Best day trips from Lyon: how to get there and what to see

Every option below starts from Lyon Part-Dieu unless noted. Times are the fastest scheduled trains; add 15–25 min to reach Part-Dieu from central Lyon by metro. Fares are 2026 estimates for a return trip.

Vienne is the easiest win: a TER from Part-Dieu or Perrache takes about 20 minutes and drops you near the Roman theatre and the Temple of Augustus and Livia, with the Rhône and a compact old town between them. Half a day is enough, which makes it a good wet-weather or late-start option.

Saint-Étienne, about 45 minutes by TER, is a working city rather than a postcard. The Cité du Design and the Musée d'Art et d'Industrie are the reasons to go; pair it with the tram up to the higher districts. It is a solid half-day if you have already done Lyon's centre.

Grenoble, about 1 h 15, gives you mountains without a car: the Bastille cable car (téléphérique) climbs from the old town to a fort with views over the Isère valley. Add the Musée de Grenoble if the weather turns. Chambéry, about 1 h 30, is smaller and quieter, with a Savoyard old town and the Château des Ducs de Savoie.

Annecy is the classic full day: about 2 h by TER, then a lakefront, canals through the old town and a walk along the water. In summer the lake is busy and the paddle boats and beaches fill up; in winter the light is clearer and the town is calmer. Dijon, about 2 h by TGV, needs an early start to be worth it: the old town, the market halls and the mustard shops fill five or six hours, and the last trains back to Lyon run into the evening.

Clermont-Ferrand, about 2 h 30, is the longest rail day here and only worth it if the Puy de Dôme volcano is your goal; the train plus the shuttle up the mountain eats most of the day (shuttle runs seasonally, check dates before booking).

By car, Pérouges (about 40 minutes northeast) is a small walled village with a single main street and a famous galette; Beaujolais villages such as Oingt and Fleurie are 45–60 minutes north and best paired with a tasting room. Both are awkward by public transport, so treat them as car days.

Rail is the main cost. TER fares are fixed and cheap; TGV fares to Dijon and Clermont-Ferrand rise as the train fills, so book a week or more ahead for the best price. A return TER to Vienne or Saint-Étienne is often under 20 EUR, while Annecy and Dijon run 40–70 EUR return (2026 estimates).

On top of that, budget 15–25 EUR for lunch, 5–12 EUR for a museum or cable car, and 4–6 EUR for a coffee or drink. A car day adds fuel, tolls and parking, typically 40–70 EUR for the vehicle plus fuel, which only makes sense if two or more people split it.

Book TGV seats in advance; TER tickets can be bought on the day from machines or the SNCF Connect app. Validate your ticket before boarding where machines are provided, and keep it until you exit the station.

Start early for the long trips. Leaving Part-Dieu before 09:00 gives you five or six usable hours in Annecy or Dijon; leaving after 10:00 turns them into a rushed afternoon. For short trips such as Vienne, any time works.

Check the last return train before you leave the station in the morning, and note the station name: some services use Lyon Perrache instead of Part-Dieu. Sunday and public-holiday timetables are thinner, and strikes can cancel services at short notice.

If you are basing in Lyon for several days, a day trip is often better than moving hotels; see the Lyon itinerary for how to slot one in.