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Voykit pocket guide · France
Saint-Étienne
Give Saint-Étienne one full day from Lyon (45–55 min by TER) for the Cité du Design and the modern art museum; sleep in Lyon unless you are here for a match.
Saint-Étienne is a former coal and arms city in the Massif Central, 60 km southwest of Lyon, that rebuilt itself around design: it is a UNESCO Creative City of Design, and its Museum of Modern Art holds one of France's largest modern collections. Sights are spread between the centre and two outlying museum sites, so a car or the tram matters. Most travellers see it as a day trip from Lyon; football fans come for Ligue 2 matches at a 42,000-seat ground.
- Country
- France
- Best months
- May–Jun, Sep–Oct
- Avoid
- Jul–Aug (inland heat), mid-Dec–early Jan
- Stay
- 1 night
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 €85–140 excl. bed · High €140+ 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 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 |
| Lunch menu (plat du jour) | €13–18 |
| Dinner main course | €15–25 |
| Beer: draught in a bar / can at a shop | €4–7 / €1–2 |
| STAS tram or bus ride | €2 |
| Museum entry (MAMC+, Cité du Design, Mine Museum) | €5–9, some free |
| eSIM or data SIM, about a week | €10–20 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- EBU · Saint-Étienne–Bouthéon
- About 10 km (6.2 mi) north of the centre; very few scheduled flights, so check before booking.About 6.2 mi (10 km) north of the centre; very few scheduled flights, so check before booking.
- LYS · Lyon–Saint-Exupéry
- Main gateway: about 1 h 30 min to Saint-Étienne by Rhônexpress plus train, or about 1 h 15 min by road.
Typical fares
- Train Lyon → Saint-Étienne, TER
- about €12–15, 45–55 min
- Train Saint-Étienne → Paris, TGV
- about 2 h 45 min–3 h; fares vary, book ahead
- Taxi across the centre
- €10–15
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
STAS runs trams, trolleybuses and buses across the agglomeration; buy a ticket from the driver or a machine and validate it. The T1 and T3 trams link Châteaucreux, the centre and the northern museum sites. Vélivert bike share needs a smartcard. The centre itself is small enough to walk.
See and do
Known for
- Cité du Design and the Manufacture district
- Museum of Modern Art (MAMC+)
- Museum of Art and Industry
- Coal mining heritage at the Puits Couriot
- AS Saint-Étienne football
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Firminy (Le Corbusier site) | TER train from Châteaucreux or Carnot to Firminy, about 20–25 min, then a walk or short bus | About 1 h |
| Lyon | TER train from Châteaucreux or Carnot, about 45–55 min | About 1 h |
| Pilat Regional Natural Park | Car, about 30–45 min to the main trailheads | About 1 h |
| Pérouges | Train to Meximieux then a taxi or a long walk, or car via the A47/A42 | About 1 h 30 min |
Sleep
- Centre / Place du Peuple–Hôtel de Ville
- Walkable old town, cafés and the Carnot station; best for one night without a car.
- Châteaucreux station area
- Main station for Lyon and Paris TGV; practical for early departures, quiet at night.
- La Terrasse / Geoffroy-Guichard
- Match nights only: walk to the stadium and the La Terrasse station.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello / Good day | Bonjourbon-ZHOOR |
| Thank you | Mercimair-SEE |
| Please | S'il vous plaîtseel voo PLEH |
| How much is it? | C'est combien ?say kom-BYEN |
| Can I pay by card? | Je peux payer par carte ?zhuh puh pay-YAY par KART |
| Where is the tram stop? | Où est l'arrêt de tram ?oo ay la-RAY duh tram |
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
- Museum of Modern Art and the Mine Museum sit outside the centre: check opening days before you go, and note many French museums close on Mondays or Tuesdays.
- The Mine Museum is largely underground and unheated: bring a jacket.
- Match days around Geoffroy-Guichard fill trams and bars; book a bed early.
- Some budget hotels near the stations are basic; read recent reviews before booking.
Central Saint-Étienne is fine by day; at night stay on lit streets around Place du Peuple and the Hôtel de Ville, and avoid the station approaches after the last trams. Petty theft and rowdy match nights are the main issues.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Saint-Étienne yet. Suggested stay: 1 night. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Cité du Design and the Manufacture district
- Museum of Modern Art (MAMC+)
- Museum of Art and Industry
- Coal mining heritage at the Puits Couriot
- AS Saint-Étienne football
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Saint-Étienne tourist office: www.saint-etienne-hors-cadre.fr/en/
- City of Saint-Étienne: www.saint-etienne.fr/
- Saint-Étienne–Bouthéon airport: saint-etienne.aeroport.fr/en/
- Lyon airports: www.lyonaeroports.com/en
- STAS (Saint-Étienne public transport): www.reseau-stas.fr/
- Wikivoyage: Saint-Étienne, revision 5269629 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5269629
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Saint-Étienne
À cette adresse, s'il vous plaît
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
No embassies here; the US, UK and most others are in Paris, with consulates in Lyon (check).
Service is included by law in French cafés and restaurants; round up or leave 5–10% for good service.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/saint-etienne). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.