Lyon

Fourvière, the Presqu'île and Croix-Rousse over two to five days

Plan Lyon around its hills and rivers: Fourvière and Vieux Lyon on the west bank of the Saône, the Presqu'île between the Saône and the Rhône, and the Croix-Rousse to the north. Two days cover that triangle, a third adds the Musée des Confluences and Les Halles Paul Bocuse, and longer stays allow day trips.

The Croix-Rousse, the old silk workers' quarter, climbs north from Place des Terreaux. Much of what lies inside the triangle (churches, parks, the covered traboules that cut through buildings) costs nothing.

• Two days: spend the first morning on Fourvière, reached by funicular from Vieux Lyon station, for the basilica and the Roman theatres. Descend on foot through the Renaissance lanes and the cathedral of St Jean. Give day two to the Presqu'île and the Croix-Rousse slopes, hunting for traboules between the two.
• Three days: add the Musée des Confluences at the southern tip of the peninsula, a morning in the Parc de la Tête d'Or and lunch at Les Halles Paul Bocuse.
• Four or five days: use the city as a base. Medieval Pérouges is half an hour away by train, the Beaujolais vineyards start just to the north, and lakeside Annecy is about two hours by TER from Part-Dieu.

Three things need booking. Good bouchons fill up at weekends. The opera house, the Auditorium and the Célestins theatre can sell out months in advance. Any room during the Fête des Lumières goes early. Check opening days too: many museums close on Mondays or Tuesdays. The Lyon City Card bundles transport with museum entry and a daily guided walk, so count the museums you will really visit before buying one. A hotel on the Presqu'île between Bellecour and Terreaux keeps both hills within walking distance.

Part-Dieu handles the TGVs, with Paris about two hours away. A car is pointless in the city, but a rental makes sense for touring the Beaujolais wine villages.

Walking seasons, summer heat and the Fête des Lumières in December

Spring and early autumn are the best walking seasons in Lyon. Winter days rarely pass 7°C, July and August reach 28°C, and October is the wettest month at about 100 mm. The Fête des Lumières from 8 December fills every hotel for four nights, and Nuits de Fourvière runs from June to early August.

Expect sharper seasons than in Paris. In January the thermometer rarely gets past 7°C by day and drops to about 1°C at night. July and August climb to 28°C, and the city set its heat record of 41.4°C in August 2023. Rain falls through every season but peaks in autumn, with October averaging about 100 mm.

One date dominates the calendar: 8 December. The Fête des Lumières begins that evening and lasts four days, with light installations projected onto façades and squares across the historic centre. Hotels sell out months ahead, so book very early or pick another week.

Summer has its own draw. From June to early August the Nuits de Fourvière festival puts concerts and theatre into the Roman theatre on the hill, which makes for a memorable warm evening. Walking weather is best in spring and early autumn, although May is one of the wetter months at about 81 mm. In high summer, do the hill climbs early. Save the long walk along the Rhône quays for the evening.

Salade lyonnaise and quenelles in the bouchons and Les Halles

Eat in a bouchon, Lyon's small, crowded restaurant serving workers' dishes such as salade lyonnaise, quenelle de brochet and saucisson brioché. Book a recommended one, since quality varies, and keep French hours: lunch from 12:00 to 14:00, dinner from 19:30. Les Halles Paul Bocuse and the Saint-Antoine market cover the shopping.

Bouchon cooking leans on cheap cuts and big portions. Salade lyonnaise comes with bacon cubes, croutons and a poached egg. Quenelle de brochet is a pike dumpling in crayfish sauce. Saucisson brioché is a sausage baked in brioche. Cervelle de canut is fresh cheese whipped with garlic and herbs; the name jokingly compares it to the silk workers' brains. Braver eaters order tablier de sapeur (breaded fried tripe) or andouillette with mustard sauce, with gratin dauphinois on the side.

Quality varies wildly because bouchons are a tourist attraction in their own right. Be suspicious of windows shouting véritable bouchon lyonnais, ignore anyone touting for business on Rue St Jean and book a recommended place instead. House wine comes in a pot, a heavy-bottomed 46 cl bottle. The Beaujolais crus such as Morgon or Fleurie are the local reds, and a slice of praline tart is the classic finish.

The indoor food hall, Les Halles Paul Bocuse, stands on Cours Lafayette a short walk from Part-Dieu; top producers sell there at top prices (Tuesday to Sunday, mornings only on Sunday). The Saint-Antoine market lines the Saône quays every morning except Monday, and locals like to eat oysters there before Sunday lunch.

Places serving food all day are usually tourist traps. Service, bread and tap water are included in the bill. Ask for a carafe of water, and tip only when the service earned it.