Lyon Day Trips Through the Year
Lyon Day Trips Through the Year
Day trips from Lyon change character with the calendar. A vineyard village that glows in September can feel empty in January, and an alpine lake that suits August needs a coat in March. Match the trip to the month and you get far more from the train ticket.
Spring: Vienne and Pérouges
Spring suits walking between ruins and village lanes. Vienne sits on the Rhône, 15 to 25 minutes by TER from Part-Dieu or Perrache, with a fare of about €8.50 and up to 47 trains a day. The Roman theatre and the Temple of Augustus and Livia are the main sights, and each costs around €3, with an inter-museum ticket at about €8. Pérouges needs a TER to Meximieux-Pérouges, roughly 20 to 27 minutes, then a 20-minute uphill walk. The medieval village is free to enter. Try the sugar-crusted galette of Pérouges before you head back. Train times are on SNCF Connect .
Summer: Annecy
Annecy is the long day. The direct TER takes about 1 hour 51 to 2 hours each way, and fares run roughly €20 to €30. That is four hours on the train, so leave early and return late. The old town canals and the lake are the draw, and swimming or pedal-boating on the lake is the reason to go in July or August. If you want a slower visit, stay overnight and use the multi-day trips page for planning ideas.
Autumn: Beaujolais
September and October bring the harvest to the vineyards north of Lyon, and the golden-stone villages known as the Pierres Dorées are at their warmest in the afternoon light. Oingt is the best-known village. Public transport is thin among the vines, so most visitors join a tour or hire a car. Half-day tours start at about €100 per person. Beaujolais Nouveau Day falls on the third Thursday of November, which is 19 November in 2026, and local bars and cellars hold tastings around it.
Winter: Vienne and the city
From December to February, short trips work best. Vienne’s theatre opens a reduced winter schedule, so check the opening times before you board. If your visit overlaps the Fête des Lumières on 5 to 8 December, stay in Lyon for the evenings. The festival is free and hotels fill early, so keep the day trip for the morning or skip it.
One that cannot be a day trip
Chamonix has no direct train from Lyon, and the best rail journey takes about 4 hours 38 minutes each way. Treat it as an overnight stay. Annecy gives you the Alps on a daytime schedule instead.
Planning the day
Buy tickets at the station machines or on the app, and validate paper tickets where required. Check the last return train before you commit to dinner away from Lyon. Pickpockets favour Part-Dieu concourse, so keep bags closed while you wait.
For the official picture of the region, see the Lyon tourist office , and browse excursions on GetYourGuide .
Tip: take the Vienne train first on a mixed-weather day, because every stop there is within walking distance of the station.