Daytrips from Lyon and Where to stay in Paris and Lyon

Go to Vienne from Lyon; there is a nice festival there in the old Roman theater
https://www.jazzavienne.com/en

Right in Lyon you won't want to miss the Resistance and Deportation History Center, which I believe is sometimes just referred to as the "Resistance Museum".

You won't be terribly far from Vichy. I wonder whether there are WWII-related sights there. I've never been to Vichy.

The Resistance and Deportation History Center is very interesting, and probably not generally mentioned in tourist guides. But I wouldn't bother with Vichy. I didn't think much of it, and I didn't notice anything connected to WWII, although I wasn't particularly looking.

No matter where you stay in Paris you will not need a car. Their metro and bus system is very good. From what little you describe, you could stay in the 5th or 6th Arrondissements and be close to the places you want to visit. Peter

The French Resistance was very active in Lyon in WW2.

http://www.cheminsdememoire.gouv.fr/en/footsteps-resistance-lyon

Day trip from Lyon...how about Roanne? Not obviously connected with WW2 history but that of Napoleon. The main plaque in the main square shows the presence of the Austrians in the Napoleonic period.

If you have time, go to Vichy, I did a day trip there in late 1990s...interesting place.

Avignon is a one-hour train ride from Lyon and has many wonderful sights to see, especially the very large Gothic Palais des Papes.

Bonjour Jordin,
Where to stay in Lyon:
If you want a walk-able, more historic section, then perhaps staying in the old town would be interesting. The historic tower called La Tour Rose (not the nearby hotel with the same name), is adjacent to a pretty miraboule, an open courtyard version of the famed local traboules. The surrounding residential structures there include a few vacation rentals, decent little apartments with reasonable rates. Plenty of atmosphere. The old town outside the miraboule is predictably somewhat touristy, but who cares? Btw, be sure to visit the quai St Antoine riverside market there each Sunday--one of the best of its kind. I hope that you folks find some good lodgings---bonne chance!
I am done. The end.

The best place to stay in Lyon is on the flat part of the old city or just across the river from there. If you look on Google maps, there is a funicular station Vieux Lyon. From that Station to the Roman Theaters is quite steep (why they have a funicular). You don't want something on the slope or top of the hill. Between the funicular and the river, however, is flat. My first choice would be in that swath from approximately the funicular to the courthouse (a few blocks outside of that is fine as long as you're not on the hill). Immediately across the river from there would be my second choice. Also flat.

This area is full of restaurants and cafes and close to the main sights.

For daytrips, I had a car, you can check train or bus options. Perouges is almost too perfect of medieval town. It looks like it was created to be a movie set of a medieval town. Oingt is another medieval town day trip from Lyon. South is Vienne, with lots of Roman ruins (most sights are closed Mondays). Annecy is a little further out - a really pretty town on a really pretty lake. I know you can get to Annecy by train but it might be faster by bus.

The best neighborhood in Paris, IMO, is the Marais. It has plenty of restaurants/cafes but the best part is being a short walk to most of the major sights. My second favorite area would be the Latin quarter, also close to sights and also plenty of cafes. As a general rule, the closer to Notre Dame the better. If you want to search by Arrondissements, look for 3, 4, 5, or 6. You don't want to be near the Eiffel Tower, it's a long hike from most of the other sights. Montmartre is similar, it's too far from the center to be a good choice.