Situated between Paris and the Côte d’Azur, on the border with both Switzerland and Italy, and offering access to two international airports (Lyon and Geneva), impressive rail connections and a vast motorway network,  Rhône-Alpes region is literally at the crossroads of Europe.

Boasting 8 natural parks and peerless sites such as Mont Blanc and the Gorges de l’Ardèche, Rhône-Alpes offers a wide range of different landscapes: mountains, vineyards and gentle valleys, fields of lavender and olive groves.

In Rhône-Alpes, water is everywhere: from snow to glacier ice, rivers and streams to lakes…Rhône-Alpes is where three of France’s biggest lakes can be found (Lake Geneva, Lac du Bourget and Lac d’Annecy).

Every form of sport is readily available, set against an impressive natural backdrop: hiking, mountain biking or even paragliding and canoeing…Rhône-Alpes is not only the second most important golfing region in France with over 60 courses but it also has the largest ski area in the world and has hosted the Winter Olympics three times.

Enthusiasts of art and culture will not be disappointed by the region’s Villes d’Art: Lyon, which is classified by UNESCO as a World Heritage site, Annecy, Grenoble, Chambéry, and Saint Etienne.

And last but not least, connoisseurs of good food and wine will be spoilt for choice by the range of local specialities available to taste along with a Beaujolais or a Côtes du Rhône, and by the sheer number of famous restaurants in the region (with Paul Bocuse at the top of the list) .

GETTING HERE:

AIR :

 

Aéroport International de Lyon Saint Exupéry

www.lyon.aeroport.fr

From August 2010, new express shuttle Lyon Centre / Lyon airport in 30mn. www.rhonexpress.fr

Aéroport International de Genève

www.gva.ch

Aéroport Annecy Haute-Savoie Mont Blanc

www.annecy.aeroport.fr

Aéroport Chambéry Savoie

www.chambery.aeroport.fr

Aéroport Grenoble Isère

www.grenoble-airport.com

Aéroport de Saint-Etienne Bouthéon

www.saint-etienne.aeroport.fr

RAIL:

International services (high-speed trains):

• Brussels : Thalys (and Thalys Soleil and Thalys Neige) and TGV Brussels Lyon
• London : Eurostar  TGV and Eurostar snow train

International train services :  www.raileurope.com

National services: national rail services link Rhône-Alpes with many destinations in France, especially with high-speed trains (TGV)

National train services : www.sncf.com

Regional services : local rail services criss-cross the region for regular connections and link Alpine resorts with country towns

Regional train services: www.ter-sncf.com

 

ROAD :

With more than 1,300 kilometres of motorways, Rhône Alpes is among the best served regions of France for efficient access by road. Info on www.via-michelin.com