Where to meet in Lyon
- Vieux Lyon
- the Presqu'île
- the Croix-Rousse
- the Confluence
How the day runs
Lyon eats earlier than Paris — half past seven is usual, nine counts as late — and treats food as part of who the city is rather than a trend. A long lunch is a sensible centrepiece for a family day. People dress tidily without show. The rivers give a day its route without anyone planning one: the banks of the Rhône are made for walking and stay lively into the evening, while the Saône side is calmer and better for a conversation.
Getting around
Four metro lines serve the city until about midnight. Line C is a rack railway that climbs the Croix-Rousse hill, and from Vieux Lyon two funiculars go up the other hill, one of them to the basilica at the top. So nothing here has to be climbed on foot. The flat centre between the rivers, the Presqu'île, takes around twenty-five minutes to walk from Terreaux to Perrache.
When Lyon is busiest
The easy months run from May to early October. July and August are hot in the river valley, and many people leave on holiday. The Fête des Lumières in early December is the exception to every rule — four evenings of lit-up buildings, a full city and bookings made far ahead. Christmas follows soon after, the main family season of the year.
Questions about Lyon
Is a bouchon right for lunch with my parents?
It can be. A bouchon is the traditional Lyon restaurant — small, noisy, generous and rich — and tables sit close together, so the room joins in. If your family likes that, it makes a memorable meal; if not, a quieter place on the Presqu'île gives you more space to talk.
Are the traboules worth an hour of the day?
Yes, if you go gently. These covered passages cut through the buildings of Vieux Lyon and the Croix-Rousse, and many are open to visitors, but people live there — so keep voices low and expect a few doors to be shut. Treat it as a stroll, not a fixed route.
Does the Fête des Lumières change things?
Completely. For those four December evenings the city is packed and everything fills early. If your day lands then, ask well ahead and plan the walking for after dark.
Good to know before you book in Lyon
Availability
Available by private request
Response
We reply within 20 minutes, 9am–9pm daily.
Meeting style
Public places first: cafes, restaurants, museums, parks and markets
Strictly platonic, and written down
Every rental is one day, planned with you and agreed in writing before you meet. Nothing romantic or physical is part of it, and either of you can end the day.
Days people rent for in Lyon
Every rental in Lyon is one full day, planned with you, with the boundaries written down before anyone meets.
Plan your day in Lyon
Tell us the date in Lyon and what the day is for. We will tell you privately who is available, and nothing is booked until you say yes.
We reply within 20 minutes, 9am–9pm daily.