We are planning to stay in Lyon 4 nights in late August, in an apartment.
We have found some nice apartments in Vieux Lyon, near the Courthouse. I have heard, though, that Presqu'ile is the area where Rick Steves stays.
Is there a better area? I just want something that is safe, close to the metro, walking distance to shops, restaurants, wine bars.
Where have people stayed? What is recommended?
Thanks!
We stayed in the Vieux Lyon area fairly close to your apartment. We were on Rue Saint-Jean near Rue de la Fronde. It was easy to catch the metro near the cathedral, and we loved being in this unique neighborhood vs. the Presquille neighborhood that Rick recommends. Also, we enjoyed walking up & down the hill and also take taking the funicular. The Gallo-Roman museum and church up the hill are definitely worth seeing! We were there two nights and could easily have added another day.
We ate in our neighborhood and also took the pedestrian bridge over to the Presquille neighborhood and to see the Luminare and Art museums.
If you like to stay near the opera house while in Paris vs. the Latin Quarter, you would probably rather be in the Presquille neighborhood. We still talk about how much we liked the cobblestone traboule Vieux Lyon neighborhood!
I stayed in the Presqu'ile, but Vieux Lyon would also be fine (I probably spent about as much time in each).
Lyon has excellent transit, and it's also not too far to walk across the bridges between these two regions of the city; they're both central.
If you like the apartment you found in Vieux Lyon, stay there, and don't worry about it not being where Rick stays (he probably recommends the Prequ'ile because that's where there are more hotels, not because it's "better").
I liked Lyon a lot, but I would not go there in August unless I had air-conditioned lodgings. I think Rick may recommend the Presqu'ile because of more modern infrastructure. Check those apartment listings!
I was just in Lyon and stayed in Presqu'ille and it is just a short walk over the Bridge to Vieux and the Metro will get you to areas further out.I didn't find Lyon boring especially if you like Roman Ruins and a great Roman Museum.
Mike
My first preference would be in the flat area of Vieux Lyon. There is a swath between the river and the funicular that's comfortable walking. At the funicular (imagine a line running parallel to the river) it goes up hill in a hurry. You don't want to walk up and down to get to your place. The courthouse is fine.
My second preference is right across the river from there (between the rivers) It's also flat so comfortable walking.
Both areas have plenty of restaurants. I never found a Bouchon I was happy with. Since tourists come looking for them, many restaurants call themselves Bouchon when they're not at all. I did find good restaurants.
I thought the people in Lyon were surprisingly friendly for a large city.
Vieux Lyon is quite touristy, with lots of small tourist-oriented shops, interspersed with a few that aren't geared toward the tourist trade. It's also very crowded in the summer.
The Presqu'île is a bit more "normal" (that is, it has lots of restaurants, shops, and services that residents of Lyon use) but still is convenient to transit, museums, lots of hotels and sights such as Vieux Lyon. Don't get me wrong: there certainly are tourist-centric areas of the Presqu'île (such as restaurant row on rue Mercière), but in my opinion, you generally will find a better grade of dining and shopping between the Rhône and the Saône than in Vieux Lyon.
Another area of Lyon to consider is Croix-Rousse. It's got a different feel than the rest of town and also has some good restaurants and shopping. You can get there easily by bus or Metro (or by walking, if you like hills and stairs).
