Key facts
Burgundy-Franche-Comté at a glance
Areas and places
Burgundy-Franche-Comté area by area
Each area has its own page, with its own character, plans and map.
Plan the trip
Burgundy-Franche-Comté, step by step
Each choice narrows the next: the season shapes how best to travel, and how you travel decides where you stay and where you eat.
When to go
When to go to Burgundy-Franche-Comté
May, June, September and October: green or harvest-time vineyards, open terraces and cellars that welcome visitors. September is the grape harvest and in November Beaune holds the Hospices wine auction. July and August are hot and some small cellars close for holidays. In winter the Jura has snow.
How you travel
Burgundy-Franche-Comté your way
The ways of travelling that suit Burgundy-Franche-Comté. We are writing a guide to each one: where to stay, how to get around and which services you will need.
By carCar-freeLuxuryBy bike
Nearby
Near Burgundy-Franche-Comté
The closest places, whichever country they are in.
45.87° N · 5.32° E
Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
By carBy planeBy campervanCampingBackpackingCar-freeLuxuryOn footBy bikeBy motorbike
46.49° N · 6.75° E
Vaud
By carCar-freeLuxuryOn footBy bike
48.08° N · 7.36° E
Grand Est
By carBy planeBy campervanCar-freeLuxuryBy bikeBy motorbike
46.60° N · 7.91° E
Bern
By carCampingBackpackingCar-freeLuxuryOn foot
Tips
Worth knowing first
- 1Book your tastings at the cellars
Many Burgundy cellars are small and family-run, with no open shop. Write or phone ahead to arrange a tasting.
- 2Start the day at the Hôtel-Dieu
It opens at 9:00 and groups arrive by mid-morning. The ticket office closes an hour before the museum does.
- 3Use the train between Beaune and Dijon
Half an hour by train, with no parking and no worrying about the tastings. With a TER ticket to Beaune, the Hôtel-Dieu offers a discount.
- 4In winter, watch the midday hours
From 16 November to 31 March the Hôtel-Dieu closes from 12:30 to 14:00. Go first thing or in mid-afternoon.
The limit in France is 0.5 g/l and several tastings in a row easily exceed it. Spit at the tastings, nominate a driver or do the route by bike.
Which area should you choose?
The region joins two neighbouring lands. Burgundy, to the west, is the land of famous vineyards, Romanesque abbeys and canals. Franche-Comté, to the east, rises towards the Jura mountains and the Swiss border: forests, lakes, Comté cheese and rare wines. For a first trip, almost everyone comes for Burgundy wine, and it's a good decision.
- Beaune and the Côte d'Or, if you come for the wine. Beaune is the wine capital of Burgundy, with the Hôtel-Dieu, the hospital founded in 1443 with its coloured glazed-tile roofs, and cellars under the streets. Around it, the Côte de Beaune and the Côte de Nuits: villages with names straight off a label such as Pommard, Meursault or Gevrey-Chambertin, and vineyard plots, the climats, which have been a World Heritage Site since 2015.
- Dijon, the historic capital of the dukes of Burgundy, for a day in the city: the ducal palace, the half-timbered houses and the mustard. It is half an hour from Beaune by train.
- Northern Burgundy, for the Romanesque: the basilica of Vézelay on top of its hill, a starting point of one of the French Ways of St James, and the vineyards of Chablis. The south has the former abbey of Cluny.
- The Jura and Besançon, if you want mid-height mountains and somewhere a little less visited. Besançon has Vauban's citadel above a bend in the Doubs; the Jura has Comté cheese villages and vin jaune at Arbois, and the Royal Saltworks at Arc-et-Senans.
With three nights, base yourself in Beaune and split your time between the Côte de Nuits, the Côte de Beaune and Dijon. With five, add Vézelay or a couple of days in the Jura.
How do you get there from Spain?
By car it is about 680 km from La Jonquera to Beaune, along the toll motorways of the Rhône and through Lyon. It is the most practical way: the wine villages and abbeys are in the countryside.
By train, Renfe's AVE runs from Barcelona to Lyon in about five hours, and from Lyon regional trains head to Mâcon, Beaune and Dijon. You can also go via Paris: Dijon has a direct TGV from the Gare de Lyon.
By plane, the most convenient airport is Lyon-Saint-Exupéry, with direct flights from Madrid and Barcelona. From there Beaune is a little under two hours by car.
How do you get around?
By car for the wine villages, the abbeys and the Jura. Between Dijon, Beaune and Mâcon there are frequent regional trains, and Beaune is easily explored on foot. If you are going tasting, bear in mind that the alcohol limit for driving in France is 0.5 g/l: spread out your tastings, nominate a driver or ride the Côte by bike.
When to go and what does it cost?
May, June, September and October are the good months. In September there is the grape harvest: you can see the activity in the vineyards, but some cellars receive fewer visitors. November has the auction of the wines of the Hospices de Beaune, with the town in festive mood and the hotels full. In July and August it is hot and some family-run cellars close for a few weeks. In winter the Jura has snow and cross-country skiing.
Burgundy is expensive where wine is concerned: the great labels carry high prices and hotels in Beaune go up in season. Sleeping and eating in Dijon or in villages outside the Côte costs less, and the Jura is considerably cheaper. The Hôtel-Dieu is open every day, from 9:00 to 19:30 from April to mid-November.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
How many days do I need?
Three nights for Beaune, Dijon and the Côte. Five if you add Vézelay, Chablis or the Jura.
Where should I stay, in Beaune or Dijon?
In Beaune if you come for the wine: you are in the middle of the vineyards. In Dijon if you want more city and slightly lower prices; it is half an hour away by train.
Can I go without a car?
To Beaune and Dijon, yes, by train from Lyon or Paris. For the wine villages, combine train, bike and the odd organised visit.
When is the Hospices de Beaune auction?
In November, every year. It is a charity auction of the wines from the Hospices' vineyards, with festivities in the town. Book accommodation months ahead.
What is a climat?
A vineyard plot with its own name and boundaries fixed for centuries, each with its own soil and its own wine. The climats of Burgundy have been a World Heritage Site since 2015.
Is the Jura worth it?
Yes, if you have five days or more. It is mid-height mountain country with lakes, forests, Comté cheese and wines you can't find elsewhere, and it is far less visited than Burgundy.