chaton

Grasshopper -- my husband's company sent us there. As for the food, when we visited Paris for the day we would wait to return to Lyon to eat! It was great being in a city that made Parisians jealous I fell in love with Lyon the first time I saw it -- walkable, pretty, much more manageable than Paris...and everything else made it even more beautiful (December 8, concerts at the Roman ruins, etc.) I can certainly understand why you fell in love with it too (and much more sentimental than being sent there for a job...) We lived in the 6eme, in a fabulous apartment (and I don't use "fabulous" too often) close to Metro Foch. Maybe I'll visit for Beaujolais Nouveau...

BTW, bouchon also means traffic jam in Lyon too -- as a matter of fact, Lyon is almost at the center of the August bouchons (the people from the north driving south for their vacations).

A restaurant bouchon is not "authentic" unless a plaque with a picture (a cartoon/drawing) of Guignol is on the front (something that Le Merciere has). The restaurant need not be old, but must hold the qualities (food, atmosphere, etc.) of the original bouchons. I believe there to be only a handful of these in Lyon.

jmw

What a wonderful thread! Grasshopper's trip report from awhile back first alerted me to this city, and this thread is re-enforcing the enthusiasm. I'm copying the entire exchange. Thanks for letting me drop in. J.

Barb

This has been a great thread. I've just made reservations at La Residence and I am really looking forward to seeing Lyon and experiencing all the wonderful food and wine.

cigalechanta

Bistro Lyon de Lyon.

sjk

This is a great thread and it's been really helpful. I'll be arriving at CDG and hopping a train for Lyon to meet up w/ bf who'll be there for a conference. He's staying at the Hilton there at 70 Quai charles De Gaulle and I'm meeting up w/ him at the hotel. Any help with how to get there from the train station, and which station I need to get off at would be really appreciated.

hanl

You should get off at Part-Dieu station which is the first Lyon station the train will stop at. The Hilton is not in the centre of the town, but it is not too difficult to access from the station. The easiest thing would be for you to take a taxi - it's not too far and I doubt it would cost more than 10 euros. If you prefer, you can get the bus from outside Part-Dieu station. Take bus # 47 to Cité Internationale, and get off at the Cité Internationale (terminus) stop, which is right by the Hilton.

chaton

I second hanl's recommendation for a cab. It's much easier. You'll pass Parc Tete d'Or on the train just before you get to Part Dieu -- the Hilton is across the park.

The Hilton is nice (and new too), just out of all the action. It does have a movie theatre and a museum of modern art. The restaurants there are really expensive, but the buffet is nice. The front desk will call cabs for you to take you into the heart of the city (otherwise a 20-30 minute walk). There are buses you can take from the back of the museum that will take you down Avenue de Saxe -- you can get off and walk across the river to the Presqu'ile from there. There are taxi stands in the city, and restaurants will call for you too (you'll need to cab back to the hotel).