Bonjour! I have two questions. We have about 3 days in Lyon next week and we are thinking of getting the 48 hour Lyon pass city card. Any thoughts on if its worth it? Second, we would purchase the card online or at a downtown Lyon station, Does anyone know if we add the airport option, does that include a trip back to the airport? (The card is advertised with option including a trip from the airport to downtown , but it is not clear if it includes other way). We are not flying in , so we do not need the trip from the airport -only the trip to the airport.
Thanks, I hope I was clear.
Merci! Mike
Posted by
San Diego, California, USA
1680 posts
I honestly don't see the Lyon card being worth it. Unless you are really going bomb a whole bunch of museums and do the guided tour and spend all of your time doing attractions I don't think you'll get value out of it. The Roman museum (which I recommend) is a whopping 4e to get into. And one way transport to the airport is 16e so paying more for a card for one usage doesn't seem like savings.
Maybe it's because I've been to Lyon a couple of times but to me it's really more of a walking around and exploring city not a series of museums and attractions city. It's small enough and interesting enough that I usually choose to walk or metro/bus to an area and then walk around it. It has a ton of murals and public art - sanctioned and unsanctioned - so wandering down a random street is often rewarded with some interesting spot.
If you do get one just visit the tourist office near Place Bellecour downtown. The airport is too far out of town to "pop into".
My $.02, enjoy Lyon,
=Tod
Posted by
OP
29 posts
Thanks Tod, we are definitely more walking /exploring people. Any suggestions for a 60-90 minute train ride, day trip around Lyon one day? Winery or something else?
Thanks again!
Posted by
San Diego, California, USA
1680 posts
I haven't done a lot of day trips from Lyon. It's the biggest city around but it is surrounded by wine country on all sides. I came in from the south on the train last visit and the countryside and wineries run up surprisingly close to the city. The local wines are more of the beaujolais varieties with Burgundy to the north and Châteauneuf-du-Pape to the south.
I have really good things about Tain-l'Hermitage which about an hour away by fast train. They are a chocolate and wine center as well as a picturesque town on the river. But you'll have to do your own research because I've never been.
Have a great trip,
=Tod
Posted by
SF Bay Area
1178 posts
We wanted to do the one-hour walking tour, which we enjoyed, so we did buy the card. I think we might have only bought a 24-hour card, and used it for the tour, Gallo-Roman Museum, Resistance and Deportation Center, and transportation during the day and to dinner. I don't think we saved much money--probably just a few euros. I decided to get it after adding up the individual sights we wanted to see--that's the only way to be sure it's worth it.
We used a cab from the airport because it was raining, and bought the card at the Tourist Information Office at Place Bellecour.