Bordeaux or Lyon?

Both are world-class cities. I'd say look at the places you see and see which one you feel a calling for more.
I spent 2 weeks in Bordeaux this last summer during a miserable heatwave and I loved the city. I can't wait to go back and see it without sticking to the pavement.

Where do the Basque Country tour end? For geographical reasons, Bordeaux seems like the better option.

Bordeaux would be geographically closer, but Lyon more interesting, given your stated interests.

Background: I lived in Lyon for a few years, have visited several times before and since then for work or leisure (or doctor's appointments) and I've only visited Bordeaux twice. So, I know much more about Lyon than Bordeaux.

That said, it's not even close. Everything you mentioned as an interest is more prevalent and diverse in the much larger Lyon area than Bordeaux. The key thing I found interesting in Bordeaux was how the wine business of that area grew due to Dutch and British influence, and how it differs (profoundly) from the wine growing, making, and marketing of Bourgogne, with which I am far more familiar.

Lyon is not a wine growing area. But you can sample practically any French wine (and some from other nations) there. It's been said that there are three rivers flowing through Lyon: the Rhône (from the mountains of Switzerland), The Saône (from the Vosges upland of eastern France) and Beaujolais, the wine made just north of Lyon.

You can't go wrong with either place, but if I had 5 to 7 days to visit either Bordeaux or Lyon, I wouldn't hesitate to spend it in Lyon.

Edit: A small anecdote to illustrate the differences between the two. The leaders of Bordeaux commissioned an important bronze sculpture to be crafted by Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi, the sculptor of many monumental works of art including the Statue of Liberty and the massive Lion of Belfort. The leaders of Bordeaux started and stopped the project a few times, concerned at the cost, and eventually sold it to Lyon. It was completed and became yet another one of the unmissable highlights of the city. It's been recently restored and has long graced La Place des Terraux in Lyon, a UNESCO world heritage site, where each December Lyon's heavily-attended Fête des Lumières is anchored, with creative lighting projected onto the building fronts surrounding the place.

I'm loving the comments. The Basque tour ends in Bilbao, Spain.

Thank you.

As a city, I think Lyon is considerably more interesting. 5 to 7 days in Bordeaux sounds rather long to me. However, Bordeaux is the launching pad for trips to the Dordogne and Lot. That area is worth all the time you have and more. If you don't want to rent a car, you'd need to do a lot of research about public transportation options. Some of the really tiny places aren't accessible, even by bus.

I'm going to offer a (slightly) contrarian view. As background -- we've been to both cities, and are revisiting them both this spring along with Basque Country for the first time. Agree with the other posts that Bordeaux makes more sense geographically. And also agree with the other posts that if this is your first time for either, I'd pick Lyon.

However, this spring we are giving more days over to Bordeaux than Lyon as a revisit. Why? 1) I think the region around Bordeaux offers more for a wine-lover, and we'll be taking advantage of those opportunities. 2) We missed the Musée d’Aquitaine on our last visit, which I'm now very much looking forward to visiting. I don't feel like we left anything "on the table" in Lyon. 3) We've gotten very swept up in the history of Eleanor of Aquitaine, and would like to learn more about the region. Also I think there's more of a cultural link between Basque Country and Aquitaine, so you may wish to keep the continuity going from what you learned on the RS tour.

Still, having said all that, if it were my first time and I could only visit one, Lyon for sure!

@History Traveler...the Museum of the Aquitaine is excellent. I went thru with a tour group so did not have time to stop and look especially in the very strong pre-history collection. They handle the slave trading issue quite well, I thought. There are some really awesome photos toward the end of shepherds who herded their flocks on stilts over marshy ground. Amazing. Yes, herding on dang stilts!

https://mashable.com/feature/stilt-shepherds-landes

Also if you are interested in Alienor d'Aquitaine there is a vase in the Louvre that was her wedding gift to Louis VII (he came to the throne a few weeks after their wedding).

https://collections.louvre.fr/en/ark:/53355/cl010096614

Apologies, Jane! Back to your question! (I've only been to Bordeaux not Lyon so can't compare)

Pam, I never mind asides on my threads, as long as they're friendly. I always learn something, which is one of the joys of life.

Hi,
I've got to agree with Sammy. I have the same interests as you've identified and I've been to both places and based on the diverse traits you've listed, I'd choose Lyon. I spent about 6 nights in Bordeaux in 2015-16 and have been to Lyon three times during that period, usually for 3-4 days each time.
Lyon has magnificent architecture, STUNNING Roman amphitheaters, a gorgeous hill top church (Notre Dame de Fourviere), world class food, a very nice museum of fine arts, several other museums ("Lumiere's") and great history. Walks along the rivers are gorgeous (and through the Parc Tete d'Or), especially at night. And you won't want to miss the Museum of Confluences in a neighborhood that has grown significantly over the last ten years. You won't be disappointed. Lyon also offers easier access to day trips via train as 7 days in downtown Lyon at one time might be too much for some people. You don't say whether you're driving or using public trans, but you can easily get to Dijon and Burgundy and sample their wines. Same for heading South to Hermitage, Cornas, Condrieu and the Northern Rhone appellations.

Don't get me wrong: Bordeaux is great, too, and 67% of its entire GDP is wine and wine-based tourism, but without a car you're stuck taking tours (nothing wrong with that). The Roman ruins are minimal but the food and architecture are great. The museum of fine arts is lovely, but unless you're willing to travel out to the vineyards and are a huge wine fan, as I am, then I'd go to Lyon. If you choose Bordeaux, make sure you get to St. Emillion and take a tour of the amazing Monolithic Church.
Best of luck

Hmmm... I was leaning toward Bordeaux, mainly because that's a region of France we've never been to. But you guys are leading me to rethink... Actually, I had planned for us to spend some time in Lyon a couple of years ago, after our Eastern France tour, but we ran out of time that trip.

Thanks, everyone.

The Bordeaux region is nothing to shake a stick at. It's fantastic. You can see Perigord very nearby and the bassin d'Arcachon is one of the most special places I have ever been to in my whole life. This last summer we stayed at a hotel in Andernos-les-Bains that was amazing. The tide left every day and left a giant space of sand that people would walk on every night. The little oyster shacks made for some amazing meals.

Hi Jane! Just saw this article published yesterday, and thought of your post. Don't know that there's a ton here you haven't already heard, but thought I'd share:

Lyon Vs. Bordeaux: 7 Key Differences To Know Before You Visit

https://www.travelawaits.com/2857161/lyon-vs-bordeaux-key-differences/

History Traveler, thank you!

I haven't gotten as far as careful comparisons yet; we're leaving on another (much shorter) trip next week. That and taking care of some things here at home have occupied my time the last couple of weeks.

But I can't wait to read the article. Thank you! How thoughtful!

Jane,
We have been to Bordeaux 4 times and on this trip we included 5 nights each in Lyon and Bordeaux. We had never been to Lyon and wanted to see how it compares with our favorite, Bordeaux.
If not in the same trip, my vote goes to Bordeaux over Lyon. It is so approachable, the ancient wall surrounds the city core and the gates are beautiful. IMHO, the food in Bordeaux is just as good or better than the bouchons in Old Town, Lyon. Most of the bouchons in Lyon serve up the traditional cuisine (tripe, sausage, pork ears) with lentils. I did like the Lyonnaise salad. The Roman ruins were so-so for us, but nothing compared to Rome or Sicily, for example.
The wine. Yes, the wine is better (for my palate) in Bordeaux. We went to several wine bars in both cities and generally speaking, the wine bars in Lyon favor the Beaujolais (gamay grapes) and Cote du Rhone region. We were even told that we wouldn't find any Bordeaux wines in Lyon (not true, btw). During the 5 nights in Lyon, many restaurants close Sun/Mon. The best wine bars close Sat/Sun, the museums close Mon/Tue so timing your visit is important depending on what your preferences are. The public transportation is excellent in both cities, so that's a wash.
The Lyon City card is fantastic, and it covers most if not all, transportation (even the hop on/off bus when we were there). Bordeaux doesn't have an equivalent card but the 4 tram lines will cheaply get you anywhere you want in the city core.
We took a Bordeaux river cruise on a different trip so we were able to see the little villages and a few chateaus. If you are interested in Bordeaux wines, I would recommend the small Wine Trade Museum over the huge Cite du Vin, a big tourist attraction (and disappointment, my opinion only).
Rick Steve's guidebook covers Lyon and is all you need. Not a mention of Bordeaux in it, so you'll need more independent research.
I hope this is helpful. Ultimately, you'll have to go to both cities and you won't regret either visit!

History Traveler and Phannah00, thank you both. I'm putting off the decision until we return from a 2 week trip in the next couple of weeks; at that point I'll get serious about planning our fall journey.

I suspect I may end up flipping a coin to decide between these two, or we might choose something else entirely! Last year a RS tour took us through Sarlat-le-Canéda and Arles, both of which tempted us to return for longer visits. And in 2019 a tour spent a night in Bourges, another place to which we'd like to return. And Bayeux...

So thanks for all the helpful link and suggestions; we'll come up with something, I'm sure.

I am going to go against the grain and vote you spend your time in Bordeaux. For the geographic ease as well as for the weather, the archeological sites, churches and, most importantly, the food & wine. In early October the weather in Bordeaux and the surrounding area will be just perfect. You will be there during harvest (of the wine grapes) which is always fun to see. The Aquitaine region is filled with prehistoric caves not just most famous, Lascaux, which is about 2.5 hrs from Bordeaux. There are many châteaux and forts that served dual purposes during the 100 years war. In fact, the last battle was fought in Castillon just a 25 min train ride from Bordeaux (this July will be the 570th anniversary if this battle.) Through out the whole area, you will notice both Catholic Churches and (newer) protestant churches, left over from British rule. There are also churches that were/are part of the Route de Saint Jacques de Compostelle, which also has a rich history. Just look for the scallop shell. The food in the Bordeaux region is some of the best (only my opinion.) Duck, fois gras, oysters, beef, canalé, chocolatines, truffles and so much more (I am drooling thinking about it!) While it is true that it's easier to see more things in this area if you have a car, there are super interesting places you can visit just using the trains. With 5 to 7 days you could spend 2-3 exploring the city of Bordeaux; 1 day out in Arcachon and Dune de Pilat (a short train ride from Bordeaux and you can rent bikes at the Arcachon station to ride around. You can even ride the bike trails to the dune); 1 day touring St. Émilion (this place is a must see in my opinion. It is so charming. You can train or take one of the MANY day tours offered from Bordeaux); 1-2 days out to Sarlat in the dordogne (this is a 2-2.5hr train ride and is close to many of the prehistoric caves also a super charming town that won't be too overrun with tourist in early Oct. )

Lyon is lovely and worth a visit. But IMO, Bordeaux will be the easier choice and you will not be disappointed based on your interests.