Lyon and Dijon

I didn't think much of Dijon in my one visit, although it was a Monday and a lot of things were closed. On the other hand, I've stayed in Lyon several times and loved it. If you stay 3 nights you can rent an apartment if you want to do that rather than a hotel.

We stayed one night in Dijon in Sept, but just to catch a wine tasting tour, then they dropped us Beaune, which was our next stop. Other people on the tour stayed in Dijon were very impressed by the ducal palace in Dijon. Other than that,it seemed more of a work-a-day town than more tourity towns in Burgundy. You can get a regional train to Lyon from there, so if you don't like, you can move on at minimal expense.

I agree with Bets. We spent 2 days in Dijon. There are a number of ancient churches, the palace, and a pretty large medieval area. Plus the Gustav Eiffel-designed market. Plus lots of shops, the Maille mustard store, local delicacies, and quite a number of excellent restaurants. Enjoy!

My personal take is that Lyon, my favorite city in France after Paris, is MUCH more worthwhile than Dijon, which bored me. Having said that, the fact that Rick doesn't mention a place doesn't mean anything. His books are deliberately selective and he doesn't attempt to cover every part of each country. As he says, what he covers merely reflects his opinion, and his experience. So, if Dijon interests you (and many do like it a lot), don't avoid it just because you'll have to use other sources of information besides RS.

Thank you all for your thoughts and suggestions. I will do a little more investigating on my own and then make my decision. I appreciate your help!

Thanks Bets and Pam for your support on Dijon (which is MUCH smaller than Lyon). Lori if you ever wish to stop on the way and make the most of it, go to the TO at the train station and ask for the Owl's Trail brochure. Then you'll follow the steps which lead to the major sites and read about them in the brochure. http://www.travelsignposts.com/destination/France/Dijon?page=2 Monday is always quiet but it gets busier and busier until Saturday. Market is on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays until 1pm. Check the TO video http://www.dailymotion.com/otdijon#video=xc17kz to get an idea. Bon voyage!
Coco

We thoroughly enjoyed Dijon but Lyons, for some reason, was a great surprise for us...we loved it, restaurants, center square, Roman museum, vibrant downtown..whichever the chpoice, you won't be disappointed.

Will I have enought time to do the Owl's Trail if I am in Dijon for about 4.5 hours?? I would need to store my small suitcase at the train station. Does anyone know if there is luggage storage available there? Thank you!

Thank you all for your help. I am looking forward to spending a long afternoon in Dijon taking in the sights. I figure that a quick visit is better than none at all!

Sorry Lori I should have told you it takes about less than 2hours to see all the sites mentioned. There are more things to see of course if you take the time to get lost outside the trail, enjoy Darcy garden or climb Philip le Bon tower in the Dukes palace... The Fine Arts Museum is being renovated and will reopen on the 29th March. There is a left luggage service at the train station (next to the main toilets, go outside and it is close to the TO)
I saw your posting on Tripadvisor, I'm sure you'll get good advice there too. I'm going to post there too, it can be useful for others who, like you, don't have too much time. Have fun!

Coco, What about the archaeologic museum in Dijon with those breathtaking, gold Celtic objects! It's very rare to see such things anywhere. We are history junkies and did spend a full day in the Gallo-Roman museum in Lyon, too. Most sane people would spend a couple of hours and then visit the Lyon silk museum.