VAN-COMPARATOR Guide
The Beaujolais by campervan from Lyon: villages, crus and cellars under an hour away
Oingt, Fleurie, Villié-Morgon, Beaujeu: a campervan route through the Beaujolais vineyards from Lyon, overnight stops with France Passion winegrowers, and the real budget.
Under an hour north of Lyon, the Beaujolais hillsides line up ten crus, golden-stone villages and family estates that happily open their courtyards to passing campervans. The slope of these hillsides isn’t incidental to the wine grown on them: a study by Jessica Pic, Étienne Cossart, Mathieu Fressard and Nadia Carluer, published in 2022 in Geocarto International (DOI 10.1080/10106049.2022.2108907), analyses how this vineyard’s drainage network shapes sediment connectivity between plots. It’s one of the few French wine regions where a single weekend comfortably covers the essentials — without ever straying far from the motorway.
The route, from Lyon to the ten crus
From Lyon, the Pierres Dorées road and the D306 climb in under an hour to Oingt, a medieval village ranked among France’s most beautiful, then on to the Beaujolais’s ten crus: Fleurie with its celebrated plots, Villié-Morgon and Chénas, Moulin-à-Vent and Juliénas, Brouilly and Côte de Brouilly, Régnié, Chiroubles and Saint-Amour. Beaujeu, the vineyard’s historic capital, makes a good central base for hopping between cellars without racking up long drives.
Sleeping at the winegrower’s: the France Passion network
The Beaujolais has one of the highest concentrations of estates enrolled in the France Passion network: a free night in a winegrower’s courtyard, with no hook-up or services, in exchange for a visit or a pay-what-you-like tasting. It’s both a cheap and a far more engaging way to discover the vineyard than campsites alone, and Beaujolais producers, well used to passing campervans, are usually happy to play along — though it’s worth calling ahead during the harvest rush.
Lyon’s low-emission zone
Before heading for the vines, check your Crit’Air sticker: Lyon runs a low-emission zone across much of its centre. Park the van on the outskirts and take public transport in if a Lyon stopover is part of the plan, before continuing north.
Extending towards Burgundy or the Alps
The Beaujolais lends itself well to a longer trip: northwards, the great crus of the Burgundy wine route are just an hour away; eastwards, Lake Annecy or the first Alpine foothills round out a week that blends vineyards and mountains.
When to go
The grape harvest, usually in early September, brings the most authentic atmosphere but also the busiest cellars. The third Thursday of November, official release day for Beaujolais Nouveau, turns Beaujeu into a village festival — great fun if you join in, best avoided if you want quiet. Spring, with the vines in blossom and villages still calm, remains the most relaxed season to visit.
The real budget
Over such a short hop from Lyon, fuel barely registers: under 100 km separates the city from the furthest crus. The real saving is on accommodation — free or near-free at a France Passion winegrower’s, against €15–25 at a campsite. Budget €5–15 per tasting depending on the estate, and set aside a separate bottle budget: quality for quality, Beaujolais crus remain among the most affordable French wines bought direct from the property.
Compare before you book
Van-Comparator queries Yescapa, Goboony, Roadsurfer and Indie Campers in a single search for pickups in Lyon, with the total price shown upfront. To extend the trip to other vineyards, our guides to the Burgundy wine route and the Alsace wine route round out the selection.
Free checklist: your first campervan trip
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