The Panoramique des Dômes, the must-see cogwheel train for your visit to Puy de Dôme

At an altitude of 1465 metres, the Puy de Dôme volcano quite simply overlooks the Chaîne des Puys and its Unesco World Heritage-listed volcanoes, the town of Clermont-Ferrand and the entire Limagne fault. But how do you get to the top of this volcano?

The different options for climbing to the summit of the Puy de Dôme volcano:

If you want to enjoy the exceptional panorama offered by this tourist mecca, you'll need to climb to its summit at an altitude of 1465m.

There are 3 possible options:

• Take the cogwheel train: the Panoramique des Dômes. 
• Climb on foot along the muleteers' path.
• Climb on foot along the goat track.

Take the little train to the top of Puy de Dôme:

This is the easiest and quickest option. The journey takes 20 minutes and the trains are accessible to people with reduced mobility. You can of course opt for a return ticket, or take a single ticket and walk back down to enjoy the scenery even more.

Take the mule track:

The mule track starts at the Col de Ceyssat. The most practical option is to park your car directly at the pass and take an hour to climb to the summit of Puy de Dôme. This winding path offers magnificent views all the way up. Difference in altitude: +350m for a 1.9 km climb.

Take the chemin des chèvres (goat path):

This access path on the north face of Puy de Dôme starts at the Maison de Site and the departure station. You can park in the large main car park. Then simply cross the railway tracks to pass the paraglider landing area and continue through the forest. Longer than the mule track, the goat track will take you to the Traversin and Petit Puy de Dôme sides, leading to a series of wooden steps that protect the mountain slopes from erosion.

The Maison de Site or Tourist Train Station

The Maison de Site, located at the foot of Puy de Dôme, also acts as the departure station. It houses not only the ticket sales area for the cogwheel train, but also a restaurant area and, above all, a mini-museum retracing the history of volcanism in Auvergne and explaining how the Chaîne des Puys was formed. Completely modernised in 2023-2024, the Maison de Site is more practical and fun than ever.

But when will the Panoramique des Dômes open?

After the old railway line and the cogwheel train linking Clermont-Ferrand to the summit of Puy de Dôme came to an end in 1926, we had to wait until 26 May 2012 to see a new train, this time an electric one, rolling down the slopes of Puy de Dômes. While the early days of the Panoramiques des Dômes were chaotic and strewn with pitfalls such as mudslides and derailments, the little train is now running like a charm in both summer and winter, making round trips all day long to the delight of tourists.

Can you still get on by car?

No, the great era of the car at the summit of Puy de Dôme and the toll road has been a thing of the past since 2010. Gone are the days of overcrowded car parks at the summit and breakdowns on the way up. From now on, only maintenance workers, military personnel, rescue teams and mountain bikers will be able to use the only tarmac road up to the summit.

Easy-access car parks for convenient parking

If you're coming to the Puy de Dôme, you can park easily either in the large car park at the departure station or in the Col de Ceyssat car park. Be careful, the latter can quickly become saturated during busy periods. The large car park is accessible to all types of vehicle, including camping cars and vans. You'll find some shade and toilets. All car parks in the Puy de Dôme are currently free and unlimited in time.

Where can I take the little train up to the summit of Puy de Dôme?

It couldn't be easier: just follow the road signs to Puy de Dôme, which will take you straight to the large car park at the Gare de Départ. Then just walk a few hundred metres to the Maison de Site to pick up your tickets.

And how much does it cost to get on? How much does the little train cost?

As prices vary considerably, we recommend that you check them directly on the Panoramique des Dômes website here >>.

However, here are the current prices for 2024:

• Adult one-way fare: €14.40 low season and €15.50 high season
• Price Return Trip Adult: 17.20€ low season and 18.60€ high season
• Price One-Way Child : 8,60€ low season and 9,90€ high season
• Return Child fare: €10.10 low season and €11.70 high season
• Free for children under 4
• Price for a dog: €5.50 all year round

Where can I find the ascent and descent times?

There are 3 timetables depending on the season: low season, mid season and high season. Train frequencies change according to the time of year.

Here are the frequencies and timetables for 2024:

Don't hesitate to visit the official Panoramic des Dômes website to check the timetable and book your tickets online: https://www.panoramiquedesdomes.fr/horaires-tarifs/