Introduction
Lyon is the third most populous city in France with a high number of students. It has the rivers Rhône and Saône running through it and converging to the south of the city. It has plenty to offer the visiting tourist- a long and interesting history, Roman ruins, fabulous architecture, a delightful Old Town, the arty La Croix-Rousse quarter, great museums as well as The Festival of Lights which is held at the beginning of December. I have pages dedicated to these on this website. There are also more links in the main menu above and at the bottom of this page.
Airport Transfer
There are a couple of options to get to and from Lyon-Saint Exupéry airport into the city. The heavily advertised Rhonexpress is fast and efficient and also expensive. The cheaper [and slower] option is to get bus 47 from the airport to Meyzieu Zi where you can get the T3 tram to Vaulx au Velin metro which is on Line A. I have no clue how much a taxi would cost – way too posh pour moi!
Public Transport
Lyon is well served by buses, trams and metro. You can get singular tickets, day tickets as well as other options. There are also 2 funicular lines which may save your leggies a steep walk up Fourvière Hill to the Basilica or Roman Theatre.
Lyon City Card
I don’t normally opt for a City Card on my travels but the Lyon City Card was an exception. It’s great value and covers all the museums, public transport and also the 1 hour boat cruise which is very enjoyable if the weather is good. You can buy the City Card at a tourist office but it’s cheaper to buy it online.
Free Walking Tour
I can recommend the free walking tour as a great introduction to Old Lyon. Paul is knowledgeable, fun and approachable. Without this tour I would have struggled to find the secret passages known as Traboules which are dotted around the Old Town and La Croix-Rousse districts.
Lyonnais Cuisine and Drinkies
Lyon is regarded as the gastronomic capital of France and there are plenty of restaurants throughout the city. Lyonnais cuisine however is unique and may not be for everybody. If you want to eat traditional cuisine you should head for a Bouchon. See my section on eating and drinking for my recommendations.
Accommodation
I was not too surpised to find that hotels do not come cheap in Lyon. I opted for airbnb and stayed at a small but comfortable studio flat over the road from Cuire Metro station which meant it was really quick and convenient to get into the city centre.
Christmas Market
The Christmas Market in Place Carnot starts at the end of November and ends on Christmas Eve. It’s full of the usual stalls selling food, drinks and snacks as well as arts and crafts. It’s not the main reason to visit Lyon on its own but worth a visit if you are in the vicinity. It was packed when I visited and it also closed early which was a shame but I suspect this was due to the Festival of Lights which was in full swing.
Click on the links below for more information on Lyon.
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