Lyon itself is a beautiful city set on two rivers, the Rhône and the Saône. There are tree-lined boulevards, parks, and museums. Lyon is considered the culinary capital of France. The city's elite puts greater store on fine dining at the numerous great restaurants as a status symbol than on personal possessions.
Lyon is divided into nine arrondissements, or administrative districts. Because the city is quite large, a car may be necessary. However, it is easiest to get around by foot in either of the two business districts, La Part-Dieu and Cordeliers. Just north of the business area of La Part-Dieu is Brotteaux, considered the most desirable residential quarter. It is bordered on its north by the large park La Tête d'Or. The preferred suburban residential areas are Ecully and Dardilly on the northwest outskirts, and the hilly area of Monts du Lyonnais to the southwest of the city.
Rail and other transportation strikes are not unheard of in France, often causing travel disruptions. Some commuters and travelers found ride sharing one way around the problem. Sites like BlaBlaCar match drivers and passengers around Europe.
Le Métro
Throughout France, most métro systems – both
underground and above ground – are clean, efficient, well
marked and run from early morning to late at night.
Trains
Société Nationale des Chemins de Fer, more
commonly referred to simply as "SNCF", is the state-owned and state subsidized
railroad company. French train service is extensive, efficient, and
not expensive. Special prices are available for those under 26,
over 60, couples, and large families. There is first- and
second-class service on the trains, including the local suburban
trains.
Smoking is banned on all trains.
When traveling by train, be sure to stamp or composter your ticket at the stamping machines on the platforms before you get on the train. You will be fined if you are caught traveling with an unstamped ticket, because it will be considered invalid.
The high-speed TGV, train à grande vitesse, can travel up to 300 kph/180 mph. TGV trains run between Paris and Lille, Lyon, Marseille, the Alps, Geneva, Lausanne, Bordeaux and the Atlantic coast. Reservations are required for the TGV trains.
Public transportation in the Lyon area is managed by Transports en Commun Lyonnais, or TCL. Optibus is a door-to-door transportation service for those with limited mobility.
TCL ticket vending machines are located in metro and tramway stations, as well as additional sales outlets. For information on fares, click here.
Buses
Lyon is served by an extensive system of bus routes. Subway and bus
tickets may be used interchangeably; tickets may be purchased from
the driver and should be validated in the machine on the bus.
Métro
Lyon's métro serves key points in the central business
district. The system is clean and efficient. Tickets can be
purchased from vending machines. Stamp the ticket in the machine on
the platform before boarding the train. Subway and bus tickets can
be used interchangeably. Stations are identified with an "M".
A funicular runs on two lines, connecting Lyon's Cathedral St. Jean with Vourvière and Vieux Lyon with Saint Just. There are also five tram lines.
Trains
There are two main railway stations in Lyon, both of which are
served by the TGV from Paris: Le Part-Dieu and Perrache. For more
information, contact SNCF.
The TER Rhône-Alpes network serves the region around Lyon with extensive train lines. Tickets can be purchased via moble phone, online, or at ticket outlets.
Chunnel service
Eurotunnel
https://www.eurotunnel.com/uk/
Website in English and French
Public Transportation for Paris (RATP)
Bus and metro information
https://www.ratp.fr/
Website in multiple languages
Railroad
SNCF
Nationwide information - timetables, routes, and more.
https://www.sncf.com/en
Website in English, French, and German
InterRail
Tickets for train travel throughout Europe for European citizens or
residents
https://www.interrail.eu/en
Eurostar
https://www.eurostar.com
Home furnishings of all kinds are readily available from department and specialty stores in Paris and other major cities. Prices vary widely, with budget furniture in simple modern styles at one end and high quality and priced items in traditional and modern styles at the other. Sometimes, the middle ground can be hard to find.
Personal care items, local and imported, are widely available. Cosmetics and toiletries are a major industry in France.
There are plenty of local sources for toys and games but it is worth comparison-shopping. Basic toys are available much more cheaply at the hypermarchés than at specialty stores. Books and instructions will be in French, but major cities will have a selection of items in English and other European languages.
There are also plenty of stores catering to general and specific sports. Prices may be more expensive than at home so you may want to stock up. Cycling and skiing are particularly well provided for.
France is the home of haute couture, but better values are found in perfume, leather goods, crystal and porcelain, jewelry, wine, and gourmet foodstuffs.
Lyon
Lyon offers a wide variety of shopping opportunities elegant
boutiques, antique stores and department stores. Ties, scarves, and
other products of this city famed for silk are specialties at many
shops and boutiques along the Cours Franklin-Roosevelt and the
Cours Vitton and in Presqu'île. The Centre Commercial of La Part-Dieu train station complex contains many small shops.
Online shopping
Online shopping makes it easy for international assignees to have
access to goods outside of France as well as within. There are some
obstacles to cross-border e-commerce, however, some of it
regulatory but some of it in the minds of consumers who prefer to
do business with merchants they know and trust.
For the foreign resident who has very specific needs, wants something from abroad, or lives in an area with limited consumer choice, Internet shopping is a very convenient option. Consumers are responsible for paying any VAT or required customs duty associated with products shipped from outside the EU. See the customs authority's 13 Questions answered about such online purchases.
Performing arts
Music is especially popular, and concerts and opera are performed
at the Opéra, Auditorium
Maurice Ravel, and La Maison de la Danse. An international
Berlioz
Festival is held in nearby La Côte Saint Andre every summer.
Touring theater companies visit Lyon regularly. One of the most outstanding theaters in France is located in Lyon, the Théâtre National Populaire. Commercial cinemas screen English-language films in their original version - look for "version originale" or "v.o." in listings or advertisements. The Institut Lumière, home of the inventors of the cinema, Louis and Auguste Lumière, has regular screenings of rare and historic films. Listings for events can be found on a variety of websites such as Eventful, as well as in local papers. Tickets for events may be purchased at theaters or ticket agencies. Tickets for the Opéra are also sold in the Part-Dieu shopping center.
Lyon
The American Club of Lyon
URL: https://americanclublyon.org
Association France-Grand Bretagne (AFGB)
URL: http://www.afgb.free.fr/
LyonResto
https://www.lyonresto.com/
Things to Do
http://www.en.lyon-france.com/
Official Tourist Office website in French, English, German,
Italian, Japanese, Spanish, Russian, and Chinese.
Lyon
OnlyLyon: Tourism and Conventions
https://en.lyon-france.com/