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Voykit pocket guide · France
Lyon
Give Lyon 2 nights: one for Vieux Lyon and Fourvière, one for Croix-Rousse and the food. Avoid August if you want full bouchon access; many close.
Lyon is France's third city and its food capital, built where the Rhône and Saône meet. Two nights covers the UNESCO old town, the Roman hill and the bouchons; three nights adds a day trip. It sits 2 h from Paris by TGV and works as a stop between Paris and Provence.
- Country
- France
- Best months
- May–Jun, Sep
- Avoid
- Aug (many restaurants shut), Dec 8 week (book months ahead for Festival of Lights)
- Stay
- 2 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- EUR
- Money
- Currency is the euro (EUR, €). Contactless cards work in most shops, cafés and restaurants.
- Daily spend
- Budget €60–95 excl. bed · Mid €95–160 excl. bed · High €160+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Orange, SFR, Bouygues Télécom and Free sell prepaid SIMs in their shops and at tabacs; ID is required to register.
- Emergency
- European emergency number 112 · Ambulance (SAMU) 15 · Police 17 · Fire 18
- Plugs
- Types C, E · 230 V · 50 Hz · Round two-pin plugs; type E sockets have an earth pin sticking out, so Schuko (type F) plugs need a C/E hybrid or an adapter.
- Tipping
- Café or bar: Leave small change, €0.20–1.; Restaurant: Service is included; leave 5–10% in cash for good service.; Taxi: Round up to the next euro or two.; Hotel porter or housekeeping: €1–2 per bag or per night.; Tour guide: €5–10 per person for a half day, more for private guides.
- Water
- Tap water is safe everywhere unless signed otherwise. Restaurants must serve a free carafe of tap water on request.
- Toilets
- Paris has free automatic public toilets (sanisettes); elsewhere use cafés (buy a coffee), museums and stations, where some charge €0.50–1.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee at a café | €1.50–3 |
| Bouchon lunch menu | €18–30 |
| Beer: bar / supermarket can | €5–8 / €1–2 |
| Metro or tram ride | €2 |
| Museum entry | €6–12 |
| eSIM or data SIM, about a week | €10–25 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- LYS · Lyon-Saint Exupéry
- Rhônexpress tram to Part-Dieu, about 30 min; see the airport transfer page
Typical fares
- LYS → Part-Dieu, Rhônexpress
- about €17, about 30 min (check)
- Taxi Part-Dieu → Bellecour
- €15–25
- TGV Lyon → Paris
- about €60–120, about 2 h
Get around
Metro, tram and bus (TCL) cover the city; the Presqu'île and Vieux Lyon are walkable. Buy a TCL day or 24 h pass if you ride three or more times. Funiculars climb Fourvière from Vieux Lyon (check current status).
See and do
Known for
- Vieux Lyon and its traboules
- Fourvière basilica and Roman theatres
- Bouchons and Lyonnais cooking
- Croix-Rousse silk history
- Festival of Lights in December
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Pérouges | Train to Meximieux then a short taxi or walk; or drive about 40 min | About 1–1.5 h |
| Vienne | TER train from Part-Dieu or Perrache, about 25–30 min | About 45 min |
| Annecy | Train via Aix-les-Bains or a direct service, about 2 h | About 2.5 h |
| Beaujolais vineyards | Drive or a guided tour from the city | About 1 h |
Sleep
- Presqu'île (1st–2nd)
- Between the rivers; Bellecour, Cordeliers, Hôtel de Ville. Walk to most sights and the best eating.
- Vieux Lyon (5th)
- Renaissance lanes under Fourvière; quieter at night, atmospheric, fewer hotels.
- Part-Dieu (3rd)
- Around the TGV station and business district; practical for early trains, thin on charm.
- Croix-Rousse (1st/4th)
- Village feel on the hill; markets and cafés, a metro ride from the centre.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello / Good day | Bonjourbon-ZHOOR |
| Thank you | Mercimair-SEE |
| The bill, please | L'addition, s'il vous plaîtla-dee-SYON seel voo pleh |
| How much is it? | C'est combien ?say kom-BYEN |
| Can I pay by card? | Je peux payer par carte ?zhuh puh pay-yay par kart |
| Where is the toilet? | Où sont les toilettes ?oo son lay twa-LET |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Say 'bonjour madame/monsieur' on entering any shop, bus or office; avoid: Asking a question before saying bonjour — it is read as rude
- Cheek kisses (la bise): Follow the other person's lead; one to four kisses depending on region; avoid: Initiating la bise with strangers or in business
- Addressing people: Use 'vous' and titles until invited otherwise; avoid: First names and 'tu' with older people or staff
- Restaurants: Wait to be seated in restaurants; call the waiter 'monsieur' or 'madame'; avoid: 'Garçon', snapping fingers, asking for the bill before you are finished
- Conversation: Debate is a pleasure; food, politics and philosophy are fair game; avoid: Asking about salary or religion; loud voices on trains
- Dinner at a home: Bring flowers (not chrysanthemums), chocolates or a good bottle; arrive 10–15 minutes late; avoid: Cutting the tip off a cheese wedge or asking for ketchup
- Dress: Smart-casual in cities; covered shoulders in churches; avoid: Beachwear in town centres
Scams and watch-outs
- Pickpockets work the Guillotière area and crowded metro lines; keep bags zipped.
- Some bars near Guillotière and Part-Dieu have no posted prices: ask before you order.
- In August many bouchons and shops close for holidays; check before you plan around a specific restaurant.
- The Festival of Lights (around 8 Dec) fills hotels: book months ahead.
Lyon is a safe big city by day. The real risks are pickpockets around Guillotière and busy metro lines, and a few bars with no posted prices: ask the total before you sit.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Lyon yet. Suggested stay: 2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Vieux Lyon and its traboules
- Fourvière basilica and Roman theatres
- Bouchons and Lyonnais cooking
- Croix-Rousse silk history
- Festival of Lights in December
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Lyon official tourism site: en.lyon-france.com/
- City of Lyon: www.lyon.fr/
- Wikivoyage: Lyon, revision 5360157 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5360157
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Printed from Voykit (/lyon). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.