Contacting Notre Dame de L’Hermitage | St Chamond | France

1.       CONTACT:   BR XAVIER BARCELO  E: hermitage@maristes.org  A: 3 Chemin de l’Hermitage, B.P. 9,    ST CHAMOND 42405    (www.notredamedelhermitage-saintchamond.fr)

T:  (33) 04 77 22 10 56  M:  (33) 064 00 67 895

2.       FINDING NDH:  GPS:    45deg 26,70’N;  4deg 30, 53’ E

3.       BY CAR:  From LYON to ST ETIENNE. Take EXIT 14 for ST CHAMOND. Follow signs to LA- VALLA- EN –GIER - PARC DU PILAT. Drive through ST CHAMOND and LE CREUX. THE HERMITAGE SIGN IS ON THE LEFT AS YOU HEAD TOWARDS LA- VALLA- EN- GIER.

4.       BY CAR FROM ST ETIENNE:  Take EXIT 16 PARC DU PILAT THEN DIRECTION to LA- VALLA- EN- GIER - PARC DU PILAT.

5.       BY TRAIN FROM LYON PART DIEU:  Take the train to St Etienne from Lyon Part-Dieu. Alight at ST CHAMOND the third stop. It takes about 40 minutes.  Then call the Hermitage. Allow 15 minutes for transport to arrive. Taxis can only be called with prior booking and there are no waiting taxis at the St Chamond station. Train fare is about 9 euros one way and tickets are purchased by machine or over the counter.  Some Australian credit cards do not function on station machines. Trains leave every half hour.

6.       LYON PART- DIEU is the principal station you arrive in from Paris, Gare de Lyon. All trains stop there.  Lyon Part-Dieu is also the place where you arrange for HIRE CARS.

7.       There is a second station called Lyon Perrache but the numbers of trains travelling to St Chamond from there are not as frequent as Lyon Par- Dieu. A tram runs between the 2 stations if you mix them up and takes a half hour.

8.       BY TRAIN FROM ST ETIENNE:  St Chamond is the first stop after St Etienne if you travel in the reverse direction St Etienne to Lyon Part Dieu.

9.       CREDIT CARDS OPERATE AT THE SUBURB OF LE CREUX: . It is a 10 minute walk from Hermitage to Le Creux where you find the closest shops, supermarket, pharmacy, doctor and banks. If you require medical assistance please consult with Hermitage community members.

10.   The Hermitage is situated at one end of the Pilat Regional National Park in French PARC NATUREL REGIONAL DU PILAT.  Wikipedia has good information in English on that park and the villages contained within the park. Most of your tours in Champagnat country will be through those villages.

11.   The community at Hermitage is comprised of a group of lay people and Marist brothers. Some speak English.  Please check early for available bookings by contacting Br Xavier listed above. Br Xavier speaks English.

12.   ARRIVING BY AEROPLANE:  Lyon St Exupery is the airport you arrive at. You take the Rhone Express Tram from there to Lyon Part- Dieu station. The Rhone Express is clearly marked and the trip takes a half hour. Trams leave every 30 minutes. Cost is 14 euros. You can also hire cars at Lyon St Exupery. All companies are available and you simply catch a courtesy bus at the airport to the nearby car hire offices. 

13.   TRAVEL BY CAR FROM LYON AIRPORT:  Follow the signs to St Etienne and exit at St Chamond exit 14.  It takes an hour depending on traffic.