Are you in touch with the people whose apartment it is? If so they would be the best source of information for shopping and transportation options.

I agree. I've done home exchanges (and rented my house in France for many years, mainly to Americans), and the general MO is to give each other detailed information about everything you're asking for: grocery shopping, transportation, local sights, emergency numbers, hair salons, restaurants, cafés, pharmacies...you name it.

I'd be concerned about a home exchange where that wasn't a normal part of the process. You should be doing it for them too.

I've rented an apartment in the 6th in Lyon on a few occasions (Boulevard des Belges) and you've really picked a good area to stay.

You've got everything you need on your doorstep and as you say, the Parc de la tete D'or is walking distance away.

As well as the usual raft of boulangeries, patisseries and pharmacies (along boulevard des Belges and Cour Vitton) there's a also a small Casino supermarket on Boulevard des Brotteaux where you can stock up on the more day-to-day things.

Cours Vitton is one of the more 'upscale' shopping streets outside the centre of town so there are plenty of shops selling luxury goods if you feel like living like a true local in the 6th. Along Cours Vitton there's also a cinema (The Astoria) which has a good selection of films in V.O. (not dubbed and with french subtitles) if you feel like a quiet night out.

The area's well connected, with the Massena, Brotteaux and Foch metro stops all within the sixth, so there's no problem getting around. Unless you have a free, secure parking space (or small children to wrangle) I'd suggest against renting a car, as you'll have to find a parking space, which can be tricky in the 6th (particularly at weekends) and unlike in years gone by when on-street parking was free in the summer you have to pay every time you park.

There are also a few really good restaurants in the area (Brasserie des Brotteaux is a personal favourite of mine, L'Est de Paul Bocuse and Le Splendid all within spitting distance of each other) and numerous cafe's and bars for you to chose from.

The sixth really is a lovely part of Lyon and you'll be mixing with some of the more successful Lyonnais - check out the mansions that back onto the park and yes, the majority of them are individual homes - and it really does have the feeling of a town within the city.

If you have any specific questions about sightseeing just holler. I've also put up a rather esoteric 'trip report' of my last trip to Lyon (which may or not help) if you do a search under my name.

LOVED LOVED LOVED Lyon! Stayed there for 3 weeks in July 2010 for a french immersion program and loved every second.

You'll have plenty of time to discover it all on your own, here are a few things I remember fondly:

- Les Halles de Lyon (3e, by Cours Lafayette / Garibaldi) is a nice market with a wide variety of gourmet foods and wines
- So many boulangeries and patisseries in the area like Jay_G said. I frequented Lacorne Patrick on Roosevelt / Vendome, probably mostly because it was close to my classes, but it was great and lunch was always just the excuse to get some delicious pastry to go along
- Despite being somewhat touristy, I liked the pedestrian, restaurant lined areas of rue des marronniers and rue merciere on the Presqu'île. The food was almost always very simple, fresh, and came along with great and affordable house wine from the region.
- Getting lost in the croix rousse, which is both a historic area with lots to discover about its revolutionary past, and a hip neighborhood today. No fancy mansions, but you can see into some of the apartments that are quite funky and cool. Also, there's lots of vistas overlooking the city from the hills here.
- Getting a personal tour of Fourviere from one of the volunteers there.
- Trying to follow some french films with no subtitles in the various cinemas
- Hanging along the riverside in the evenings - where some people sometimes came to picnic, others went to the boat-restaurant/bars, etc.
- Taking weekend tours outside Lyon - Annecy and the Rhone valley to the south, specifically.
- A weekend with friends in Paris (~2 hours by train IIRC)
- Trying some of the weirder ones out of the 200 ice cream flavors at Terre Adelice in the old city

Have fun!

Thank you so much for all the information. I hadn't checked back to see the responses until now. Will be checking more often! We are both first time exchangers, so may not be up to speed on the details of this. I am collecting a pile of brochures and information for our guests, and suspect they are doing the same. All the important info about our neighborhood, places to go, maps, etc. Really starting to get excited about the trip as we get closer. Hoping the strikes are settled by the time we leave, but will try to be prepared for delays.