--- title: "Burgundy Wine Day Trip from Lyon: Train or Driver" description: "Beaune is 1 h 36 to 1 h 40 from Lyon Part-Dieu by direct TER. Compare the train plus a local driver with a driver from Lyon: timings, per-car prices, tips." url: https://www.cote-privee.com/guides/burgundy-wine-day-from-lyon lang: en updated: 2026-10-08 generated: 2026-10-08 image: https://www.cote-privee.com/og/guides/burgundy-wine-day-from-lyon.png --- # A Burgundy wine day from Lyon: by train and driver, or door to door > The simplest Burgundy wine day from Lyon is a direct TER from Lyon Part-Dieu to Beaune, 1 h 36 to 1 h 40 with a train about every hour, and a private driver waiting at Beaune station: a full day of 8 hours in the vineyards costs €560 per car for one to four guests, plus train tickets from about €19 each way. If you would rather not take the train, a driver can collect you in Lyon and bring you back the same evening: €740 per car for a return trip to one village such as Pommard, with the driver waiting there up to 3 hours, or €1,380 per car for a full day with several domaines, the €410 transfer each way plus the €560 wine day. Either way, leave early: with about 3 h 30 of travel in the day, eight hours among the domaines is a realistic maximum. Written and checked by Côte Privée, updated 8 October 2026 ## In short - Direct TER trains leave Lyon Part-Dieu for Beaune about once an hour on weekdays, taking 1 h 36 to 1 h 40, with fares from about €19 one way. - The 7.16 from Part-Dieu reaches Beaune at 8.52; on weekdays the last direct train back leaves Beaune at 21.09. - Train plus driver: €560 per car for 8 hours from Beaune station, plus train tickets, is the cheapest private option. - Driver from Lyon and back: €740 per car for one village such as Pommard, the driver waiting up to 3 hours, or €1,380 per car for a full wine day with several domaines (€410 each way plus the €560 day), for up to four guests and their wine. - Tastings are paid directly to the domaines, usually €15 to €35 per person each. - A night in Beaune turns 3 h 30 of travel into a relaxed two-day trip. Two ways to spend a day in the Côte de Beaune and Côte de Nuits from Lyon, with train times and prices. ## Can you do a Burgundy wine day from Lyon? Yes: Beaune is about 160 km from central Lyon, 1 h 40 by direct train or about 1 h 50 by road, which leaves six to eight hours in the vineyards if you set off early. It is a long day, and some Lyon wine writers advise against it for that reason; southern Burgundy, the Mâconnais, starts about 40 minutes' drive north of Lyon. But the Côte de Beaune and the Côte de Nuits, with their premiers and grands crus, are what most visitors mean by Burgundy, and the train makes them easy to reach. The two practical choices are the train to Beaune with a driver waiting there, or a driver from Lyon both ways. ## How long is the train from Lyon to Beaune, and when does it run? Direct TER trains take 1 h 36 to 1 h 40 from Lyon Part-Dieu to Beaune and, on weekdays, leave about once an hour from 6.16. The sample below is the timetable for a weekday at the end of September 2026. Check your own date on SNCF Connect, as weekend and holiday services differ and timetables change each December. Fares start at about €19 one way when booked ahead. From Lyon Saint-Exupéry airport, the Rhônexpress tram reaches Part-Dieu in 29 minutes. | Direction | Departs | Arrives | Train | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Lyon Part-Dieu to Beaune | 6.16 | 7.56 | Direct TER | | Lyon Part-Dieu to Beaune | 7.16 | 8.52 | Direct TER | | Lyon Part-Dieu to Beaune | 8.16 | 9.56 | Direct TER | | Beaune to Lyon Part-Dieu | 17.09 | 18.44 | Direct TER | | Beaune to Lyon Part-Dieu | 18.04 | 19.44 | Direct TER | | Beaune to Lyon Part-Dieu | 19.09 | 20.44 | Direct TER | | Beaune to Lyon Part-Dieu | 21.09 | 22.44 | Direct TER, the last direct train of the day | ## Option 1: how does the train plus a driver in Beaune work? You take a morning TER to Beaune, your driver meets you at the station, and you have [a half day of 4 hours](https://www.cote-privee.com/wine-tours/half-day) for €290 or [a full day of 8 hours](https://www.cote-privee.com/wine-tours/full-day) for €560 per car before an evening train back. Beaune station is about 1 km from the Hôtel-Dieu, so the driver can drop you in town for a walk before your train. A realistic full day looks like this: - 7.16: direct TER from Lyon Part-Dieu, in Beaune at 8.52. - 9.00: your driver meets you at the station; first tasting in Pommard or Volnay at 9.30. - 11.00: a second domaine in Meursault or Puligny-Montrachet. - 12.30: lunch in a village restaurant, reserved on request and paid by you. - 14.30: the Côte de Nuits, with a third tasting in Vougeot, Vosne-Romanée or Gevrey-Chambertin. - 17.00: back at Beaune station for the 17.09 train, in Lyon at 18.44; or a walk in Beaune and the 19.09 train. ## Option 2: how does a driver from Lyon and back work? Your driver collects you at your Lyon hotel, at Part-Dieu or at Saint-Exupéry airport, drives about 1 h 50 to the vineyards and brings you back in the evening, so nobody changes trains and your cases ride in the boot. We price it with our fixed rates, per car for one to four guests, in two ways. For one village, for example lunch and a tasting in Pommard, book a return trip from Lyon with the driver waiting there, up to 3 hours: €740 per car to Beaune or Pommard, a little less to Volnay or Meursault, and €885 to Gevrey-Chambertin, as our booking page prices each place. For a day with several domaines, book [the transfer from Lyon to Beaune](https://www.cote-privee.com/transfers/lyon-beaune) (€410), a wine day (€290 for 4 hours or €560 for 8 hours) and the transfer back (€410): €1,380 per car for a full day, €345 each for four, or €1,110 with the half day. Leave Lyon at about 7.30 to be tasting by 9.30, and expect to be back around 19.15. ## Which option is better for you? The train plus a driver in Beaune costs less and suits most people; a driver from Lyon both ways makes sense for four guests, for pickups at your door early or late, or when you plan to buy wine by the case. | What matters | Train to Beaune, driver there | Driver from Lyon both ways | | --- | --- | --- | | Travel time each way | 1 h 36 to 1 h 40 station to station, plus getting to Part-Dieu | About 1 h 50 door to door | | Cost for 2, full day with several domaines, before tastings | €560 plus 4 train tickets from about €19: from about €640 | €1,380 per car | | Cost for 4, full day with several domaines, before tastings | €560 plus 8 train tickets from about €19: from about €710 | €1,380 per car, €345 each | | Cost for one village, before tastings | €290 for a half day, plus train tickets | €740 per car to Pommard, the driver waiting | | Timing | Set by the trains; last direct train back at 21.09 on weekdays | You leave and return when you like | | Wine you buy | Carried on the train, or shipped by the domaine | In the boot, to your Lyon hotel | | Best for | One to four guests travelling light | Four guests, early or late starts, buying by the case | ## How do tours from Lyon compare? Lyon tour operators sell Burgundy days per person: Kanpai Tourisme charges €460 per person, with a minimum of two, for a private day in the Côte de Nuits and Côte de Beaune from 8.00 to 18.30 with about 17 wines in the price, and €140 per person for a shared minibus day in the Mâconnais. For two people, the private Kanpai day costs €920 with tastings, against about €640 plus tastings for the train and our full day. For four, it is €1,840, against €1,380 per car for a full day with our driver from Lyon, plus tastings. The shared Mâconnais day is the cheapest way to taste southern Burgundy from Lyon, if a fixed route and other travellers suit you. ## Should you stay a night in Beaune instead? If you can, yes: one night in Beaune turns about 3 h 30 of travel into two relaxed half days, and gives you the evening in town. A good pattern is a morning train from Lyon, a half day in the Côte de Beaune in the afternoon, dinner in Beaune, and a half day in the Côte de Nuits the next morning before the train home. Two half days cost €580 per car, and the Lyon to Beaune transfer, €410 per car, replaces the train if you travel with luggage. ## What should you know before booking? Book the domaines ahead, since most family estates receive visitors by appointment only; we make the appointments for you free of charge. - Tastings are paid directly to each domaine: count about €15 to €35 per person per visit. - Sundays and public holidays are harder: family domaines often close and trains are fewer, while Beaune houses such as the Marché aux Vins open every day. - Keep your TER ticket: it gives reduced prices at partner sites such as the Hôtel-Dieu in Beaune and the Château du Clos de Vougeot. - TER trains set no luggage limit, but cases of wine are heavy; many domaines ship. - The driver speaks French, English, Mandarin Chinese and Arabic. ## Frequently asked questions ### How far is Beaune from Lyon? About 160 km from central Lyon and 170 km from Saint-Exupéry airport, roughly 1 h 50 by road. Direct TER trains from Lyon Part-Dieu take 1 h 36 to 1 h 40. ### Is a day trip from Lyon to Burgundy worth it? Yes, if you leave early: with about 3 h 30 of travel you still have up to eight hours among the domaines. A night in Beaune makes the trip more relaxed if you have the time. ### What is the cheapest way to visit Burgundy wineries from Lyon? The direct TER to Beaune, from about €19 each way, then a shared tour from Beaune at €49 to €65 per person, or our half day at €290 per car for one to four guests. ### Can the driver pick us up at Lyon airport? Yes. The transfer from Lyon Saint-Exupéry or Part-Dieu to Beaune is €410 per car for up to four guests, with your flight tracked and tolls included. ### How much is a private driver from Lyon for the day? €740 per car for a return trip to one village such as Beaune or Pommard, with the driver waiting there up to 3 hours, or €1,380 per car for a full wine day with several domaines: the €410 transfer each way plus the €560 day of 8 hours. Prices are per car for one to four guests, and tastings are paid to the domaines. ### Can we see the Hospices de Beaune on the same day? Yes. The Hôtel-Dieu is about 1 km from Beaune station, and a half day of tastings leaves time for it before an evening train. ### Which Burgundy vineyards are closest to Lyon? The Mâconnais, in southern Burgundy, starts about 40 minutes' drive north of Lyon. The Côte de Beaune, home of Meursault and Pommard, is about 1 h 50 away. ## Places in this guide - [Beaune](https://www.cote-privee.com/villages/beaune): The wine capital of Burgundy, with the Hôtel-Dieu, old ramparts and cellars beneath its streets. - [Hospices de Beaune (Hôtel-Dieu), Hôtel-Dieu des Hospices Civils de Beaune](https://www.cote-privee.com/things-to-do/hospices-de-beaune-hotel-dieu): Beaune's 15th-century hospital for the poor, crowned by its famous roofs of glazed, patterned tiles. - [Pommard](https://www.cote-privee.com/villages/pommard): A red-wine village between Beaune and Volnay, known for deep, firm Pinot Noir. - [Volnay](https://www.cote-privee.com/villages/volnay): A hillside village high above the vines, loved for the finesse of its red wines. - [Meursault](https://www.cote-privee.com/villages/meursault): The great white-wine village of the Côte de Beaune, with a glazed-tile town hall and 19 premiers crus. - [Puligny-Montrachet](https://www.cote-privee.com/villages/puligny-montrachet): Home of Montrachet and three more grands crus, Puligny makes some of the world's most admired white wines. - [Vougeot](https://www.cote-privee.com/villages/vougeot): Home of the Clos de Vougeot, the Cistercian vineyard and château at the heart of Burgundy's wine story. - [Vosne-Romanée](https://www.cote-privee.com/villages/vosne-romanee): Six grands crus, including Romanée-Conti and La Tâche, in the village called the pearl of the Côte. - [Gevrey-Chambertin](https://www.cote-privee.com/villages/gevrey-chambertin): Nine grands crus, more than any other Burgundy village, led by Chambertin and Chambertin-Clos de Bèze. - [Route des Grands Crus](https://www.cote-privee.com/things-to-do/route-des-grands-crus): Burgundy's historic wine road, about 60 kilometres of vineyards and villages from Dijon to Santenay. - [Marché aux Vins](https://www.cote-privee.com/things-to-do/marche-aux-vins-beaune): Taste Burgundy wines in the cellars and chapels of a medieval Franciscan church facing the Hôtel-Dieu. - [Pouilly-Fuissé](https://www.cote-privee.com/villages/pouilly-fuisse): Burgundy's great southern white, grown beneath the limestone cliffs of Solutré and Vergisson. ## Sources - - - - - - - - - - - - - --- Canonical page: