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. After reading up on the blogs (including that of Un pied dans les nuages), 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 (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. 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.

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 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

L’Aventure Michelin

On Sunday morning, we took tram A towards L’Aventure Michelin (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.

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. 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: 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: 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: 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: 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€!

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 and the Royat baths (Royatonic) by bus from the centre of Clermont-Ferrand!

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