Marseille to Lyon - Drive or TGV?
 

Hi,

At the end of a 4 week south-of France holiday in October my husband will be taking our children to the UK for the weekend to visit family, departing from Marseille and meeting me back in Paris for our flight home. We will be staying in Bonnieux, and I'll take them to Marseille airport for a morning flight.

I'd like to have a night in Lyon on my way back to Paris, and would also like to take the TGV.

Should I drive to Lyon on my own and leave our hire car there? Or leave it in Marseille, taking the train?

Is Marseille worth exploring on my own, or would Lyon be a better option?

Any recommendations for boutique style accommodation near the centre of Lyon?

It looks like the TGV ticket bookings are not open earlier than 3 months before the date, is that right?

Any ideas for my couple of days of 'family free' time in France would be appreciated!

Thank you :-)

A friend and I just returned from Lyon. We took the train from Paris. We had a great time, and it would be a great city for exploring on your own. We stayed here http://www.lyonhotel-leroyal.com/contact-fr.html and thought it was wonderful. The location is perfect and the staff very helpful and accommodating. We ate at Le Merciere and had a delicious dinner--one of the best meals we had in France, Paris included. It's within walking distance. We also ate at Paul Bocuse's Le Sud, which is also within walking distance. The service there was marginal, but the food delicious, and since we weren't in a hurry, no problem. Let me know if you decide on Lyon, and I can make some suggestions of what to do!

Yes, tickets for regular TGVs can be booked up to three months in advance. If you book ASAP, you can get a Prem's fare as low as €25 for a direct TGV from Lyon to Paris. The standard 2nd class fare is €77.

I would leave the car in Marseille or Avignon and take the train to Lyon. With early booking the fare should be cheaper than even the fuel for the car.

Thank you! I think i will definitely take your suggestions on board & take the train to Lyon. Really looking forward to exploring that city on my own. Thank you also for the accommodation suggestion.

I have recently spent four nights in Lyon and would highly recommend a visit. It is very single firiendly city, easy to get around and lots to see.

Schnauzer