Camera and drone rental in Clermont-Ferrand: where to film

Where to film in Clermont-Ferrand

Five places that sum up the city, between volcanic stone and open horizons.

• The Puy de Dôme: from the summit, the Chaîne des Puys stretches as far as the eye can see, with the rack railway climbing the slope in the background. The wind blows hard up there and shifts quickly. To cope with the climb and the gusts, take a GoPro Hero 12 Black, stabilised and tough.
• Notre-Dame-de-l’Assomption cathedral and Place de Jaude: Volvic stone darkens the façades, and the statue of Vercingetorix dominates the square. For an immersive 360-degree shot of the square and its arcades, an Insta360 X6 captures the whole view without framing in advance.
• The Montferrand quarter: cobbled lanes, half-timbered houses, discreet inner courtyards. Walk camera in hand with a DJI Osmo Pocket 4P for smooth footage without a bulky gimbal.
• The Gergovie plateau: an open horizon over the Limagne plain and the Monts du Forez in the distance. If the location and the Géoportail map allow it, a DJI Mini 5 Pro conveys the full scale of the panorama.
• Vulcania: architecture buried in the landscape, an artificial crater, an entrance shaped like a lava cone. A wide shot before the entrance is enough; inside, go for a discreet pocket camera.

Drone in Clermont-Ferrand: what is allowed

In France, recreational flying is prohibited over built-up areas and gatherings of people. Flying is also prohibited near Clermont-Ferrand Auvergne airport, and in national parks and nature reserves. The maximum authorised height is 120 metres, and the drone must stay in the pilot’s direct line of sight at all times.

Before each flight, check the Géoportail map: it alone is authoritative on the areas open at that moment, and the rules change from one sector to another. Our drones weigh less than 250 grams, but they carry a camera: before the first flight, the renter registers free of charge as an operator (on AlphaTango if resident in France) and displays their own operator number on the drone.

Around Clermont-Ferrand, the Limagne offers wide farming areas far from houses, as do some remote sectors of the Chaîne des Puys away from the busiest sites. Always check the map before taking off: no location is authorised by default, even if it looks deserted.

What equipment to rent for Clermont-Ferrand

The Auvergne relief means wind, steep climbs and light that changes within minutes. For summits and trails, an action camera handles knocks and damp better than a conventional camera: the GoPro Hero 12 Black remains the benchmark for hiking and technical sections.

For the cobbled streets of Montferrand or the paths of Vulcania, a pocket gimbal avoids shaky footage without weighing down your bag: the DJI Osmo Pocket 4P films as you walk, the framing follows faces and keeps the horizon level.

For panoramas from the Chaîne des Puys or the Gergovie plateau, when flying is possible, the DJI Mini 4 Pro and the DJI Mini 5 Pro both weigh less than 250 grams and slip into a backpack. For an immersive take on Place de Jaude or an interior, the Insta360 X5 captures the whole scene and lets you reframe afterwards.

When to film: events and seasons in Clermont-Ferrand

Winter dresses the summit of the Puy de Dôme in snow while the city below often stays grey and dry, a sharp contrast to film from the Limagne. Spring and summer turn the Chaîne des Puys deep green, with clear skies late in the afternoon that stretch the shadows across the craters. Autumn turns the slopes russet and quickly shortens the evening light.

The Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival sets the pace of winter and draws dense crowds to the city centre: the streets around Place de Jaude fill up, worth knowing whether you want to frame without too many people or, on the contrary, capture the atmosphere. The rest of the year, the markets and café terraces of the centre offer calmer shots of city life.

Getting your equipment in Clermont-Ferrand

The equipment leaves by Chronopost, delivered to your home or to a pickup point anywhere in France, with the parcel arriving the day before the first day of your rental. You can set off early for the Puy de Dôme without waiting for a courier that same morning. The return is done with the label supplied in the parcel, to be dropped off at the nearest pickup point.

In-person pickup is only possible in Lyon, for people who prefer to collect and test the camera before leaving.

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