France
Stays in Valence
Valence sits on the Rhone in the Drome, the hinge between Lyon and Provence, with a walkable old town, a riverside cycle path and quick access to the Ardeche gorges and the Vercors peaks. It works equally well as a wine-country base and a TGV stopover.
Updated July 26, 2026
Valence in numbers
Where to stay in Valence depends on whether the trip is built around the Rhone itself, the vineyard hills across the water, or the fast train that puts Lyon forty minutes away and Paris under two hours. The city splits cleanly into a compact old town below the Cathedrale Saint-Apollinaire, a business and exhibition district south along the A7 motorway, and a quieter residential belt near Parc Jouvet and the riverside viaRhona cycle path. Travellers heading for the Drome provencale or the Ardeche gorges use Valence as a base and drive out for the day, while wine visitors cross the Rhone to Tain-l'Hermitage and Saint-Peray. Families, cyclists and business travellers each tend to land in a different part of town.
15 stays in Valence
Spa & thalassoValence
Maison Pic
Pet-friendlyValence
Hotel Victoria
Family-friendlyValence
Ace Hotel Valence
Spa & thalassoValence
Best Western Premier Clos Syrah Hotel & Spa
Spa & thalassoValence
Novotel Valence Sud
City apartmentsValence
You Hotel de France Valence - Handwritten Collection
Spa & thalassoValence
Best Western Hotel Atrium Valence
Spa & thalassoValence
ibis Valence Sud
Spa & thalassoValence
Ibis Budget Valence Sud
Spa & thalassoValence
Mercure Valence
Family-friendlyValence
Hotel Les Negociants
Family-friendlyValence
B&B HOTEL Valence Sud
Spa & thalassoValence
Campanile Valence Sud
Historic hotelsValence
Logis Hôtel Saint Jacques
Family-friendlyValence
Hôtel de Lyon
What to expect
- Vieux Valence, the old town below the cathedral, walkable to restaurants and the Saturday market
- The viaRhona cycle path running flat along the Rhone for kilometres in both directions
- Valence TGV station on the Paris-Marseille line, forty minutes from Lyon Part-Dieu
- Crozes-Hermitage and Saint-Peray vineyards just across the river in the northern Drome and Ardeche
- Parc Jouvet and the Kiosque Peynet for a slower, residential pace away from the centre
- The Ardeche gorges and the Vercors massif both within a short drive of the city
Local tips
- Book a room in the old town if evenings on foot to a restaurant matter more than a car park; the exhibition district near the A7 suits drivers passing through on business.
- Bring or rent a bike: the viaRhona path runs flat along the Rhone and needs no route planning to be enjoyable.
- Cross the river for wine tasting in Tain-l'Hermitage or Saint-Peray rather than expecting cellar doors inside Valence itself.
- Aim for late spring or September for the Ardeche gorges and Vercors day trips; midsummer in the Rhone valley runs properly hot.
- Check whether a hotel sits north near the station or south near the exhibition centre before booking; the two ends of town are a genuine drive apart.
Where to stay
Frequently asked questions
Stay in or near Vieux Valence for walking access to restaurants, the market and the cathedral. Pick the southern exhibition district near the A7 only if the trip is built around a trade fair or business meeting there.