Women's World Cup in Lyon

Andrew, so true about everyone’s differences! I love getting all of the ideas. Can use every one!

Annecy!, Vienne, vineyards of Macon and Beaujolais, Nimes and the Pont
du Gard (better than Avignon). Nothing in Geneva turned my head.

I'll agree with all of that; Geneva is one place I won't willingly return to. But I'd suggest spending a lot of your time in Lyon itself.

This is really funny because I went here looking for hints about Lyon only to find another Portlander who did the exact same thing and bought the last three games to next year's WWC!

My wife, son and I went to the last games in Vancouver and had a great time. We decided to use this as an excuse to return to France and go to a part of it we never have before. We're toying with the idea of spending the whole month there (as both our jobs can be done remotely), most likely seeing some earlier games, probably in Paris (because who can avoid Paris?).

But, other than the tickets, we haven't made any plans (and are normally horrible at planning ahead), and, again, know nothing about that area of France.

Susan, if you are interested, I'd love if we could exchange info we find about the area every once in a while, either here or IRL.

Ditto on the World Cup ticket package purchase. May only attend the final, & spend 1 or 2 weeks touring France, etc. Would love to see the travel itineraries you all come up with. Solo traveler out of Seattle.

Well, all, I have been searching all the hotels that have been recommended on this travel forum (after searching for “Lyon hotels” all the favorite ones are sold out for that week. So, I would love some suggestions of hotels that haven’t already been posted in previous years. Most of the recommendations are from years ago. I have also been limiting myself to the old town, so I’m sure there’s a place for me somewhere. I was hoping for a non-US – type hotel, though. I do have an airport hotel booked for the night of the eighth to catch my 6:10 AM flight on the ninth.

I waited to late and the Lyon dates are sold out. Any ideas for securing tickets?
Thanks

I'll also be traveling to Lyon from Chicago for the semis and final with my 13 year old son. I've been to Paris but never Lyon. I'm a little nervous about 3 things maybe y'all can help with:

1) Language barrier. In Paris, most everyone spoke English. Is it the same in Lyon or do I need to crash course French?!

2) Sounds like staying downtown is the best option. I was going to do AirBnB. Is anywhere in downtown-ish Lyon okay to get to the proper train to get the stadium? I don't want to have to take a cab and a bus and a ....just to get to the game. Side question: Which train/station takes us from downtown Lyon to the Stadium?

3) The off days between games we're definitely going to Paris. But no one suggested that in this thread! :) My son is dying to see Paris. Is my assumption correct that a train is the best/easiest way to get there?

Thanks!
Rick

Appreciate the thread, my wife and I are planning on Euro trip to Italy/France/Germany and would love to include a stop at Lyon for the World Cup. Where is the best source for tickets? I see they are available on Stub Hub but have not purchased tickets in a different currency for a foreign game before so I'm a bit nervous. Thanks!

I bought the Champions package in October, too, and am so glad I did! My 11-year-old daughter and I are airBnB'ing it 7/1-7/8 in central Lyon (2nd arr; about a 35-minute walk or 10 minute Uber to Gare de Lyon Part-Dieu). I'm also paying attention to threads about transportation to and from the stadium on game days and will post anything I see that might benefit the group. We have a couple of local tours planned for the non-game days and may do a 1-3 hour daytrip on 7/6. Anyone have knowledge/experience with the Valrhona Cite du Chocolat?

If the US makes it through I'll get to see my college coach in Lyon...

Hello! My better half and I are planning the exact same trip -- seeing that this thread was started in October, I would presume you already have lodging secured by this point but in case you dont, we found a wonderful B&B (Le Jardin d' Hiver) you might want to check into right in the city center. We are in Lyon for 6 nights (July 2nd to July 7th) and were finding it VERY difficult to find a place that wasn't a hostel or highly expensive with an opening for all 6 nights. Le Jardin only has 2 rooms but when we booked a couple of weeks ago her other room wasn't booked I don't believe -- she has great reviews online and was written up by Lonely Planet in a recent guide book. At 110 Euro a night, and no prepayment, you can't really beat that.

Day trips... we are doing Marseilles (which I know most people would not recommend but we have a few special things we want to see), and also doing Annecy after quite a few suggestions from people on this forum... I would definitely look into Annecy, especially if you want a day out of the city.

For the last European Championships that were held in Lyon, they had trams that ran directly from the city center to the stadium... I would hope they do the same here... The B&B owner where we are staying suggested looking at the TCL ( Transports Commun Lyonnais) website. Worst case scenario, you pay an arm and a leg and have a taxi take you from point to point... I'm seeing estimates of approximately $45 each way.

Good luck... and now we just have to cross our fingers we can make it past the presumed quarterfinal meeting with France. ;)

Just to note, there is LOTS to see in Lyon.

Beaune is 1:45 by rail. Vienne is 20 minutes; Avignon a bit over an hour.

Hello! We are also traveling to Lyon for the semi final games on the 2nd and 3rd. I just booked an air bnb for my family of 5 from the 2nd to the 4th.

We are arriving into Barcelona and have to arrange travel into Lyon. After the 4th we will leave Lyon and make some day trips heading back to Barcelona on the 12th for our return home.

I have two teenage girl ages 18 and 16 and a daughter who will be 10 when we travel. Looking for recommendations in the south of France and in Barcelona. My teenage daughters have both taken/taking AP French so this is good opportunity to further immerse themselves in the French language and culture.

Also I need to buy one more ticket to the Semi Final game for my 18 year old. Hoping they will allow us to sit together.

Thank you!

I am happy I found this message board and that connect with others doing the same thing we are. My wife, daughter and I are coming for the Semis and Finals from Oakland, CA. We are visiting Annecy the day prior and then going to Avignon between games. We are going to rent bikes and tour around Provence.

We came to Lyon a few years ago for the Euro game between Portugal and Hungary. We stayed in the city center and took the train to the stadium which worked out really well. The stadium is a long ways from the center but it was fun being on the train with so many fans. One bit of caution - we took backpacks to the game and that turned out to be a huge mistake. We couldn't take them into the stadium and had to check them in. After the game it took us almost 1-1/2 hours to get them back. Would suggest to not bring any bags to the game if you can avoid it...unless they have changed that policy.

We just reserved our lodging and can attest that things are filling up. We have an AirBNB for the two semifinal games. We were lucky to find a hotel for the final game that was one of the last reasonably priced ones we found anywhere near the city center.

Although we are US fans, we are going to enjoy watching some great games regardless of who is playing and support these great athletes.

Chris

Thank you for the tips on this thread. It has helped me plan out my trip.

My mom and I traveled to Montreal, Edmonton, and Vancouver for the Semi's and the Finals in 2015. We are now going to make the trip to France to catch the Quarterfinal in Paris, and the Semi's and Final in Lyon.

We plan to spend a few days in Paris after the Quarterfinal (US vs France (hopefully)) game. The ~2 hour TGV will take us down to Lyon for the Semi's. Between the Semi's and the Final, we are going to take a quick trip to Annecy. And then after the Final we will spend a few days traveling around Provence (staying closer to the Hill towns in that area).

If the tournament progresses like it did last World Cup, then US Soccer will probably host a pre-game party the night before each match. At least that is what they did in Canada. That's one thing to keep in mind as you plan your itinerary. It's not something to skip a "must see" item over, but it was a great way to get excited for the game with some fellow US fans.

Getting excited now...just over 3 months until we land in Lyon. I see some other Bay area families have posted and others with daughters around mine's age (11). Looking forward to making new friends and watching some great soccer. We're staying in the 2eme arrondissement a couple of blocks from La Musee des Tissus et des Arts Decoratifs.

Has anyone had luck getting tickets?

My family and I are going to the World Cup as well. It's also our first trip to France. We are have our tickets already and looking for information on any pre-game pubs or celebratory locations near the stadium where we can go before the game. We also are staying near the Gare de Lyon-Perrache station. We also are looking for some day trips from Lyon. Looking for recommendations.
Thank you for the info.
Jessica.

We are going to Paris the week before the semis then heading to Lyon on 7/2. We also planned a few days in Nice between the semis and the final game. When I started adding up TGV costs (OUIGO will not let me book with a US credit card), it became quite exorbitant. I’m now trying to decide between renting a car and buying a 4 day rail pass. Does anyone have experience/tips for driving in France? I’m also trying to find information on parking at the stadium.

Yes!!! I have tickets for 5 games. Some are conditional, meaning if the USA makes it, I have a ticket. However, I do have definite tickets for Le Havre (6/20) and both semis & the final in Lyon. I'm hoping I do not need the 3rd place match :/ In between the semis & final, we are visiting Nice. We are staying primarily in Airbnb's. Not sure what else we are doing there. But, I am super excited!

My family of 4 (kids 11 and 13) plus my husband's parents and two sisters are all going to Lyon from Seattle. We rented an AirBnB a loooong time ago, right on the Place Bellecour. I'm also watching for transit info, so I'm happy to hear there will likely be a train. We are staying in Lyon for the week (and the 4 of us in Paris for a week before that, with a set of tickets there as well). It's going to be fun! The two of us have been to Lyon before, but the other 6 haven't. There's definitely plenty to do/see in the city, especially if you give yourself time to just sit in cafes, wander, and sleep in. We went to Avignon from Lyon the last time we were there, and it was lovely. We also particularly loved Annecy. We were there in October, so it was a bit drizzly, but so cozy and beautiful.

We are taking our daughter to visit a friend in Spain and she begged us to to try at the last minute to go to Lyon to see the final game (she is a soccer player and a huge fan).. if anyone can recommend a good site to purchase some please let me know. Thanks!

I've edited some posts here as our site isn't to be used for transactions. StubHub, Ebay, Craigslist, or any other website that can handle the liability involved with the resale of tickets is what you are all looking for. Thanks, everyone!

Hi, we're England fans from Manchester UK and have been to France for up to 5 weeks numerous times. Top tips:
1. Do a crash course in french via duolingo which is a free app.
2. Say Bonjour before putting your order or request in English or paying for something.
3. Do not take any bag to a soccer game ever security is tight.
4. The public transport systems are excellent and cheap
5. The museum's are fantastic as are walking and river tours. Lyon does a tourist card which offers excellent value for money. Sign up for emails from the Lyon tourist board.
6. Go to a cafe and order a coffee gourmand which is coffee with amazing mini desserts and cakes
7. Order plat d jour (which is special meal of the day for good value)
8. Sit outside at a pavement cafe and enjoy people watching
9. I believe tickets are now sold out for the semi finals and finals of the women's world cup you would need to go out to the FIFA website.to search there.
10 Bon chance unis etate (good luck United States) see you there!

Hello and Go Canada! I'm thrilled to find this thread - we also have tickets for the semis and finals, hoping that Canada makes it that far yet happy to cheer for whomever plays in the matches.

I'm also in Seattle and going with a large group of Americans (highly likely to see the WNT play), staying in a vacation rental house near Courzieu, which is well outside Lyon. We have a rental car reservation from the Lyon airport to get around although we'll use public transportation in Lyon. Just as an aside, we had a good experience doing so on a previous trip to the southwest of France, and used Hertz (just fyi, not an endorsement) out of the Avignon train station. It certainly helps if you speak and read French!

I've posted to other forums asking about transportation in and around the Stade de Lyon. While I've read that the train/tram to le Stade is quite good, but does anyone know of a convenient park-and-ride so we don't have to park at the stadium?

Otherwise, we're very excited to explore Lyon and around the area, very open to suggestions but we've explored using paper maps in the past, happy to 'get lost' - planning to eat and drink, explore and immerse ourselves on the days between games.

Take care,
Paula

Hey, folks! Are any of you sitting next to your fellow travelers!? Thanks, FIFA!!! Cannot BELIEVE they separated seats within the same ticket order!

Oh, well -- GO USA (And France, and Canada, and England and every team!)

Hi,
We too are excited to see the games! Has anyone figured out public transportation to the stadium? I'm finding that detail hard to navigate. Thanks in advance!

Hi all! Heading to Lyon from San Diego for the semis & finals, too. If you will be in Lyon June 27 - July 1, check out Equal Playing Field's Festival of Football https://www.festivaloffootball.org/home. You can sign up to play in a World Record attempt for the longest game of soccer (you just sign up for a 2- or 4-hour window). My teen and I are playing on July 1. Figured it would be a fun way to celebrate and support women around the world having opportunities to play soccer!

Just downloaded tickets the other day, and for some of the matches FIFA separated our seats also, so our group of 3 won’t be able to sit together though all were bought at the same time. :(

Yes! - https://www.festivaloffootball.org/

Sunday night, Football United/ 07 Cutters Red. Come play in the 9 pm to 2 am window! We still have spots on our team.

There will also be tons of football events during the week to take in. Common Goal will have some events as will other amazing groups. I'll try to post if I can.

Will be in Paris for the hopeful quarterfinal on 28 June and then down to Lyon for the week Sunday evening. Any word if the conditional US tickets will have the same issues as the other matches have? I sent a note but US Soccer has not responded.

Can't wait and glad to see others have started this thread.

We are heading to Lyon for WWC semis and finals as well.....won't be arriving until late on July 1 (maybe 10 pm or so......will the soccer marathon game be over at that time? Also curious about other opportunities for my daughters (13 and 15 to play while in Lyon...i.e. Fan Fest activities, etc., or if there are any good parks in town with fields to get a few touches before heading home and into tournament season of their own)

Thanks,

Todd

Another U.S. family here, headed to Lyon for the semis and finals. My three soccer-loving girls will be nearly 10, nearly 13, and nearly 16. Planning to buy a ball once we get there and spend some time in the Parc de Tete d'Or getting some touches. (One of my girls' coaches will be there as well, with their teen daughters.) Maybe we'll see you there, Todd! Any other soccer-related events during the week would be great to know about. We are arriving late on July 1 after spending a few days in Annecy.

I'm one of the lucky ones whose two seats are together for the semis and final, which is good -- my daughter is 11. However, when I go to download my e-tickets on the FIFA ticketing site I get an error message in French that my tickets are not downloadable. I can clearly see all three matches and the seat assignments for each. Is this happening to anyone else?

For those of you with kids in the 10-teenager range, I do hope we run into you at the park with a ball. We could get a great pickup game going...

See you soon, Lyon.

Looks like FIFA is re-issuing the tickets.

For the potential rd of 16 game in Reims (if USA were to win group)...I'm having the hardest time finding transportation back to Paris. TGV going over there on 6/24 is fine...but the trains going back do not leave late enough.

Suggestions?

.I'm having the hardest time finding transportation back to Paris. TGV going over there on 6/24 is fine...but the trains going back do not leave late enough.

Suggestions?

Read the 3rd entry in this post

https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/france/women-s-world-cup-2019-post-match-transportation

Hello! A friend and I are going to the semi's and final. We're from San Diego and are down for friends!
IG: issaang

What is "IG"?

IG is instagram, that’s the person’s instagram name

Hey hey
@nigel. was gonna ask the same thing, had no clue and have no account.
thanks Barbara for answer
aloha

Hi all! We're so excited! We leave for Paris on Friday, then head to Lyon on July 1st. We just got an email from FIFA (and Maggie - another lovely person on this thread - got a text) yesterday that Lyon tickets will be available at "the end of June." Maggie's text said "at least two days before the match." Our email also says that the ticket office at the stadium can assist with printing. I think it's going to be a hot mess, though, on the day of the first semifinal, so I would recommend trying to find printing assistance elsewhere. We're hoping our in-laws hotel will print for us (we're at a VRBO, so we don't have easy access).

Thanks for the ticket update. I have conditional tickets if the US is playing in Lyon. Worried this will get caught up in the ticket cluster situation. Anyone already over in France have any feedback on the Wold Cup souvenirs? Hopping they are better than what is showing on the FIFA website...

Ugh. FIFA assigned seats for semifinal 1 (but hasn't posted the e-tickets to download). We went from midfield lower section row 11 to top section row 18 as far to the corner as possible for category 1 seats. We are not pleased.

Hi!

I purchased tickets on 10/19/18 for the LYON Championship package also which provides tickets to the 2 semi-final games and the championship game. I can see my order when I log in, but the actual tickets are still unable to be downloaded so that I can print them. I haven't received any further information from FIFA and is wondering if anyone is experiencing the same issue of not being able to download the tickets. Have you heard anything else or how are you handling it?! I wanted to have them printed before flying out next Wednesday but not sure what to do if they still aren't available to download and print by then.

Thanks in advance!
Stephanie M
smerget4@gmail.com

FIFA says they will have the tickets available to print at least 2 days before the match. Are you staying at a hotel? They may be able to help you with printing. FIFA also says that the ticket office at the stadium can assist with printing, though that will likely be a zoo, so plan to arrive as early as possible (gates open 3 hours before the match for the Lyon matches). I'm curious - how have your seats changed? We can see our new seat assignments for the first semifinal, and we moved from lower section mid field to upper section practically in the corner :(

Wow, what a drag FIFA and the France organizing committee messed this up so bad. Bet it wouldn't happen for a men's tournament...can't wait to see the mess the conditional tickets for the US semifinal will be.

We are traveling into Lyon July 7th at noon by train from London. My daughter is 15 and a huge soccer fan. I want her to have the full experience once we arrive. Does anyone know what’s planned for tailgating or anything cool??

Great thread!! We are a family of 4 with 2 boys, ages 15 & 18...huge soccer fans. Arriving in Lyon from Paris on July 2 and staying until July 4 to watch 2 semi final games. We are wrapping these games around lots of sightseeing, so Lyon is our down time and fun time :) PLEASE share THOUGHTS of fun things to do, especially on July 3 or right before US game on July 2!

We are staying near Vaulx-en-Velin, looks like there are some good transportation options via tram or shuttle. Any advice with options are appreciated!

We attended US game in Honfleur and had a great experience with their park and ride near the stadium. Hoping to have similar success in Lyon with public transport!

Me, again! I’m in Venice, heading to Lyon tomorrow. I saw somewhere (Facebook? E-mail? Website?) that FIFA has set up a fan zone at the Place Bellecour with many activities available. Might be fun things there for kids...and fans of all ages!!

Also, does anyone know what seat 145 is in a row? The Lyon stadium ticket has the row number and then seat 145 & 146! Any help is appreciated!!

Thanks!!

Hi all: are others still in the position I am in — waiting to print your tickets? I had hoped to do this before we fly out tomorrow from the US. I believe I will have an extra ticket, but have to figure the seating first as my son is travelling with me and we need to sit together (why, FIFA, why??). If anyone has heard more about US party before the game or if there will be trams to stadium, would love to be clued in. Thanks everyone! CPHD

I’m in Lyon, was able to print tickets for semis before leaving the states, finals just became available to print so will be looking for a place to print. Appears there are buses to transport from end of metro and tram to stadium but require buying a 3 euro ticket online. Anyone successful buying these bus tickets? I tried to login to buy using my FIFA account credentials but it appears sales may be managed by another vendor. Anyone offer advice on getting these transfer tickets? Thanks.

We are also from the Bay Area and excited to head to Lyon for the Semi and final games. We are staying in old town Lyon which I believe is a bit of a distance rom the stadium. Any recommendations on getting across town and also timing on transportation?