Travel Tips for Lyon

There is no doubt that Lyon offers you a wide range of things to do in the city, however, it is also clear that you always need to know some recommendations when travelling to this place.

By the time you make your travel itinerary, you will probably already know some of the best things to see and do in Lyon, however, I want to show you some tips that will surely help you a lot when you want to visit the city, regardless of the season you decide to travel.

If there's one thing you need to know when you go to Lyon, it's that it's one of those French cities where there will always be something delicious to try, which is why during your trip I recommend that you sign up for one of Lyon's best food tours, rather than going on your own to experience French cuisine.

The reason why you should sign up for a guided tour instead of going on your own to visit restaurants is because the tour guide knows very well which are those restaurants and special places that you shouldn't miss if you want to know those dishes that mark the Lyon and French gastronomy in general.

On the other hand, if you go on your own, you might miss many of the most special places in the city to try the varied gastronomy. The great thing about this is that if you go with a tour guide and have some dietary requirements, it's much easier to find places where you can meet your expectations without missing out on one traditional dish or another.

But, to give you an idea of what you'll try on your own or on a tour, here are some of the dishes you'll be presented with on the menu: flour fritters, vegetables, crème brûlée, foie gras and the like are definitely specialities in this southern French city.

Like everywhere else in the world, in France and specifically in Lyon, there are also some really dangerous places, where I recommend you only go accompanied by a tour guide who knows exactly what the laws and behaviours are like in these areas. That's why a good way to get around the city is to sign up for one of the best guided tours of Lyon.

While the city is generally quite safe, it's also true that it scores high on lists of the most dangerous cities in France, as there are some specific neighbourhoods that you should avoid as they have a somewhat high crime rate.

Among the most dangerous places in Lyon that I recommend you go with a guide to visit are the 7th, 8th and 9th arrondissements, which include neighbourhoods such as Gerland and La Duchère, the latter being the most crime-ridden.

You should also take into consideration that, as a tourist, you are more at risk of being a victim of street robberies in these dangerous districts of Lyon, because local thieves look for unsuspecting tourists to steal some money and the rest of your belongings.

Although it may seem very obvious, it is very important to check the opening times in Lyon before planning your travel itinerary, as many attractions tend to change their opening times depending on the time of year. Unlike other cities around the world, which tend to have the same or very similar opening times throughout the year, in Lyon, as a city with extreme weather, the opening times are often different.

Many attractions in the city tend to open earlier and close later in summer, while in winter they open later and close earlier, all due to the rise or fall in temperature in each case. If you pay attention to this, you'll know which attractions to include on your list of the best things to do in Lyon.

The Opera House, the Notre Dame Basilica, the Museum of Fine Arts and other museums throughout the city are some of the attractions that stand out for having a different schedule in each of the seasons of the year. That's why when making your travel itinerary, I recommend you check the opening times so you don't get an unpleasant surprise when you arrive.

Travelling to Lyon during the high season is a real challenge, which is why one of the things you should do when you want to travel here during the months of July, August and September, which is the high season, is to make your reservations well in advance of going to the city.

It is true that there are enough hotels and tourist attractions in the city to cope with the high season demand , but it is also true that you should make your reservations well in advance to avoid running out of hotel rooms, restaurants to eat at or tickets to some of the most popular attractions in the area.

If you plan to take the city's sightseeing bus to tour the city and see the sights and attractions, I recommend you make your reservation well in advance as well, bearing in mind that you can buy your ticket up to a year in advance.

It's best to book at least a month before you plan to visit the city, because that way you'll be sure you'll have an amazing place to arrive, where to eat and which places to visit, especially if you expect to stay in Lyon for 3 days or more.

One of the things you definitely need to do when you travel to the city is to sign up for one of the best tours from Lyon, but when you do so I recommend asking before you book if the tour includes refreshments and snacks along the way. This is because on many occasions, the tours don't include food on board and you'll need to bring enough money to buy some.

This tip is even more useful when you are travelling with children, because sometimes the meals offered during excursions are not adapted for children. If you find it a bit inconvenient to carry food on the trip, then I recommend that you carry enough money to buy food on the way.

Also, I advise you to talk to your tour guide before you leave to find out if there will be any food stops along the way. If there are no food or drink stops along the way, then you should consider taking some food with you.

Lyon is quite an interesting and fun city, so one of the things I really recommend is to sign up for one of the best bike tours in Lyon, where you can get to know not only the most important monuments of the city, but also the flavours of French food.

These tours can last from three to five hours, depending on how many places your tour guide suggests you visit. The best thing about these tours is that you can go in the company of an expert to all the most incredible places in the city. This guide will explain everything you need to know about the city and its surroundings, all while you are on your bike.

You won't have to make much effort because these tours are usually done on an electric bike, so you won't have to pedal too hard to get around the city. It's definitely one of those experiences you can't miss if you're going to Lyon in 2 days or less, because it's one of the fastest ways to see as many sites in the city as possible.

The Parc de la Tête d'Or is a large urban park of 117 hectares north of the city of Lyon, so I recommend you take plenty of time to visit this place, so you can enjoy all its attractions, and don't forget to wear comfortable walking shoes.

Inside the park you will see numerous attractions, including a lake, several botanical gardens, a zoo, a tourist train, a greenhouse, a library and an art gallery, so to visit the whole complex, you will necessarily have to walk a lot. In fact, I recommend spending at least three hours walking around the park to see it all.

Visiting the Parc de la Tête d'Or is one of the best activities to do with children, but you should also take into account their comfort, that's why I also recommend that you put them in comfortable shoes, but also that you bring enough water for them and if they are very young, I recommend that you bring a pram for when they are tired of walking.

The winter months are certainly cold enough in Lyon, and the month with the coldest weather tends to be January, when temperatures are usually 7°C at their highest and 0°C at their lowest. It' s important to wear warm clothing both at night and during the sunshine hours.

If you're planning to travel in winter, though not necessarily in January, I recommend checking out some of the best things to do in Lyon in November, which is when winter begins in the city. The opposite is true if you're travelling in summer. The summer months in Lyon are from June to September.

For these months, when temperatures can rise above 30ºC, it's best to pack light clothing and check out some of the best things to do in June, which is the month when summer begins.

If you want to have beautiful pictures to remember your trip to Lyon, you have to go up to the Basilica of Notre Dame de Fourvière, an incredible place where you can take beautiful panoramic views of the city from the heights. Not only that, but you can also enjoy the city's cool climate from the heights.

The Basilica of Notre Dame in Fourvière has a balcony from which you can see the whole city, and this is exactly where you should take the opportunity to take hundreds of pictures from the heights. To go up to this balcony you have to pay for a guided tour of the Basilica, where you will be taken to see the whole interior of the complex.

And to give you the full tip, I recommend going up to visit the Basilica early in the day, between 7:00 and 10:00, because after that time the influx of tourists is considerably higher and you might find it a bit more difficult to enjoy the visit to the complex and the incredible views of the city.

By the way, you can take the funicular up to the Basilica because it's the easiest and quickest way, but if you're in good shape and don't mind walking up, as long as you enjoy the beautiful scenery from Vieux Lyon to the Basilica, I recommend walking up and taking photos along the way.

For many people certain plants can cause allergies of all kinds, that's why one of the best recommendations I can give you is that if you intend to go to the Botanical Garden of Lyon, you should not miss some anti-allergic, because inside this enclosure there are a lot of exotic plants that may cause some kind of allergy.

Inside the Botanical Garden you can see up to 15,000 botanical species, of which at least 1,400 are in danger of extinction, so some of these species may indeed cause some kind of allergy to those who suffer from this type of problem.

It is also important that you make this visit with a tour guide who will tell you which plants you can get close to and which ones you have to see from afar. In case you go on your own, you have to follow all the indications and precautions offered when you arrive at the Botanical Garden.