jpopp24

How many hours would you recommend for TGV layover in Lyon ... 5 or 7 hours?

I would like to visit Lyon, en route from Paris to Aix-en-Provence, this July. We are leaving Paris on a Wed morning on the 9am train arriving in Lyon around 11am.

I've never been to Lyon and do not know how much time is needed to make the stopover worthwhile. I intrigued by the Old Town, UNESCO, Medival preservations and the gastronomy; so I was thinking of having a nice lunch and an opportunity to stroll the Old Town for the listed above interests.

If I leave on the 6pm train (7 hours in Lyon) I will get into the Aix-en-Provence TGV station around 730pm. I then have to pick up my rental car and then check into my hotel (4 nights at the Aquabella) in the city center, probably not settling in until 830pm, w/ just enough time to take an evening stroll the Cours Mirabeau and grab a late night bit to eat.

If I leave on the 4pm train (5 hours in Lyon) I will arrive in Aix at a much more reasonable time, settling in around 6:30pm; however I feel I may be rushing my time in Lyon too much - to the point of possibly making the layover stressful and counterproductive.

Any thoughts or insight on this proposed Lyon layover? Thanks!

Rastaguytoday

Aix-en-Provence TGV train station is about 15km outside of town, so arriving an settling in are two different things.

Here's a link to view. http://www.marseille-provence.info/t...-provence.html

If you stop for a good meal, assume 2+ hours for lunch. If you got to Fourviere, take a taxi up and walk down. Lyon is a lovely city in its own right.

jpopp24

Rasta - Thanks for the response. Since the city proper is a few kms away from the TGV station, I was already figuring about 1 hour to pick up the car and check into the hotel. Maybe it will be a bit longer, but either way I think we are looking at a late evening.

So to answer my question, Rasta, would you recommend the 4pm train or the 6pm train out of Lyon? Thank you.

Christina

I think it's just your own preference, that's all. I can understand not wanting to arrive late in Aix, so it's just up to you to weigh that versus seeing things in Lyon. YOu don't seem to have any particular museum interests, so I don't see why you couldn't walk around a couple hours in Old Town if that doesn't count museum time. It isn't that big, actually (the Old Town area).

If you don't have desire to see any particular museum or site (and I assume you don't or you would have named it), I think a long lunch and a couple hours strolling around Old Town would be fine, and allow you to get to Aix earlier. You can't really do that much more in another couple hours anyway to really do up the town, except see some museums, I suppose, and that will be a very long day. I'd go with the shorter trip given you need to move on to Aix and rent a car. You will have to get to Part Dieu train station somehow, of course, by metro or taxi, but it's not very far from town center.

StCirq

Are you sure you can pick up your rental car at 7:30 pm? I've never known a car rental outfit in France to be open after 6 pm, but maybe it's different at the TGV station in Avignon (I never pick up that late, so wouldn't know).

Anyway, Lyon deserves as much time as you can give it.