# Clermont-Ferrand and the Puy de Dôme in autumn

> Looking for a weekend to enjoy the pretty colours of autumn, we set our hearts on the Auvergne and the Puy de Dôme.

Source: https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/en/blog/clermont-ferrand-puy-de-dome-in-autumn/
Published on 25 October 2020

Looking for a weekend to enjoy the pretty colours of autumn, we set our hearts on the Auvergne and the Puy de Dôme. After reading up on the blogs (including that of [Un pied dans les nuages](https://unpieddanslesnuages.com/auvergne-sans-voiture/)), we saw that it was possible to **visit the area around Clermont-Ferrand without a car**! So at the start of October we booked our train tickets for Clermont: the return trip cost us **83.60€ for the two of us** (3h30 journey on the Intercités from Paris Bercy station).  
_On the weekend's programme_: dinner and a night in Clermont-Ferrand on the Friday evening; a day trip to the Puy de Dôme on the Saturday; and a visit of the city on the Sunday.

Before leaving, we booked two 48h [Clermont Pass](https://www.clermontauvergnetourisme.com/clermontpass/) (**19€**), which give access to the Aventure Michelin, to the Panoramique des Dômes train up the Puy de Dôme, to one entry to one of the city's five museums, to a guided tour of the city and to many perks in the shops and restaurants of Clermont-Ferrand. The Pass is worth the cost with the panoramic train and the Michelin museum alone: don't hesitate to buy it! You have to book it online and pick it up at the Maison du Tourisme.

## Getting to the Puy de Dôme without a car

After a good breakfast at the bed and breakfast, we made our way to the "Ballainvilliers" bus stop where we waited for the 10.53am **shuttle** that links Clermont-Ferrand to the Panoramique des Dômes station, at the foot of the Puy de Dôme. All the stops and times [here](https://www.t2c.fr/sites/default/files/Nouvelle_arborescence/PDF/DEPLIANT_NAVETTEDOME_FEV_2020_V5.pdf). The journey costs only **1.60€** (the price of a ticket on Clermont's T2C network) and takes **25 minutes**. We advise you to go to this stop rather than the Jaude one because there were an enormous number of people waiting for the shuttle at that one (_especially during the school holidays_). The shuttle runs every weekday, from May to November, this year until 1 November. So it dropped us in front of the Panoramique des Dômes station, by the big car park.

![Autumn meadow at the foot of the wooded volcanic dome](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/clermont-ferrand-et-le-puy-de-dome-en-automne-02-dd4a9fd8.webp)

![Summit of the Puy de Dôme capped with clouds and aerials](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/clermont-ferrand-et-le-puy-de-dome-en-automne-03-ccd78893.webp)

![Orange foliage in front of the rounded outline of the volcano](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/clermont-ferrand-et-le-puy-de-dome-en-automne-04-d06321d4.webp)

To get to the top of the Puy de Dôme, we decided to take the **panoramic train** (_entry included in the Clermont Pass_, 14€ return, 11.50€ one way). The [Panoramique des Dômes](https://www.panoramiquedesdomes.fr/page/horaires-du-train) runs every 40 minutes in mid season, until the end of October. The journey takes fifteen minutes and offers superb views over the chain of puys.

![Map board of the trails at the summit of the Puy de Dôme](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/clermont-ferrand-et-le-puy-de-dome-en-automne-05-70411b6c.webp)

*© https://www.panoramiquedesdomes.fr/*

### At the top of the Puy de Dôme

On arrival, the temperature shock was violent: 4 degrees, an icy wind and a fog you could cut with a knife! We weren't expecting such weather at the top, because down below the sun was shining with 17 degrees. We took shelter for a while in the **Grands Sites de France discovery area**, which offers a small exhibition on volcanoes. On the first floor of the building there are restaurants and a shop. We then braved the cold to climb up to the **remains of the Temple of Mercury** and its **museum**, which we also visited. It's very educational and interactive: special mention for the film that traces the history of the place and the archaeological discoveries on the site, really very interesting!  
At the top, there are also **three discovery trails**, with purpose built platforms that offer a panoramic view, but unfortunately, we couldn't make the most of them because of the thick fog.

![Stone remains of the Roman temple drowned in fog](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/clermont-ferrand-et-le-puy-de-dome-en-automne-06-452bb9a8.webp)

![View over the plain from the summit, between two clouds](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/clermont-ferrand-et-le-puy-de-dome-en-automne-07-3550cce0.webp)

![Wooded slope disappearing beneath a scarf of mist](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/clermont-ferrand-et-le-puy-de-dome-en-automne-08-59e3aeac.webp)

![Summit staircase fading into the fog](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/clermont-ferrand-et-le-puy-de-dome-en-automne-09-c32cd31c.webp)

### The goats' path

We then decided to walk down, following the **goats' path** that leads to the Panoramique des Dômes station and the car park. As the blanket of fog only covered the summit, having gone down barely a few metres, we were able to admire the huge panorama over the chain of puys. The first part of the path is on a **built up path with wooden steps**. You then cross a more open section, which has a **steppe** feel, with lower vegetation; then the path enters the **undergrowth**, which we got to discover in its beautiful autumn coat. We really advise you to go down _via_ this path because it offers magnificent viewpoints and runs through landscapes very different from one another.

![Wooden staircase going down towards the Chaîne des Puys](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/clermont-ferrand-et-le-puy-de-dome-en-automne-10-f3f1e29b.webp)

![Couple posing on the steps facing the volcanoes](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/clermont-ferrand-et-le-puy-de-dome-en-automne-11-beefcf9b.webp)

![Russet and golden autumn canopy seen from the heights](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/clermont-ferrand-et-le-puy-de-dome-en-automne-12-7da6ef76.webp)

![Wooden gate opening onto the valleys and the plain](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/clermont-ferrand-et-le-puy-de-dome-en-automne-13-3382857b.webp)

Remember to turn round from time to time to contemplate the Puy de Dôme, seen from below! Back at the car park, we waited for the shuttle to go back to Clermont-Ferrand. Work your timing out carefully because it comes every two hours and the last one is at 6pm.

![Earth path climbing towards the summit of the volcano](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/clermont-ferrand-et-le-puy-de-dome-en-automne-14-4032ed1f.webp)

![Yellow and orange beeches above a path covered with leaves](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/clermont-ferrand-et-le-puy-de-dome-en-automne-15-109b1dad.webp)

![Forest road carpeted with fallen leaves](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/clermont-ferrand-et-le-puy-de-dome-en-automne-16-3585ab00.webp)

![Russet Salers cows grazing in front of the autumn woods](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/clermont-ferrand-et-le-puy-de-dome-en-automne-17-95310eb5.webp)

![Hiker stopping on a carpet of russet leaves](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/clermont-ferrand-et-le-puy-de-dome-en-automne-18-ea7475eb.webp)

![Fir tree beside the wooden staircase above the puys](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/clermont-ferrand-et-le-puy-de-dome-en-automne-19-3e2db954.webp)

![Portrait of a hiker, hair in the wind on the path](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/clermont-ferrand-et-le-puy-de-dome-en-automne-20-82436e62.webp)

## What to see in Clermont-Ferrand

### The city centre

The **centre of Clermont-Ferrand** can be covered fairly quickly because it isn't very big. We mostly walked around it on the Sunday so all the shops were closed, which isn't necessarily ideal for discovering the city. There are two main squares: the **place de Jaude**, where most of the shops and the city's buzz are, and the **place de la Victoire**, where the **Notre-Dame de l'Assomption cathedral** stands. The two squares are linked by the steep, shop lined **rue des Gras** and by the parallel **rue des Chaussetiers**, with plenty of restaurants.  
A little further north is a square with the **Amboise Fountain,** which gives a lovely view over the city and the Puy de Dôme, and the very beautiful **Notre-Dame du Port Basilica**, which is worth the detour.  
We didn't have a precise plan for visiting the city, so the best thing is to wander through the streets to discover hidden courtyards or local shops.

![Romanesque apse of the basilica framed by yellow leaves](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/clermont-ferrand-et-le-puy-de-dome-en-automne-21-4d5d3f63.webp)

![Rainbow above the rooftops of the city](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/clermont-ferrand-et-le-puy-de-dome-en-automne-22-547f3a55.webp)

![Equestrian statue at the centre of a vast paved square](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/clermont-ferrand-et-le-puy-de-dome-en-automne-23-0072666a.webp)

![Gothic facade in volcanic stone and its two dark spires](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/clermont-ferrand-et-le-puy-de-dome-en-automne-24-1a0668bb.webp)

![Soaring nave and rows of chairs in the half-light](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/clermont-ferrand-et-le-puy-de-dome-en-automne-25-29fdb5a0.webp)

![Dark spires towering over a pale stone monument](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/clermont-ferrand-et-le-puy-de-dome-en-automne-26-ee8c1690.webp)

![Rooftops of the city centre and wooded hills on the horizon](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/clermont-ferrand-et-le-puy-de-dome-en-automne-27-f4f07582.webp)

![View over the rooftops and a bell tower from a balcony](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/clermont-ferrand-et-le-puy-de-dome-en-automne-28-4871d630.webp)

![Puy de Dôme glimpsed at the end of a row of buildings](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/clermont-ferrand-et-le-puy-de-dome-en-automne-29-717946e2.webp)

### L'Aventure Michelin

On Sunday morning, we took tram A towards **[L'Aventure Michelin](https://laventure.michelin.com/)** (Stade M. Michelin stop, a few minutes' walk from the museum). Entry to the museum (9€) is included in the Clermont Pass. We spent more than two hours visiting all the areas, because the museum really is comprehensive! **L'Aventure Michelin** presents the evolution of transport from the 19th century onwards, the history of this family company, the Group's major innovations, their social commitment and their paternalistic mission, the arrival of Bibendum in advertising... through many films, animations and interactive content. The museum is really very well done and interesting: we weren't bored or fed up at all!  
So we recommend it if you want to discover the **history of a French company** that became international and is part of our heritage today.

![Formula E single-seater on show near a drawing of Bibendum](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/clermont-ferrand-et-le-puy-de-dome-en-automne-30-f96610f7.webp)

![Yellow aeroplane suspended in the glass hall of the museum](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/clermont-ferrand-et-le-puy-de-dome-en-automne-31-c674b05f.webp)

![Giant tyre and visitor in front of the entrance to L'Aventure Michelin](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/clermont-ferrand-et-le-puy-de-dome-en-automne-32-c882fd92.webp)

![Giant inflatable Bibendum lying in the exhibition room](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/clermont-ferrand-et-le-puy-de-dome-en-automne-33-26ca403b.webp)

![Yellow Michelin van in the middle of the Bibendums](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/clermont-ferrand-et-le-puy-de-dome-en-automne-34-cb460f51.webp)

![Old road signs standing in front of a wall map](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/clermont-ferrand-et-le-puy-de-dome-en-automne-35-850292ae.webp)

![Vintage bicycle on show in front of history panels](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/clermont-ferrand-et-le-puy-de-dome-en-automne-36-1ed86cbe.webp)

![Blue car with yellow spoked wheels beneath its original drawings](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/clermont-ferrand-et-le-puy-de-dome-en-automne-37-f148f066.webp)

## Our accommodation in Clermont-Ferrand

This time, no Airbnb. We went for **two nights in a bed and breakfast** (**85€ a night with breakfast**), with Brita and Jean-Philippe, in their house [5 chambres en ville](https://www.5-chambresenville.com/). We were in the "Blaise" room, a tribute to Blaise Pascal, one of the figures who left their mark on the city of Clermont-Ferrand. A former laundry on three floors, the house was entirely renovated and redecorated in 2013, but today it could do with another little refresh in the bedrooms. Breakfast is self service, in the shared room on the ground floor: it consists of fresh bread, jams and tea/coffee/orange juice/hot chocolate. We can recommend this place, very well located in Clermont, but we were expecting more standing for a guest house described as "charming".

## Our favourite places to eat in Clermont-Ferrand

- **[Alfred](https://www.tripadvisor.fr/Restaurant_Review-g187091-d3539457-Reviews-Alfred-Clermont_Ferrand_Puy_de_Dome_Auvergne_Rhone_Alpes.html)**: a good modern bistro south of the city centre with very beautiful industrial decor; nice presentation of the dishes, which are very good but perhaps lack a little refinement. Starter, main, dessert 28€ or 37€ in the evening.
- **[Kitchen & Compagnie](https://www.tripadvisor.fr/Restaurant_Review-g187091-d857877-Reviews-Le_Kitchen_et_compagnie-Clermont_Ferrand_Puy_de_Dome_Auvergne_Rhone_Alpes.html)**: if you're looking for a place to eat local (_truffade_), go there! Starter, main, dessert menu at 26€, in three words, rustic, filling and delicious.
- **[L'Armoire à cuillères](https://www.tripadvisor.fr/Restaurant_Review-g187091-d8538242-Reviews-L_Armoire_a_Cuilleres-Clermont_Ferrand_Puy_de_Dome_Auvergne_Rhone_Alpes.html)**: a pretty, cosy tea room for an afternoon snack (_the only place open on Sundays!_). Offers different sorts of hot chocolate and tea, and homemade pastries (3-5€).
- **[L'Apéretik](https://www.laperetik.com/)**: discovered through the Clermont Pass (free tasting of AOP cheeses), this fine grocery offers regional products, most of them organic (cheeses, charcuterie, preserves...) and an original concept of build your own aperitif platters for only 18€!

![Golden puff pastry and cured ham on a bed of rocket](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/clermont-ferrand-et-le-puy-de-dome-en-automne-38-91342bf4.webp)

![Crisp fish fillet in a creamy emulsion](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/clermont-ferrand-et-le-puy-de-dome-en-automne-39-e6f7e139.webp)

![Thin tart and a quenelle of ice cream on a streak of coulis](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/clermont-ferrand-et-le-puy-de-dome-en-automne-40-7f4b2d2a.webp)

![Warm restaurant dining room and its lit-up tree](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/clermont-ferrand-et-le-puy-de-dome-en-automne-41-eb963356.webp)

![Two slates of starters, foie gras and dried duck breast](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/clermont-ferrand-et-le-puy-de-dome-en-automne-42-92687d49.webp)

![Stringy aligot served with a plate of charcuterie](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/clermont-ferrand-et-le-puy-de-dome-en-automne-43-b59e3e45.webp)

## What we thought of the Puy de Dôme

We really liked discovering this corner of France in autumn, one of the most beautiful seasons for seeing the Auvergne countryside! In a weekend, it's perfectly possible both to visit the city of Clermont-Ferrand, which isn't huge, and to take a trip to the surrounding area, to the Puy de Dôme. Nonetheless, we'd raise one small reservation about the journey time from Paris: 3h30 on the Intercités felt like an eternity to us, and for two days, it's probably not worth it. So we'd recommend the destination for a long weekend instead!  
**If you're looking for a French destination to do without a car, then think of Clermont-Ferrand and the Puy de Dôme because the latter is easy to reach by bus. Other outing ideas around Clermont: you can get to [Vulcania](https://www.vulcania.com/) and the Royat baths ([Royatonic](https://www.royatonic.com/)) by bus from the centre of Clermont-Ferrand**!

![Couple embracing on the wooden walkway facing the Chaîne des Puys](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/clermont-ferrand-et-le-puy-de-dome-en-automne-44-f31eeae1.webp)

Need ideas for your weekends and holidays in France? Read [our articles about our beautiful country](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/en/destinations/france/)!
## 2 comments

- **Malicyel**, 26 October 2020
  Que de beaux souvenirs et ravie de t’avoir inspirée, merci pour la citation ❤️
  - **Marie** (Voyage sur la comète), 27 October 2020
    Avec plaisir ! Ton article nous a bien aidés à organiser ce petit séjour auvergnat 😉 On est toujours à la recherche de destinations à faire facilement sans voiture, donc là c’était parfait !