My 3 Days Solo Trip to Lyon, France 🇫🇷
Updated: May 29
Lyon is the capital city in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, its centre reflects 2,000 years of history from the Roman Amphithéâtre des Trois Gaules, medieval and Renaissance architecture in Vieux (Old) Lyon, to the modern Confluence district on Presqu'île peninsula.
Check 10 Top Things to Know Before Traveling to France + Cultural Do’s & Don’ts
Chapters
​1. How to Get Your Visa for France | ​5. Best Time to Visit Lyon |
​2. Travel Story | ​6. Accommodations in Lyon |
​3. How to Get to Lyon | ​7. Best Cafes & Restaurants in Lyon |
​4. How to Move Around Lyon | ​ |
My trip to Lyon was spontaneous, I didn't plan to go there at all to be honest, but I had a friend living there and at that time I was living in Madrid so I thought why not visit her. I booked my flights a few days before my trip and decided to book accommodation when I get there, because I like to have my space so I didn't want to stay with my friend even though I was only staying for 3 days.
Check Why You Should Visit France: 10 Reasons Why You Should Visit France
How to Get Your Visa for France
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I took a flight from Madrid to Lisbon in the afternoon, then I had 2 hours before my flight from Lisbon to Lyon. I arrived to Lyon's airpot around 19:00, and my friend sent me the train and tram lines I needed to take to get to her place, it wasn't a long ride but I had to wait for the train for 30 minutes. On the train ride I met a really nice lady and we talked for the duration of the train ride, after that I took the tram to my friend's place.
Even though I'm there to see my friend, I didn't see her at all that day! She had work a the time I arrived but I met up with one of her friends and we hung out for a bit until we went back to her place. Not going to lie, I was exhausted and it was late so I booked an Airbnb for the other two days and went to bed right after that.
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Woke up the next day feeling good after a good night sleep, my friend was already up so we talked for a bit then I went with her to work and left after a few minutes to go to the Airbnb. The Airbnb was nice, it was small but good. I took a shower then had lunch and left to meet up with my friend after she finished work and a couple of her friends.
Check Lyon Travel Guide: 10 Top Things to do in Lyon, France
Even though we were in July and the weather was nice the first day I arrived, but this day it started raining and it was so gloomy but it wasn't cold. We were going to go on a walk but because of the heavy rain we decided to find a cafe and stay there until it stops raining. We sat for a bit and ate then a couple of hours after we went on a walk until we sat at a park for the rest of the night.
Check Lyon Travel Guide: The Best 2 Days Travel Itinerary
The next day, the weather was nice, so I left early in the morning to go explore by myself since my friend had work, and then in the afternoon we met up and continued exploring. Lyon was better that I expected but there was a lot of tourists at that time but it was still enjoyable. I hung out with my friend for the rest of the day, then I went back to the Airbnb to sleep.
Check Lyon Travel Guide: 24 Hours in Lyon, France - A Complete 1 Day Itinerary
The next day I woke up early again, and since my friend had the day off; we decided to have breakfast together, and since this was my last day we decided to start the day early. We met up then had breakfast, then continued exploring Lyon, until lunch time. After that I had to leave for the airport, I took the tram then the train until I made it there. I took a flight from Lyon to Lisbon and then from Lisbon to Madrid. It was quite late when I made it to Madrid so I went to bed straight away.
Check Why You Should Visit Lyon: 10 Reasons Why You Should Visit Lyon, France
How to Get to Lyon
It is easy to get to Lyon by plane at the Lyon Saint Exupéry Airport, there are flights from all over Europe nearly everyday, so depending on where you are, it might be easy to get there. I like to use Omio to find either buses or trains in Europe, and if I am looking for a flight I would use WayAway to find cheap flights. You can also use this promo code - TP-385219 - for WayAway Plus or you can directly visit this link! (You will get 10% off WayAway Plus subscription!)
How to Move Around Lyon
Once you reach Lyon, the airport is connected to a train station so it easy to get into the city from there. When moving around the city you can get the metro or the tram, you can buy tickets from any metro station or from a tram stop, you will find ticket machines at each stop.
Best Time to Visit Lyon
You can visit Lyon all year long, during the summer it is hot and you can go canoeing or go on a boat rides. During winter it is also nice since the Alps are nearby as well as the attractions within the city, and also during winter you can witness the Festival of Lights (Fête des Lumière) in December.
The best time to visit Lyon is in September & October. At this time, all the summer tourists would have left the city and it won't be as crowded as it normally would be, and also the weather would be nice, not too hot and not too cold. If you are looking for the best prices, then you would have to visit between November & April, but be aware that it would be cold during that time.
Accommodations in Lyon
The best area for tourists to stay in is Presqu'île, this area occupies the land between the Rhône and Saône rivers and comprises the 1st, 2nd and 4th arrondissements. You can find hotels and Airbnbs in that area easily.
Best Cafes & Restaurants in Lyon
Slake (Gluten-free options, vegan friendly, French cuisine)
Diploid (Gluten-free options, vegan friendly, French cuisine)
Akle - Le Comptoir A Mezzes (Vegan friendly, Lebanese cuisine)
Sabai Sabai (Gluten-freen options, vegan friendly, Asian)
Le Roi Falafel (Vegan friendly, Lebanese cuisine)