Gare de la Part-Dieu in Lyon
The train station looks super modern. It has a lot of stuff there, and the two that attracted me the most were Starbucks and Paul (yes that bakery that's everywhere). Signs say there is free wifi but it did not work for us. Across from it is La Part Dieu, a giant shopping complex with a giant Carrefour (yes, that was what excited me most).
Lodging
The first place I stayed at was Hotel Athena near Lyon Part-Dieu train station. Literally it was right outside the train station so when I walked out I veered left and in 2 minutes I reached. The room was very small but serviceable and clean, perfect for the budget traveler who wants convenience.
The second place I stayed in was an AirBNB in a really nice apartment shared with two guys. I had my own bedroom and bathroom and for the most part it was super except I felt the bathroom and shower were not the cleanest, and toiletries (shampoo, soap) were not provided, though I have not done AirBNB a lot and am not sure what is typical.
Carrefour
I love hypermart shopping.
Food
The food was good too. This post chooses to discuss food separately but here are some previous posts on the food I have been lucky enough to try.
Le Glacier Terre Adélice, ice cream shop that was #4 on Tripadvisor for eating with a gazillion flavours
Le Poivron Bleu, #1 on Tripadvisor but not my personal choice
Les Lyonnais, bouchon, I think a solid bouchon choice with many traditional items, thumbs up from me
Other random foods post, of which I will recommend Les Halles
Tourist Things to See in Lyon
Lyon turned out to be a much prettier city than I made it out to be. Big fat thumbs up. With not one two rivers running through it (Saône and Rhône), I should really have expected more. I was thinking more like crappy ol' Marseilles, but no, it was actually really charming.
Parc de la Tête d'Or - one of the nice things about staying near the train station was that I got to enjoy this park as it was on what I classify as the same third of the city. Well kept, with a few ponds and a very nice place to run. There was a free zoo too! Opens until 10.30pm in the summer!!
Traboules are, as I understand them, passages created under/through buildings. Originally created for silk merchants to transport their goods in inclement weather, it was later used to get from place to place during wars, as well as to have printers to print clandestine material since the sound of the printers could not be heard. I believe one could do a tour with the tourist office for a small fee, but I just found a bunch of the Lonely Planet and managed to complete them all! :-D Mission accomplished! I don't want to be sued so I'm not going to reproduce the Lonely Planet, but I'm sure a quick Google would yield more info. My favourite was at 16 rue du Bœuf which had a lovely pink tower (tour rose) and a pretty courtyard. Sometimes you need to press on the doorbell to get in (sometimes it is not clear which bell/number to press on, and for that I am unable to help you with since I was just as confused).
Lyon also has pretty frescos. The first one was in La Croix-Rousse, a Bohemian part of the city. The rest are in the first district of the city by the water where rue de la Martinière intersects Place Saint-Vincent and it is of a building with famous people looking out. I found a website with more, and I'm super bummed I did not discover these earlier, so I will have to see them on my next trip!
Here are some day photos. I really liked the interior of the Basilica of Notre-Dame de Fourvière which was on top of the Fourvière hill, but unfortunately photos were not allowed (maybe since mass was on at that time, not sure about other times).
Some night photos.
Finally I saw this restaurant, and I thought, it has to be Asian, and indeed it was. Thought it was hilarious with the name. Lingon would love this!
The train station looks super modern. It has a lot of stuff there, and the two that attracted me the most were Starbucks and Paul (yes that bakery that's everywhere). Signs say there is free wifi but it did not work for us. Across from it is La Part Dieu, a giant shopping complex with a giant Carrefour (yes, that was what excited me most).
Lodging
The first place I stayed at was Hotel Athena near Lyon Part-Dieu train station. Literally it was right outside the train station so when I walked out I veered left and in 2 minutes I reached. The room was very small but serviceable and clean, perfect for the budget traveler who wants convenience.
The second place I stayed in was an AirBNB in a really nice apartment shared with two guys. I had my own bedroom and bathroom and for the most part it was super except I felt the bathroom and shower were not the cleanest, and toiletries (shampoo, soap) were not provided, though I have not done AirBNB a lot and am not sure what is typical.
Carrefour
I love hypermart shopping.
Food
The food was good too. This post chooses to discuss food separately but here are some previous posts on the food I have been lucky enough to try.
Le Glacier Terre Adélice, ice cream shop that was #4 on Tripadvisor for eating with a gazillion flavours
Le Poivron Bleu, #1 on Tripadvisor but not my personal choice
Les Lyonnais, bouchon, I think a solid bouchon choice with many traditional items, thumbs up from me
Other random foods post, of which I will recommend Les Halles
Tourist Things to See in Lyon
Lyon turned out to be a much prettier city than I made it out to be. Big fat thumbs up. With not one two rivers running through it (Saône and Rhône), I should really have expected more. I was thinking more like crappy ol' Marseilles, but no, it was actually really charming.
Parc de la Tête d'Or - one of the nice things about staying near the train station was that I got to enjoy this park as it was on what I classify as the same third of the city. Well kept, with a few ponds and a very nice place to run. There was a free zoo too! Opens until 10.30pm in the summer!!
Traboules are, as I understand them, passages created under/through buildings. Originally created for silk merchants to transport their goods in inclement weather, it was later used to get from place to place during wars, as well as to have printers to print clandestine material since the sound of the printers could not be heard. I believe one could do a tour with the tourist office for a small fee, but I just found a bunch of the Lonely Planet and managed to complete them all! :-D Mission accomplished! I don't want to be sued so I'm not going to reproduce the Lonely Planet, but I'm sure a quick Google would yield more info. My favourite was at 16 rue du Bœuf which had a lovely pink tower (tour rose) and a pretty courtyard. Sometimes you need to press on the doorbell to get in (sometimes it is not clear which bell/number to press on, and for that I am unable to help you with since I was just as confused).
Lyon also has pretty frescos. The first one was in La Croix-Rousse, a Bohemian part of the city. The rest are in the first district of the city by the water where rue de la Martinière intersects Place Saint-Vincent and it is of a building with famous people looking out. I found a website with more, and I'm super bummed I did not discover these earlier, so I will have to see them on my next trip!
Here are some day photos. I really liked the interior of the Basilica of Notre-Dame de Fourvière which was on top of the Fourvière hill, but unfortunately photos were not allowed (maybe since mass was on at that time, not sure about other times).
Some night photos.
Finally I saw this restaurant, and I thought, it has to be Asian, and indeed it was. Thought it was hilarious with the name. Lingon would love this!
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