The Rhône-Alpes region of southeastern France lies south of Burgundy, and borders Switzerland and Italy.

Named for its Rhône river valley and the western Alps mountains, the region has its capital at Lyon, second-largest metropolitan area in France (after Paris).

As its name suggests, Rhône-Alpes combines two quite different topographies: the valleys of the Rhône and Saône rivers, which meet at Lyon, and the mountains of the French Alps and the Massif Central, which are divided by the Rhône valley.

You can zoom from Paris to Lyon on a TGV train in about two hours.

The French Alps region is among the most beautiful and dramatic in the country, boasting graceful 19th-century spa resorts, historic medieval towns, the Chamonix valley with its dozens of ski towns and villages, and towering Mont Blanc, the highest mountain in Western Europe. More...

To get to the French Alps, fly to Geneva, Switzerland, or take a train via Lyon to the region.

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