des Ducs de Bourgogne
- Parcours de la chouette (owl walk)
- Les Halles market
- Mustard and Burgundy wine
- Musée des Beaux-Arts
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Ville de Dijon (official city site): www.dijon.fr/
- Dijon Métropole tourist office: www.visitdijon.com/en/
- SNCF Connect (TGV and TER to Dijon): www.sncf-connect.com/en-en
- Divia (Dijon tram and bus network): www.divia.fr/en
- Wikivoyage: Dijon, revision 5330061 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5330061
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Dijon
À cette adresse, s'il vous plaît
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
No US or UK embassy in Dijon; consulates-general are in Lyon, embassies in Paris. For a lost passport, contact your embassy in Paris first.
Tipping: service is included by law; round up or leave 5–10% for good service. Emergency numbers work from any phone, including mobiles without a French SIM.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/dijon). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.