A Brief Liaison With Lyon

It was a searing hot July afternoon when we arrived in Lyon. Fairly exhausted after a two-day drive from London (with an overnight stop in Troyes) and with two children in tow, we only had one night in the historic city, known for its gastronomy, and were keen to see as much as we could. Unfortunately our few hours in Lyon didn’t quite go to plan.

The problem was we didn’t have much of a plan. Not wanting to cram too much in with a 6 week old and three year old, we simply wanted to get a feel for the city and check out the old town which is a Unesco World Heritage site.

After checking into our Mercure hotel, which was close to the Central Station, we set off to explore. Armed with a map and told by the hotel receptionist that it was only ten minutes to the centre we were excited to be somewhere new and glad to be out of the car, stretching our legs and feeling the sunshine on our faces.

Ten minutes later we had barely got to the end of a very long road.

Lyon, France

Clearly our hotel wasn’t as central as its nearby station would suggest. And the receptionist not very good at distances. On we went. We crossed over the River Rhone, thinking we must be close to the historic old town.

We weren’t.

I was beginning to think that perhaps my husband had a point when he suggested we get a tram. Not that our walk was without its plus points, on the way we saw lots of important looking churches as well as spying Lyon’s famous landmark, the elegant 19th century Basilica Notre Dame de Fourvière sat upon the mountain top next to a replica of the Eiffel Tower, which was built in 1893 and is now used as a TV transmitter.

Lyon, France

But we were feeling the heat. Mrs T was getting tired of walking. I was getting sweaty. We were all hungry. The only thing that seemed happy was the pedometer on my Fitbit which was happily counting up the numerous steps I’d been taking as we wandered the streets.

Lyon, France

In fact, we weren’t far from the new city centre. If we had ventured a little deeper, we’d have come across the main square and been rewarded with its ground fountains, spurting out cool water, a welcome respite for both children and adults on a hot summers day.

After going as far as we could without a rest, we stopped at a cafe in a piazza for a drink and crêpe for our eldest daughter who was complaining she was hungry and was intent on pestering me while I attempted to feed our youngest daughter. It was our first trip away as a family of four and elements like this definitely made it harder. After consulting the map, again, we saw we had ANOTHER river to cross until we made it to the old town. Off we trotted again. Surely it couldn’t be too much further?

Lyon, France
Mrs T and my hubby try and work out where we need to go
The two rivers in question, the Rhone and Saone, converge in Lyon against a mountain backdrop which gives the city a uniqueness and beauty which is evident today but also appealed to the Romans. Two thousand years ago they set up the city of Lugdunum on the slopes of the mountain Fourviere where the aforementioned Notre Dame cathedral now sits. A Roman amphitheater marks the Roman’s presence and the mountain is accessible by a funicular.

But we didn’t get to see any of that. Lyon, we discovered to our detriment, is a very big city.

Lyon, France

We finally made it to the old town and the long walk was justified. Cobbled streets and a thriving bar and restaurant scene greeted us. Thank goodness, because we were very hungry. The area is home to numerous ‘bouchons’, Lyonnaise bistros serving traditional local dishes.

The Old Town, Lyon, France

For some reason, some of the bouchons we stopped at didn’t want us sitting outside with the pram. I thought this rather strange, surely it is more inconvenient and tight, space wise, to have the bulky contraption inside? Having no time at that point in the day for family unfriendly establishments I insisted we moved on (even though my tummy was telling me otherwise). It being a Friday night, the medieval quarter was busy but we eventually found somewhere slightly away from the main throng and up a small hill.

The Old Town, Lyon, France

Lyon is known as the gastronomic capital of France so I doubt you can have a bad meal there. I decided to brave a local dish and went for a pike soufflé in lobster sauce. A strong tasting, hearty dish which was tasty enough although large so I failed to finish. My hubby, Paul, was rather unadventurous and went for the steak. Mrs T sampled some gratin and was delighted to get a Mickey Mouse shaped chocolate covered ice cream for pudding.

Pike soufflé at a restaurant in Lyon
Pike soufflé
By the time we finished we were all pretty tired and I was a bit frustrated because our 6-week-old was crying but didn’t appear to be too fussed about being fed, even though she was due a feed. The stifling hot restaurant didn’t help matters and I was reprimanded by my husband for waking her when she had been perfectly happy sleeping. Lesson learnt.

There was no way we would be trekking back to our hotel on foot so we headed to the taxi rank. On our way, we passed a church where a group of Christian Iraqis were singing outside, a harmonious, cosmopolitan moment set against the backdrop of the Notre dame cathedral looking down on the city from its elevated perch.

The Old Town, Lyon, France

We headed away and back to our hotel in a cab, in a journey that took us around ten minutes.

There ended our brief few hours in Lyon. The next morning we were up and off to get a flight to Italy and bid Lyon farewell far too soon. It is a vast city with much to see and do: from viewing the remnants of its Roman history and climbing up its mountain to visiting its museums and sampling its cuisine, a few days, not hours, are needed.

It certainly needs a second look from us (and with the Rhone valley spitting distance away many reasons to return). Next time we will set aside at least three nights there and book a hotel slap bang in the centre of the city. Oh, and maybe do a bit more research beforehand.

Here’s a 2 minute vlog of our visit

How not to do it like us

– Choose a hotel in the centre of town. We stayed at the Mercure because it was easily accessible to airport and handy for the next leg of our trip. We were going to Italy the following day and had parked our car at the airport. The train from the airport stopped right outside the hotel.

– Plan your time in Lyon and the distances involved!

– Get the Lyon card. There are 1/2/3 day passes available. Gives you entry to every Lyon museum, the roof of Notre Dame cathedral AND unlimited travel on buses, trams, the funicular and metro. Can be bought from some hotels and tourist office.

– Book a Bouchon, especially if you are looking to eat later in the evening.

Pin For Later

Lessons we learned when faced with just a few hours in the historic city of Lyon, France

Packing my Suitcase

Lou Messugo



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Wander Mum

I've always loved to travel so when my two daughters came along, I didn't stop. Travelling as a family can have its ups and downs but I love showing my children the world and helping others navigate travelling with children in tow.

76 Comments
  1. I really love that you are honest about a trip that was not perfect, and at times frustrating, annoying and tiring. I think as travellers we just have to accept that it happens at times and is not always great, and that is how we can let the experiences happen that are truly awesome. Do you travel specifically to write about it or do you just generally travel a lot – it is really impressive to see you on the road that much with a six week old!

    1. Thanks Verena, when they are young they are definitely a lot more portable to travel about with. We do travel a lot – love it – the good and the bad.

  2. Such a drag that that restaurant treated you so unfriendly. I agree, with a stroller in tow, you’d think they would rather you sit outside where there is more room to move around. I can’t tolerate unfriendly institutions and Germany certainly has PLENTY of those. I don’t know how I manage it and I don’t even have kids and strollers yet! #CityTripping
    Lolo recently posted…Your Essential Guide to EuropeMy Profile

  3. Can you believe that I’ve never been for leisure in Lyon although I bought a holiday house four years ago only one hour away? A ‘Lyonnaise’ invited me to do a insider tour – I guess, I should do that next time I’m in France 😉

  4. I’ve never had the chance to visit Lyon. My best friend lived there for 1 year and I was supposed to go but my annual leave was cancelled last minute and I had to cancel my trip. She always speaks very highly of the city and when I see your pictures, I can understand why. The buildings look wonderful ! One other good thing is the food.. ah French food.. so cheap and delicious 🙂 #citytripping
    Gin recently posted…Road trip in Taiwan – Sun Moon LakeMy Profile

    1. French food is wonderful! Such a shame you didn’t get to go when your friend was there. Always great to have a ‘local’ show you around. At least you can get some good tips off her though.

  5. Oh, how disappointing when you had such a short time in the city but good for your readers who can learn from your experience! I learned a very similar lesson in Bruges – our hotel was at the edge of town in an industrial area which might have been okay but then I got flu (actual achey-painy flu) and trekking into town became impossible. Your booking a bouchon tip is gold! #CityTripping
    Mandy recently posted…Anarch-Tea at W London Leicester SquareMy Profile

  6. Poor you! It’s always disappointing when things don’t go as you had hoped. A two day drive with a six week old was courageous. I think we have the only baby in the world that hates her car seat so can’t imagine doing that just yet!

    I hope you have a better time in Italy

  7. Oh it’s a pity you didn’t have more time in Lyon, the old town is really cute. But it’s a good excuse to come back another time 😉
    I’ve been a couple of times & still didn’t see everything!
    And I definitely didn’t have the courage to taste local food as there is a lot of entrails (don’t if this is the right word in English)…
    I enjoyed the vlog btw 😉
    xx
    Umberta
    Umberta recently posted…Shooting in MilanMy Profile

  8. Sounds like a complicated and stressful trip. I had the same “10 minute” problem in both Paris and Versailles when I visited in July. I’ve come to believe that everything in France is within a “10 minute walk” and yet nothing is. :-/ #citytripping
    Mandy recently posted…Hunting Island State Park, SCMy Profile

  9. I absolutely appreciate your honesty. It’s refreshing. My son will head to Lyon for an exchange with his French class – I’m excited for him! Cheers from Copenhagen, Erin #MondayEscapes

  10. I’ve been through Lyon probably 3 times whilst visiting Grenoble, but never visited the city itself. This post has just proved that I should definitely spend a few days in Lyon next time instead of just passing through. #MondayEscapes

    1. Oh, you’ve made me feel a lot better Claire. Being a travel blogger, I should really do a bit more research but when there’s a full itinerary on hand, sometimes it’s hard! Love your Pompeii post – glad you got some of your money back after having such a useless guide!

  11. Thanks for sharing this post. It brings back memories of when my kids were young, and how we’d have to adapt and compromise to make a success of family trips. There’s a really good website called ‘Take the Family’, which gives lots of advice about travelling with little ones. The editor, Rhonda Carrier, has also written a series of Frommer’s travel guides, eg ‘Brittany with the Kids’, which are well worth investing in. They tell you useful stuff like places with nappy-changing facilities, and family-friendly restaurants. Anyway, I hope you have a better time when you go back.

    1. Thank you for the tip….will check the website out. Travel is certainly different with children – especially now we have two – but we don’t intend on stopping.

  12. It’s really interesting that you found Lyon tricky to navigate and get into. I think this is probably because it is relatively unknown to (English) tourists and so is not at all set up to help them out. Actually, I think it’s really small and totally do-able in a day, but you’re right that Part Dieu is not the place to stay. The geography means that what looks like the centre is not the centre… Anyway, if you’re ever here again, do feel free to get in touch and ask for some hints. #AllAboutFrance

  13. Your post made me smile Elizabeth. We visited Lyon back in 2014 and did a similar walk from the train station…in exactly the wrong direction. Lyon is a lovely city though and one we would be happy to go back to if we got the chance!

  14. Hi Elizabeth. When we first moved to France (a couple of hours west of Lyon) we would go to Lyon with our 8-year-old for an “American” weekend — they had a Pizza Hut and a Toys-R-Us! But over the years we came to appreciate the city for its beauty, its history — and, yes, for the incredible cuisine. Thanks for jogging some very pleasant memories of the time we’ve spent there! (Suggestion for next time: Paul Bocuse’s Brasserie Sud for a very fine meal in a fairly relaxed setting)

  15. Hello! I truly love Lyon and my fresh advice for you is: you must go back! I’ve not visited with children but I can in fact understand how strolling/walking with little ones would be difficult there. My feet always hurt after a day of trying to see it all in such a rich spot!

  16. Part Dieu to Vieux Lyon is quite a trek! (and it’s not even very pretty until you hit the Rhône, is it.) I remember having a stopover at Part Dieu before I moved to Lyon and thinking I’d just wander around the neighborhood and see a bit of Lyon before my next train, but there wasn’t much to see – it’s not the greatest part of the city to visit! But certainly it is convenient when you have a plane to catch. I’m glad you had a nice little visit in Lyon despite your long walk 🙂 (For anyone who ends up at the Part Dieu train station and wants to get over the Vieux Lyon or the city center, the C3 bus towards Saint Paul will take you straight down Cours Lafayette – that long long street – and over the bridge.)

    1. Thanks for the bus tip Catherine – that would have been very helpful! It really was a long trek and, you are right not much to see, in the Part Dieu area.

  17. What a shame you weren’t informed of a bus to get into the city, especially as you were finding it warm and had two young children in tow. But sounds like it was still a lovely visit, once you got there. I do the same and like to include a few hours in a place, rather than not see it at all. At least you have an insight whether you want to return and explore more.
    Lyn @ A Hole in my Shoe recently posted…Ho Chi Minh – Paris of AsiaMy Profile

  18. Hi Elizabeth!
    I’m sorry to hear how disappointed you were with your trip to Lyon. Our city is indeed a big one with many things to do but with the right preparation and guides in hand, I promise it becomes a lot less overwhelming! I do hope you get to come back and give it another try, especially during the wintertime: I’m sure Mrs. T would love all the sparkling lights and beautiful Christmas decorations. Do not hesitate to stop by (cf URL in username) and give us your feedback: it matters to us.
    À bientôt!

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