First time visiting Lyon and looking for advice on where to stay. More neighborhood than hotel, but all recommendations welcome. We don't want to be in the middle of the most touristy areas but do want good walking access to at least some sights. Also not interested in ultra-trendy nightlife areas (we old folks like comfy, sedate neighborhoods) but do want access to good restaurants, which we know are abundant. Thanks very much.
Posted by
Paris
7455 posts
A picture is worth a thousand words: I would say, you cannot really go wrong within the perimeter I tried to draw HERE (Gmaps link).
To be as central as possible, I would lean towards the area between the rivers, but the 6th arrondissement east of the Rhône is quite nice too, so I included it.
I purposefully avoided Vieux Lyon on the western bank of the Saone (the westernmost river), because you wish to avoid the most touristy area.
Posted by
OP
5 posts
Thanks very much. We are considering staying at Villa Maia up on the hill, which seems to offer both spectacular views but also easy access.
Posted by
London, England
279 posts
Villa Maia will have spectacular views, and you can get into central Lyon on the Minimes funicular, but there isn't a great deal else in the area.
One suggestion would be to stay in the area around the Place de la Croix-Rousse, which is also uphill from the main centre but has better transport links and more shops/restaurants in the area. Be a bit more cautious about places south of there towards the Presque'Ile, as then you'll be on the hillside itself, and it's steeply graded enough that walking may pose problems if you have mobility issues or are just unfit.
Posted by
OP
5 posts
Thanks, Philip, I will check the area out.
Posted by
Southeast of Seattle
746 posts
We stayed in Vieux Lyon on Rue Saint-Jean very close to the restaurant Le Vieux Lyon, which was excellent, across from the back side of the courthouse. We really enjoyed the area and it was easy to walk everywhere we wanted to go including up the hill to the Le Croix-Rousse neighborhood. Lots of restaurants and although we saw tour groups, it didn’t seem as touristy as it might first appear.