45.77° N · 2.99° E · Chaîne des Puys
The rack railway leaves from Orcines and in 15 minutes drops you at the summit of the Puy de Dôme, at 1,465 m, with the Temple of Mercury and the line of volcanoes at your feet. It runs all year.
Part of Chaîne des PuysMassif Central
Who offers it
Independent companies: you book with them, on their terms. Prices are as they publish them and may change.
Step by step
From the Orcines station to the summit, up the south slope.
Walk round the summit on the path, the Temple of Mercury, the visitor area and viewpoints.
By train, or on foot if you bought only the single.
It is the easiest way to see the Chaîne des Puys from above. The train climbs the slope of the Puy de Dôme in a quarter of an hour and at the summit you have half a morning of short walks, viewpoints and Roman ruins.
The Puy de Dôme is the highest volcano in the chain, at 1,465 m, and the most visited in Auvergne. The summit road is not open to private cars, so to get up without walking you have this rack railway, which has run since 2012. It leaves from Orcines, at the base, and climbs the slope in 15 minutes.
At the top there is a path round the summit, the ruins of the Temple of Mercury, from the 2nd century, a visitor area and the operator's catering: Le Resto d'Epicure, a cafeteria and, in summer, takeaway stalls. With a clear sky you see the line of volcanoes to the north and south, the Clermont-Ferrand plain and, in the distance, the Sancy.
The timetable changes with the season. Out of season there are usually trains every hour or half hour, from 10:00 to 17:00; in summer, every 20 minutes from 9:00 to 20:00. It closes on 25 December, on the 24th the last descent is at 15:30 and there are maintenance days announced on its website.
The round trip for an adult costs €17.20 from October to March and €18.60 from 1 April to 30 September. Children under 4 do not pay, there is a youth fare and a family fare of €49.90 round trip for two adults and two young people. Dogs go up with a €5.50 ticket.
The station is on chemin du Couleyras, in Orcines, about 20 minutes by car from Clermont-Ferrand. Parking is free, with about 1,000 spaces and around fifteen for motorhomes, no overnight stays. Without a car, take the S11 bus from Clermont-Ferrand to Parc SNCF and the P36 line from Chamalières, with timetables that change with the season.
With fog at the top you see nothing and the ticket costs the same. Check the webcam on its website before you set out. If the summit is covered, change the plan to the Volcan de Lemptégy and go up another day.
Who it's for
What to bring
Map
What you have around the starting point.
More to do
Itineraries
Tips
Before ten the summit is quiet and the air is clearer.
Buy only the single and descend by the signed paths.
If there are clouds on the summit, leave the climb for another day.
Questions
No. The summit road is not open to private cars.
€17.20 round trip per adult, and €18.60 from 1 April to 30 September.
Yes, all year except 25 December and maintenance days.
Yes, with their own €5.50 ticket.
Yes: Le Resto d'Epicure, a cafeteria and, in summer, takeaway stalls.
Geocaliahttps://www.geocalia.com/en/france/auvergne-rhone-alpes/chaine-des-puys/things-to-do/panoramique-des-domes-train
