Getting There

If you're arriving from the north by train, don't get off at the first station, Gare La Part-Dieu; continue to Gare de Perrache, where you can begin sightseeing. The high-speed TGV takes only 2 hours from Paris; the one-way fare is 50€ to 80€ ($65-$104). Lyon makes a good stopover en route to the Alps or the Riviera. For information, call tel. 08-92-35-35-35, or visit the Voyages SNCF website.

By plane, it's a 45-minute flight from Paris to Aéroport Saint-Exupéry (tel. 08-26-80-08-26), 25km (16 miles) east of the city. Satobuses (tel. 04-72-68-72-17) run from the airport into the center of Lyon every 20 minutes during the day. The 45-minute bus trip costs 8.40€ ($11) each way.

If you're driving from Paris, head southeast on A8/E1 into Lyon. From Nice, head west on E1/A7 toward Aix-en-Provence, continuing northwest toward Avignon. Bypass the city and continue north along the same route into Lyon. From Grenoble or the French Alps, head northwest on A48 to A43, which will take you northwest into Lyon.

Visitor Information

The Office de Tourisme is on place Bellecour (tel. 04-72-77-69-69; fax 04-78-42-04-32).

Special Events

Festivals take place practically every day, especially in summer. Music festivals reign supreme, with the most popular occurring on France's National Day of Music, around June 21. The Fête de la Musique turns the streets of Lyon into performance spaces for local bands. From late November to late December, the Festival de Musique du Vieux-Lyon, 5 place du Petit-Collège (tel. 04-78-38-09-09), takes place in churches around the city. Tickets range from 18€ to 30€ ($23-$39).