Puy Du Dome (1 Viewer)

[Stacetop]

Can anyone advise me on the Puy du Dome location and aires. I can see that in the all the aires book I have there is an aire called Puy Du Dome and it mentions by the train stop?

We are hoping to overnight there (or general area) in August and wondered what we would see or could do for a short time before moving on? There does appear to be some more commercial aires too by theme parks/other attractions- although some of these don't seem to get good reviews. I thought the train ride might be ok but can't find any details.

Have you been? Where and what do you recommend? We have a 6 year old with us so a real life Volcano and dinosaurs would be his ideal

 

[MotorhomersRus]

We have been and the Aire is in the top left car park of
Puy Du Dome.
You catch the train up the Volcano or you can walk if you won't !
We found it amazing the views are fab but afraid to say there's no Dinosaurs.

 

[Stacetop]

Thanks! Sorry to ask a silly question but is it just more of a view point or can you tell its a volcano?

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[MotorhomersRus]

http://www.informationfrance.com/puy_de_dome.php

 

[Chockswahay]

My Puy Du Dome adventure here if it helps ? (didn't make it to the aire tho')

 

[Stacetop]

Thanks! Great Pics! Think we will do the train though if its hot! (The sun not dormant volcano!)

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[yodeli]

ILe Puy De Dôme is a volcano . I've learnt it when at primary school!

 

[magicsurfbus]

We went there in Spring 2014. As mentioned above, the aire is top left as you enter the car park - don't pay too much attention to Streetview as the trees have been cut back somewhat since the pics were taken. The electric train takes you to the summit and back, unless you fancy a good bracing hike. At the top are various things to visit, including a museum about the Roman temple that originally stood there, and which they're planning to re-create in full. Views are good in the right weather, and loads of looneys like to hang-glide off it. It's a volcanic plug rather than a volcano with a crater, but it's surrounded by relict volcanos and vents that in the sense of geological time are still active, ie they last went off only 9,000 years ago. There's a very well defined crater visible from the top. When you walk in the woods at the foot of the hill, the top two feet of the ground is made up of volcanic ash, visible in the ditches and gulleys.

Between there and the nearby Vulcania park is a small aire with services, and when we were at Vulcania they were building a Broken Link Removed, so you should be OK for stopovers. The Vulcania visitor centre is built into an artificial crater and has loads of interactive displays and video presentations all about volcanoes.

A 6 year old would definitely enjoy a train trip to the top of Puy du Dome and the Vulcania park. http://www.vulcania.com/?id=1763&L=2

 

[MotorhomersRus]

In a way it's more of a view point, which is amazing !
But there are things to see regarding its history and such up there as well. The train ride up is really good. A few photos of us up there.

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[Stacetop]

Brilliant everyone thanks, i have a better idea now on what to brief the family on! And read up on! Views look great, will definitely make it a stop on our way south.

Magicsurfbus- am I right in thinking then that their are a few aires within the nearby vicinity? Not sure which one it is in my aires book but I'm sure we will find somewhere! We will have 24-36 hours to spare looking around!

 

[magicsurfbus]

am I right in thinking then that their are a few aires within the nearby vicinity?

I think the big one at the foot of Puy du Dome itself in the car park (Google Maps 45.769363, 2.984240) or the Vulcania aire would be your best bet in August. The little one between the two may have been shut as it's no longer mentioned on the CCI website (Broken Link Removed - select Departement 63). There's another nearby listed on CCI which looks a bit like a car park that tolerates overnighting, but the first two will have service points.