When many people imagine France, they think of the gently sloping and vine covered hills of Burgundy—stone farm houses, monasteries built in the Middle ages and cobblestoned villages speckled among rows upon rows of grapes.
Located relatively close to Paris, Burgundy was long considered the heart of France. It is the region where many of traditional French dishes like coq au vin and come from and is one of the oldest and most respected wine producing regions in the world.
For travelers heading from Paris to Burgundy, you have a few options to getting from the City of Lights to the land of vineyards, mustard and gastronomic delights.
>>Read more about Burgundy or the wine regions of France (coming soon)
By Train
When asked how to get almost anywhere in France, I will also always tell you that train travel in France is the easiest and fastest way to go. France has an incredibly well connected, efficient and easy train system, which includes many high-speed TGV routes that shoot passengers to their destinations at more than 200mph.
Traveling by train from Paris is definitely the easiest and best way to go. There are 15 daily trains from Paris (leaving from Gare de Lyon) traveling to Dijon. From Dijon there are local trains that can get passengers from Dijon to Beaune.
If you will be traveling during summer in France (high tourist season), it is advisable to purchase tickets in advance.
The TGV takes only 1 hour and 20 minutes to travel between Paris’ Gare de Lyon and the Cresuot Montceau Montchanin station in Burgundy. Count about 2 hours by train to most larger towns in Burgundy from Paris or from Lyon.
Getting from Charles de Gaule Airport to Burgundy by train
If you are heading straight to Charles de Gaulle has a TGV (high-speed train) station right at Terminal 2 (Aérogare 2) of the airport. There is one direct TGV daily in each direction between the airport and Dijon (1 hour 55 minutes) and another between CDG and Le Creusot Montceau Montchanin TGV station (1 hour 26 minutes).
Because there are limited trains and times from the airport, for other towns and departure times it sometimes makes sense to take public transportation into Paris and then catch the TGV from there.
For the largest choice of train times and destinations in Burgundy take the RER (the higher speed commuter train) from Charles de Gaulle Airport to the Gare de Lyon. Take line B at the RER station at CDG2 terminal to Paris Gare du Nord, change to line D for the Gare de Lyon. Err on the safe side and plan around 1 hour 30 minutes for the journey including the change at Paris Gare du Nord.
By Car
If you are renting a car in France and planning to explore the Burgundy countryside by car, it is easy to drive from Paris area to nearby Burgundy. While driving in France almost always takes longer than traveling by train, it is nonetheless a fairly quick and easy drive.
While the drive will take you longer than taking the TGV (about 3.5 hours by car versus 1.5 hours by train), having a car in this region allows you to more easily explore the smaller villages and wineries.
From Paris, take the A6 through Dijon to Beaune. The trip takes about 3-3.5 hours.
Getting from Charles de Gaule to Burgundy by car
Picking up a rental car at CDG is a simple affair and so is exiting Paris for the approx 3 1/2 hour trip to Beaune.
I recommend you do not depart the airport via the normal route (south westerly using A1). Use the under utilized exit in the opposite direction (generally towards the east), which will take D212 and will lead you to N2 and then N104, the Francilienne. Follow N104 easterly around the outskirts of Paris until reaching A6. Continue on A6, which takes you directly to Beaune.
Checking with the Via Michelin Web site should map out each step, but this is the fastest (and probably the easiest) way to reach your destination.
By Bus
Quite frankly, there is just no easy way to travel from region to region by bus in France. In an effort to encourage people to use the rail system, there is no centralized national bus system in France. This means buses are run regionally and there are few buses between regions in France. Take the train or rent a car and drive.
>>Curious about bus travel within in Burgundy? Read more about Getting around Burgundy (coming soon)
photo by guendal flickr
Comments on this entry are closed.