Car hire Grenoble

Introduction

Grenoble is also called the "Capital of the Alps". The city is the gateway to ski resorts in the area but Grenoble itself also has a lot to offer. The Bastille Hill, with the remains of a fort and a beautiful view over the city is popular, furthermore there are interesting archaeological museums and modern art galleries.

Population

The city has about 160,000 inhabitants, including the urban area around the city, Grenoble has 560,000 inhabitants.

Location

Grenoble lies in the southeast of France at the confluence of the rivers Drac and Isère. The city is surrounded by mountains, on the north you have the Chartreuse and on the south the Vercorsand, east of the city lies the Belledonne mountain ridge.

Economy

Grenoble used to be a mining and heavy industry center, although it has almost completely disappeared, there still is some machine and metal industry. From way back, there is still a paper industry in Grenoble.

The city concentrates itself more and more on IT and communication technology and research & development. Grenoble plays a prominent roll in the development of nano and bio-technology.

Tourism is of great economic importance. The city parades itself as "the birth place of the alpine skiing", around Grenoble there are several skiing areas.

Airports

The international airport of Lyon can be an alternative and is situated 100 kilometers northwest of Grenoble.

Public transport

Grenoble's public transport consists of 4 street cars and an extended bus line network. Tickets are valid for both street cars and buses. A single ticket is valid for 1 hour, but there are also day and week tickets available.

A cable-lift runs from the Quai Stéphane Jay to the top of Bastille Hill (260 meters above the city).

There is a train station in the city center where buses leave to several towns in the area and also to well-known skiing areas. Furthermore Grenoble has a high-speed train connection (TGV) with Paris.

Traffic and parking

Driving around Grenoble is not a problem, except for morning and evening rush hours. Around the center there are throughways that make it easy to move around. However, parking in the center is a problem. There are a few free parking areas north of the Boulevards Vallier, Foch and Joffre.

A little further from the city center there are 13 Park and Ride areas, where you can park your car and continue your travel by public transport.

Hotels

Grenoble has good hotels to offer, although the top category is not well represented in the city. They can be found outside the city, such as in the health resort Uriage-les-Bains. During winter it is recommended to book your room well in advance.

External sources

For more information about Grenoble, we recommend Google and the following sources:

• Wikipedia, Grenoble
• Website of the city of Grenoble (French)
• Tourist information about Grenoble (French and English)