Where to Stay in Auvergne: Sancy, Lac Chambon, Besse or the Puys

Auvergne's volcano country comes in two parts. To the south is the Massif du Sancy, a ring of high, bare peaks with ski resorts, crater lakes and spa towns. To the north is the Chaîne des Puys, a line of grassy volcanic cones running up to the Puy de Dôme and Clermont-Ferrand. They are less than an hour apart but suit different trips, so first decide which you are here for.

Bookings: Some of the links in this article are affiliate links. This means that if you choose to make a booking, we will receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thank you!

The second is the car. Outside Clermont-Ferrand you need one, so choosing a base is really choosing which drive you do every morning. We have been coming to Auvergne regularly since 2020, summer and winter. This guide is built on two stays: three nights at an eco lodge above Lac Chambon in December 2023, and one night in an apartment at Super-Besse in September 2024, five of us, two adults and three children.

The Short Answer

Where we stayed: Aux 500 Diables Eco Lodge at Chambon-des-Neiges (3 nights, December 2023) and an Airbnb apartment in Super-Besse (1 night, September 2024).

How the Sancy and the Chaîne des Puys Are Laid Out

Think of a triangle. Clermont-Ferrand, with the airport and the station, is at the top. The Puy de Dôme and the cones rise just west of the city, with Vulcania at their northern end. The Sancy, topped by Puy de Sancy at 1,886 metres, fills the bottom, about 45 km south-west of the city.

The Sancy bases sit around the mountain. Le Mont-Dore and La Bourboule are on the north-west side, in the upper Dordogne valley. Super-Besse and the old village of Besse are on the south-east side. Lac Chambon and Murol lie to the east, with Saint-Nectaire just beyond. Orcival is the hinge between the Sancy and the Puys, about 25 minutes from Le Mont-Dore.

The constraint most people miss is the mountain itself. The direct road from Le Mont-Dore to the Chambon and Besse side climbs over the Col de la Croix Saint-Robert at 1,451 metres, the highest pass in the massif. It needs winter equipment and can close in bad weather, so in winter the two sides are further apart than they look. Pick one side per stay.

Getting there: Ryanair left Clermont-Ferrand airport in March 2026, and Air France to Paris-Charles de Gaulle is now the main route. Most visitors drive from Paris (about four hours) or come by train and hire a car in Clermont. From Clermont, allow about 45 minutes to Murol, 50 to Le Mont-Dore and an hour to Super-Besse. The only public link into the Sancy is the P46 regional bus to La Bourboule and Le Mont-Dore, about 1h30 for €3.40. The railway no longer runs.

Lac Chambon and Murol — Central, Quiet, Lakeside

This is the most central position in the Sancy. Lac Chambon is a small volcanic lake with a beach and a footpath around the shore; Murol, just east, is a proper village under a medieval castle. Above the lake, a narrow road climbs to Chambon-des-Neiges, a former ski area where the Vallée de Chaudefour trails begin. That is where we stayed: no village, no shop, just the lodge and the cliffs. Late December is when we walked the shores of Lac Chambon, and even then a walk along the shore was peaceful.

What it is not: a ski base. Super-Besse is a 20-minute drive, and the lakeside is busy in July and August and sleepy the rest of the year.

Best for: couples, summer families, walkers, anyone who wants to reach both sides of the Sancy.

Pros

• Super-Besse, Saint-Nectaire and Le Mont-Dore all within about 30 minutes
• Lake swimming and an easy lakeside walk
• The Vallée de Chaudefour on the doorstep

Cons

• Few hotels, and the best fill early for summer
• No skiing within walking distance

Getting around: Super-Besse about 20 minutes, Saint-Nectaire 10, Le Mont-Dore about 30 over the Col de la Croix-Morand, Clermont-Ferrand 45.

Where to stay in Lac Chambon and Murol

• Budget — Hotel Bellevue — family-run hotel on the lake road, from about €85 a night. Rooms look over the lake and the Sancy; family rooms and a restaurant.
• Mid-range — Aux 500 Diables Eco Lodge — seven-room eco lodge at Chambon-des-Neiges, from about €90 a night out of season. Where we stayed.
• Mid-range — Logis Hôtel de Paris — village hotel in Murol, from about €100–120 a night. Rated 9.3 from more than 460 reviews; every room faces the castle, and some suites have a spa bath.

Our stay: We booked Aux 500 Diables for three nights, 26 to 29 December 2023, and paid around €135 a night. The building once housed the snowmaking equipment of the old ski area and has been rebuilt as a seven-room lodge with family rooms, a bar and a restaurant serving local food. Guests praise the setting and the dinners; a few find the rooms compact. Note that it closes from mid-November to mid-December, and that up here the restaurant is your evening; the alternatives are down in Chambon or Murol. For a winter stay on this side of the Sancy, it is the place we would look at first. Our guide to the best things to do in Auvergne covers the Chaudefour walk.

Super-Besse and Besse — Ski Apartments, Medieval Village

Super-Besse is a purpose-built resort on the south-east flank of the Sancy, and the more family-friendly of its two ski areas. We have skied here in January and February: wide intermediate runs, short queues and a day pass at roughly half Alpine prices. Besse-et-Saint-Anastaise, about ten minutes below, is the opposite: a medieval village of dark volcanic stone with a belfry and narrow lanes. Besse has the hotels; Super-Besse mostly has apartments. Lac Pavin, a round crater lake, is five minutes from Besse.

What it is not: charming or lively out of season. Outside the ski season and the summer holidays, much of Super-Besse closes.

Best for: families who ski, self-caterers, summer walkers heading for Lac Pavin.

Pros

• Apartments close to the lifts, and a resort built around families
• Cheaper than the Alps for passes and beds
• Besse is one of the prettiest villages in the Sancy

Cons

• Super-Besse is functional concrete
• Le Mont-Dore is on the far side of the mountain, slow in winter

Getting around: Besse to the Super-Besse lifts about 10 minutes, Lac Pavin 5, Lac Chambon 20, Clermont-Ferrand about an hour.

Where to stay in Super-Besse and Besse

• Budget — Le Bouddha Besse — bed and breakfast in Besse, from about €75 a night. Family rooms; rated 8.7 from more than 300 reviews.
• Mid-range — Studio Les Grands Horizons — apartment in the centre of Super-Besse with kitchen and balcony, from about €70 a night in summer; ski weeks cost more. Rated 9.0.
• Mid-range — Hotel Restaurant Le Clos — hotel on the edge of Besse, about 6 km from the lifts, from about €105 a night in February. Indoor pool with whirlpool, games room, family rooms.
• Apartment — Appartement 5 personnes tout confort à Superbesse — Airbnb at the entrance to the resort. Where we stayed.

Our stay: We spent one night here, 28 to 29 September 2024, five of us, and paid around €78. The listing has one bedroom with two double beds and a bunk bed, an equipped kitchen with a dishwasher and one parking space: enough beds for five at a price no hotel nearby matches. It is rated 4.76 from more than 110 reviews. The shared heated pool opens only from late June to the end of August, so it is not part of an autumn stay. For a ski week with three children, look for a second bedroom.

Le Mont-Dore and La Bourboule — The Classic First Base

Le Mont-Dore is a 19th-century spa town at the foot of Puy de Sancy and the most complete base in the area: thermal baths, the widest choice of hotels and restaurants, and the Téléphérique du Sancy a few minutes south of town. From the top station it is about 45 minutes on foot to the summit, which we reached on a clear August afternoon. La Bourboule, ten minutes down the valley, is the cheaper, quieter sister, with the Parc Fenestre and a cable car to the Charlannes plateau.

What it is not: lively. Both towns live on spa cures, and outside winter many guests are on long thermal stays.

Best for: first-time visitors, Puy de Sancy hikers, anyone arriving by bus.

Pros

• The most hotels and restaurants in the Sancy
• Sancy cable car minutes away
• Reachable by the P46 bus from Clermont-Ferrand

Cons

• Busy with cure guests from spring to autumn
• Super-Besse and Lac Pavin are on the other side of the mountain

Getting around: Téléphérique du Sancy about 5 minutes, Orcival 25, Lac Chambon 30, Vulcania about 45, Clermont-Ferrand 50.

Where to stay in Le Mont-Dore and La Bourboule

• Budget — Hotel Au Val Doré — simple hotel in La Bourboule, from about €60–65 a night, a few minutes' walk from the Parc Fenestre.
• Mid-range — Hôtel du Puy Ferrand — at the foot of the Sancy slopes above town, from about €145–160 a night. Indoor pool, balconies facing the massif, and its own restaurant, useful because there is nothing else up there.
• Splurge — Le Grand Hôtel Mont Dore — 19th-century hotel in the centre, from about €90 a night, rising to €160 or more for larger rooms. Rated 9.3 from more than 1,100 reviews; sauna, hot tub and a free ski shuttle in winter.

Orcival and the Chaîne des Puys — Volcanoes and Vulcania

North of the Sancy the landscape softens into the Chaîne des Puys, the UNESCO-listed line of young volcanic cones. Orcival is a small village around a Romanesque basilica. Further north, the bases are scattered hotels rather than villages: around Saint-Ours, beside Vulcania and the Lemptégy volcano, and around Aydat by its lake. This is the area with the most to book: Vulcania, Lemptégy and the Panoramique des Dômes railway up the Puy de Dôme.

What it is not: a place to eat out every night. Outside Orcival, many hotels stand alone by the road.

Best for: families doing Vulcania, volcano walkers, a second base after the Sancy.

Pros

• Vulcania, Lemptégy and the Puy de Dôme within about 30 minutes
• Orcival is quiet and attractive
• Halfway between Clermont-Ferrand and the Sancy

Cons

• Hotels are spread out; you drive everywhere
• Far from skiing

Getting around: Orcival to Le Mont-Dore about 25 minutes, Vulcania about 30, Clermont-Ferrand about 35. From Saint-Ours, Vulcania is minutes away.

Where to stay in Orcival and the Chaîne des Puys

• Budget — Auberge Le Cantou - Hôtel Roche — village inn in Orcival, from about €75–80 a night. Family rooms, some interconnecting, and a traditional restaurant.
• Mid-range — Hôtel - Lodges de Lemptégy — family rooms at Saint-Ours, beside the Lemptégy volcano, from about €95–120 a night. Rated 9.1, with a family-friendly restaurant.
• Splurge — Domaine les 2 Mondes — lodge suites near Aydat, some with a private hot tub, from about €220 a night in summer. Rated 9.2; spa on site.

Clermont-Ferrand — The Car-Free Option

Clermont-Ferrand is a real city, with a dark lava-stone cathedral, a tram and the best choice of hotels and restaurants in Auvergne. It suits first and last nights, or a car-free trip built on day tours. For the Sancy it does not work: two hours of driving a day.

Best for: travellers without a car, first and last nights.

Pros

• Station, airport and tram
• Restaurants and evening life
• Puy de Dôme within about 25 minutes

Cons

• About an hour from the Sancy
• Paid parking in the centre

Getting around: Puy de Dôme about 25 minutes by car, Vulcania 30, Le Mont-Dore 50, Super-Besse an hour.

Where to stay in Clermont-Ferrand

• Budget — Apparthotel Privilodges Carré de Jaude — central self-catering apartments, from about €55 a night.
• Mid-range — Grand Mess Clermont-Ferrand — modern hotel, from about €85–95 a night. Family rooms, free parking; rated 8.9 from more than 1,700 reviews.
• Mid-range — Hotel Littéraire Alexandre Vialatte — on Place Delille near the old town, from about €105 a night, with a sixth-floor terrace facing the Puys.

Saint-Nectaire — Cheese Country, Few Beds

Saint-Nectaire is a small spa village with a Romanesque church and cheese farms all around; the AOP cheese takes its name from here. It is ten minutes east of Murol and Lac Chambon. The problem is choice: a handful of hotels, the main one with mixed reviews, and mostly gîtes. For a hotel, Murol is close and better supplied.

Best for: food lovers, families wanting space, a cheaper alternative to the lake.

Pros

• Cheese farms and tastings on the doorstep
• Ten minutes from Lac Chambon

Cons

• Very few hotels
• Quiet evenings, far from skiing

Getting around: Murol 10 minutes, Super-Besse about 25, Clermont-Ferrand about 40.

Where to stay in Saint-Nectaire

• Budget — Comme Sur Des Roulottes — holiday park at Saillant with family units that have kitchenettes, from about €90 a night.
• Mid-range — Moulin de la Varenne — rooms in a historic mill at Saint-Saturnin, about 20 minutes towards Clermont, from about €75 a night. Rated 9.0.
• Mid-range — Mercure Saint Nectaire - Spa & Bien-Être — the village's main hotel, with pool and spa, from about €117 a night. Rated 7.1, so read the recent reviews.

What It Costs, and When to Book

Auvergne is cheap by French mountain standards. Prices checked October 2026:

• Budget: €55–85 a night for simple hotels in La Bourboule, Besse or Orcival, and studios in Super-Besse.
• Mid-range: €90–150 for the better village hotels and family apartments. Our two stays sat at either end: around €78 for an apartment for five in September, around €135 a night at the eco lodge in late December.
• Splurge: €150–250, for the Puy Ferrand in ski season or the suites at Domaine les 2 Mondes.

Peak dates are July and August, Christmas week and the February school holidays, when ski apartments go by the week; book three to four months ahead. Spring and autumn are cheaper, but check opening dates: many mountain hotels close for a few weeks in November and again in spring.

Family notes: an indoor pool (Le Clos, the Puy Ferrand, Logis Hôtel Regina in La Bourboule) is worth a lot in winter. Breakfast is rarely included, parking is usually free outside Clermont, and the taxe de séjour, a euro or two per adult per night, is often paid on arrival. Apartments may charge extra for linen.

Where This Fits in the Trip

We would plan it as two bases: three or four nights at Le Mont-Dore, Lac Chambon or Besse, then one or two near Orcival or Saint-Ours for Vulcania and the Puy de Dôme. Our guide to the best things to do in Auvergne covers the Puy de Sancy hike, skiing at Super-Besse, the Vallée de Chaudefour and the lakes. The Cantal, with the Puy Mary and the Château de Val, is a long day further south and deserves its own base.

Compare hotels in Auvergne on Trip.com

FAQ

What is the best area to stay in Auvergne for a first visit? Le Mont-Dore. It has the most hotels and restaurants in the Sancy, the cable car towards Puy de Sancy is a few minutes away, and Orcival, Lac Chambon and La Bourboule are within about half an hour.

Where should families stay to ski in Auvergne? Super-Besse, in an apartment close to the lifts. For a hotel, Besse-et-Saint-Anastaise is about ten minutes below the resort.

Do you need a car in the Sancy and the Chaîne des Puys? Yes. The only public link is the P46 bus from Clermont-Ferrand to La Bourboule and Le Mont-Dore, about 1h30. Without a car, stay in Clermont-Ferrand.

Is Clermont-Ferrand a good base for the volcanoes? For the Puy de Dôme and Vulcania, yes: both are 25 to 30 minutes away. For the Sancy, no: Le Mont-Dore and Super-Besse are about an hour each way.

How many nights do you need? Three or four nights in one Sancy base, plus one or two near the Chaîne des Puys if you want Vulcania and the Puy de Dôme without long drives.

Pierrick Jean stayed in Auvergne in December 2023 and September 2024 with his family. Prices and availability checked October 2026. More about how we write our guides.