Is Aix en Provence a good choice for day trip from Lyon?

It's about an hour and a half, plus connection time in Aix (the TGV station is outside the city). If 3 hours on the train is within your comfort zone for a day trip, and you want to go, it's a good opportunity.

Aix is good for all the activates you mention, but of course so is Lyon, where there is lots to see, do, and eat. Closer day trips from Lyon might be Vienne or Perouges or some of the Beaujolais towns, but I mention those by reputation only (not personal experience).

I'm one of the people who doesn't get the appeal of Aix. I also loved Lyon - it's my favorite city in France outside Paris. So, I definitely vote that you stay in Lyon. However, I also understand being drawn to a place for reasons that aren't entirely "rational" or explicable; if you are feeling drawn to Aix, you will probably want to go there to scratch that itch.

Rick's France book has a very good Lyon chapter. One thing I enjoyed that he doesn't mention is go to the Parc de la Tête d'Or. If it's a nice day, lots of Lyonnais will be there too. As for your stated interests, there's certainly a variety of neighborhoods to walk around and people watch. If you're there on a Saturday, the huge market along the river will check the "shopping" box.

Harold said it well!

I also love Lyon and my vote would be for spending your entire time in Lyon!

I spent one night in Aix, and enjoyed seeing the city, but I've made several visits to Lyon and have always loved it. I'd suggest checking out the train schedules for Lyon-Aix and see if you think it will give you enough time there. If not, there's certainly plenty to see and do in Lyon. And I'll second the suggestion of the Tete d'Or park. I think we've gone there every time we've visited Lyon. And the Lyonnaise seem to make very good use of it.

These are all very different. Vienne, also suggested as a day trip, has interesting Roman ruins (as does Lyon) because it was a very important city in Roman times. Lyon is a city with plenty to do. Aix, on the other hand is solidly in Provence, both an upscale town and a college town, and has a hundred fountains thrown in. I've been to Aix many times and like it well. Be sure to read M.F.K. Fisher's "Two Towns in Provence" before you go.

Is it a good choice? Seems like a long way to go for a day.

Aix TGV station is some distance out of town, and the bus services linking it to the town go to the long-distance bus station, which is also outside the town centre though not as far. Aix town station is only served by local trains and may be awkward to get to from Lyon.

Thanks all for your posts. I love all of the expert advice you get on these forums!! It's helped so much in our travels of the past three years.

We've decided to stay in Lyon and will definitely put the Tete d'or Park on our agenda. If you have any other first timer "must sees", feel free to let us know.

Thanks again.

Rick's guidebook recommends using the funicular to get up and down the holy hill but if the weather is nice, consider walking down instead, via the switchback paths in the Parc des Hauteurs for some great views. (There are some trails/staircases not shown on google maps worth discovering in person.)

The Lyon City Card is one of the best city cards available anywhere, and when it expires you can use it as a regular transit card for adding value to use the great bus system and the great bike share system.

Residential neighborhoods have a certain I-don't-know-what that makes them more enjoyable than those in outer Paris, so when you go to the attractions listed outside the historic center, allow for some time to wander around nearby and stop in a local cafe for a slice of fondant.

I host couchsurfers and had a fellow from Lyon stay a month back. He wrote me a whole page of less touristy stuff since we hope to visit Lyon someday.

His suggestions (trying to read his handwriting...)
Painted walls (all around the city)
Silk and clothes museum
Tony Garnier buildings (I think it says Garnier)
Freres Lumiere Museum
Gallo-Roman museum
Guignol puppet theatre
African mission museum, fine arts museum

There are a few other things, but I can't make out his writing 100%. Anyways, depending on your interests, something here might be interesting for you!

I'll add the quirky and fascinating Museum of Miniatures in Lyon: http://www.museeminiatureetcinema.fr/accueil_eng.html

The first time we visited Lyon we spent quite a lot of time in the old city section. On our recent trip we enjoyed a long walk on the river path along the Rhone River (rather than the Saone.) We found it on our way to the Museum of Resistance.

I enjoyed lunch at L'Amboise and an afternoon at the Textile Museum and the Decorative Arts Museum.

The Confluence neighborhood and the Confluence Museum are also worth a visit.