Where to stay in Lyon: The best places and neighbourhoods

Are you interested in knowing the best area to stay in Lyon If you are planning to visit this beautiful city, it is highly recommended that you find out about the different areas it is divided into, their communication with public transport and what they have to offer.

To help you decide which is the best area to stay in Lyon for you, you will find some information about the city in general and a description of its most interesting neighborhoods.

Lyon is the third most populated city in France with more than half a million inhabitants and has always been an important centre for trade, industry and education.

Lyon’s climate is semi-continental, with moderate rainfall throughout the year, more abundant in spring and autumn. temperatures vary greatly from season to season, reaching 40 degrees in summer and dropping to below zero in winter, with the possibility of snowfall, although this does not prevent thousands of tourists from visiting the city throughout the year.

The medieval and renaissance quarters of Lyon have retained the architectural essence of centuries past and the city’s 427 hectares are a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

As in other European cities, Lyon has all kinds of accommodation, from luxury hotels to very cheap hostels. The hotel offer is very wide all year round and, as it is not as busy as Paris, you can find hotels at good prices to stay in Lyon.

Moreover, as it has a good public transport network, many visitors prefer to stay at a certain distance from the center to save in times of high hotel occupancy, such as in summer.

The best areas to stay in Lyon

Staying in Lyon in the center is the best option as far as proximity to interesting places is concerned.</ Our favorite areas are Vieux Lyon, Fourviere and La Presqu’île.

You may prefer to pay a little more by choosing a hotel in the centre and save time and public transport by being able to walk to almost all tourist sites.

Or you may prefer to save on your sleeping accommodation in Lyon if you choose a less central district and use public transport to get around.whatever your choice, you can take as a guide these area analyses of the city that we have compiled for you.

1.Vieux Lyon (Old Lyon)

Lyon’s old town is located to the west of the Saône river and has maintained its urban layout and buildings for centuries.

Staying in Lyon in Vieux Lyon is a good idea because you have everything at hand , both public transport and many of its tourist attractions, such as the Basilica of Notre-Dame de Fourviere and the Fourviere district itself.

However, the hotel offer in this medieval quarter is somewhat short of the demand it has, so it is advisable to book in advance, and more so if you are travelling in the high tourist season.

To compensate for the few options for accommodation, the hotels in the area are of high quality and handle competitive prices, which are around 50 a night for the simpler hotels.if you are looking for something more sophisticated, the budget goes up quite a bit, around 50 a night.

– Accommodation in Vieux Lyon

2.Fourviere

A short walk from Vieux Lyon is Fourviere, in the 5th Arrondissement This area is situated on a hill , so the views are quite spectacular.

The neighborhood maintains the medieval style typical of the entire old town and houses a wide variety of museums and theaters of the most varied. In Fourviere you can also visit the metal tower, the Roman theater and the archaeological zone , with several Roman monuments.

From this area you can move on foot or by public transport to the rest of the city, a real advantage to make good use of your time and organize a good itinerary.

In the area of Fourviere there are more accommodations and hotels than in Vieux Lyon , so prices are cheaper. As it is an area close to the center, the cheapest prices are around 50 euros a night for apartments and hostels.

In this neighborhood there is quite a variety of accommodations, from guest houses to aparthotels.The recommendation is the same as Vieux Lyon, it is better to book in advance to get the best offer and not to be left without a room.

– Accommodation in Fourviere

3.La Presqu’île

The Presqu’île area, literally peninsula or almost island, is the central area of Lyon and is located between the rivers Rhone and Saône.

Here you will find schools, universities, traditional bakeries, authentic French food restaurants, luxury boutiques on the Rue de la Republique, museums like the Lyon Museum of Fine Arts, the Lyon Opera, theatres, exhibitions and streets with a lot of history.

As it is located in the heart of the city, it is the best place to stay in Lyon. Everything is just a short walk away, either on foot or by public transport (many metro lines go there).

– Accommodation in La Presqu’île

4.Arrondissement 3 (la Part Dieu)

La Part Dieu is known as the business district of Lyon, full of skyscrapers.

It is very well connected by subway to the rest of the city and even has a beautiful 19th century garden, Parc de la Tête d’Or, to walk around in.

As the neighborhood is located next to the Rhone river, there is a lot of nightlife thanks to the many places that are concentrated here.

Because Lyon’s main train station is located here, you may want to sleep in Lyon in this area if you don’t want to carry your bags to and from the station or if you are taking the first or last train of the day.

The hotels in the Part Dieu are very varied and have cheaper prices than those in the centreYou can find hostels and pensions for 40 euros a night. Even if you look in advance, there are high standing hotels that offer real bargains on specific dates.

– Accommodation in the Part Dieu

5.Arrondissement 4 (La Croix-Rousse)

In the past, the La Croix-Rousse district was home to silk mills, some of which can still be visited.Nowadays, it is a very classic and bohemian area, where you can breathe the authentic French spirit that has inspired more than one film.

Its streets are mostly quite steep, due to its location on a hill, although the area known as the plateau is a flat plateau.

In the area you can also visit the Amphitheatre of the Trois Gaules or the only baroque church in Lyon, the Church of Saint-Bruno des Chartreux.

As it is a residential neighborhood mostly and a little far from the center, accommodation is more affordable and less demanded in high season.It is a good area to stay in Lyon if it is a last minute trip and you don’t find offers near the old town or if you don’t mind taking public transport to get around.

However, the nightlife is not very common and it is not an area especially dedicated to boutiques or shopping centers.

– Accommodation at the Croix-Rousse

In addition to this post on where to stay in Lyon we recommend reading Where to stay in Paris, where to stay in Bordeaux, where to stay in Marseille

6.Arrondissement 6

The 6th Arrondissement, in the north of the city, is a commercial area quite frequented by tourists and is known as the chic district of Lyon.</It is well connected by several subway lines and has some luxury restaurants, both French and international food, for example Japanese and Korean food.

The 6th Arrondissement has good places to drink beer or wine, always accompanied by a cheese or charcuterie.

As it is an upper-middle class district, it does not have the cheapest accommodation, but it does have the most luxurious and elegant . You will notice the level of the area when you see the huge avenues lined with mansions and refurbished buildings.

If you are looking for apartments, this area has the best in the city.It is clear that it is not a district where you can save on your accommodation in Lyon but, if you look in advance, there are some hostels and aparthotels with nights for about 80.

– Accommodation in the 6 Arrondissement

7.Arrondissement

The 7th Arrondissement is an district with a great ethnic diversity, where international food restaurants predominate and students .Lyon’s Chinatown is located hereThe cultural mix means that this district has a lot to offer, especially in terms of food and at very low prices.

It is an area frequented by young people for its friendly and diverse atmosphere, as well as for its various vintage and antique collector’s shops.

It can be said that it is the cheapest district in terms of accommodation, both for a few days and for long periods of time.That is why students prefer to come and live in this area.

It has very good communication with public transport, especially with the metro and tram.you can find both hostels and hotels, apartments and youth hostels at about 35 euros per night in the low season.

– Accommodation in the 7 Arrondissement

8.Lyon Airport

Lyon Saint-Exupery Airport is located about 20 km from the city. There is not much to do in the area, apart from the airport’s own shops and the parking lot for visitors.A cheaper but slightly slower transport option is the bus, which has several stops in intermediate cities until it reaches Lyon.

Accommodation near Lyon Saint-Exupéry airport is not very abundant, so when it comes to staying in Lyon it doesn’t sound very convincing unless you want to be near the airport for whatever reason.< There are several hotels from hotel chains such as Ibis or NH that have the night for around 60 or 70 euros.

A little further east, halfway between Lyon and the airport, is the old Bron airport, with a few accommodations of all kinds but with very poor connections by public transport.

– Lyon Airport Accommodation

Lyon is a city that has accommodations for all tastes and pockets.As it is not a large metropolis and its neighborhoods are very well connected by public transport, it may be a good idea to stay in the neighborhoods adjacent to the historic center, you can save money without losing quality.

But if you want to sleep in Lyon in the heart of the city, just plan your trip in advance and book before the start of the high season of hotel occupancy.

Best area to stay in Lyon

The best area to stay in Lyon is the city center , because from there you can walk to many important places in the city, it is also very easy to reach this area from the airport, taking the Rhone Express and connecting with the subway.Another advantage of this area of the city is the not depending on public transport to move , although if you need to use it to go somewhere far from the center, from here you are very well connected by subway and bus.

Just a few steps from the Rio Saona , the center of Lyon has a great variety of small restaurants in which it is possible to eat real delicacies. It is also full of cafes and shops with the best and most exclusive brands of clothing. The hotel offer in the area is abundant, with a variety of possibilities at different prices.Among the attractions in the very center of Lyon are the famous Théâtre des Celéstins , the Cathedral of Lyon , the Place Bellecour , the Place des Jacobins , and the Basilica of Notre Dame de Fourviere , among many others.The wonderful district of Vieux Lyon is also just a few minutes walk away; it is the oldest district of the city, and the largest and most important Renaissance district in Eastern France.

On the map showing the recommended area to stay in Lyon you will find a selection of the best hotels to stay in .

If you are interested in knowing where to sleep in Lyon you may also be interested in knowing where to stay in Nice, where to stay in Bordeaux or where to sleep in Paris.

The city center, the best area to stay in Lyon

The city center of Lyon known as Presqu’île (which in English means “almost an island”) , has a real character and offers elements of history and culture, restaurants and shopping, making it the best area to stay in the city.This neighborhood is built on a strip of land between the rivers Rhône and Saône .The city of Lyon is divided into nine districts (in French called arrondissemen t s and instead of being named by number): Presqu’île is located between the 2nd arrondissemen t . This area is served by the metro stations Bellecour and Hotel de Ville .The historic center of Lyon, known as Saint Jean (Saint Jean), is located at a short distance, at the 5th arrondissemen t , just across the bridge from Saône .On the opposite side of the peninsula from Presqu’île , in the 2nd arrondissemen t , you will find Les Berges du Rhone (in English the Shepherds of the Rhone). Les Berges du Rhone is the perfect destination if you are looking for excellent landscapes and at the same time a good walk (5 km along the Rhone river).

From the city centre you can access the Cathedral Saint Jean , the Museum Gadagne , the Basilica Notre-Dame de Fourvière , the Place Bellecour , the city’s aquarium, the Place des Jacobins and the Lyon Cathedral.This neighborhood is also an ideal area for shopping in luxury stores, boutiques, and in Printemps, the famous French department store. As for restaurants, the streets Mercière and Rue des Marronniers offer many traditional options.The nearby area of Le Vieux Lyon (Old Lyon) offers picturesque and typical French scenes that are complemented by a maze of narrow streets with bakeries, bistrots and restaurants.

Hotels in the Center of Lyon

Other areas to stay in Lyon

The 3rd.Arrondissement

The 3rd Arrondissement is a great alternative area to stay in Lyon if you are looking to live like the locals.The nightlife is active and lively along the Rhone .

In this area you will also find La Part Dieu , a large shopping center located in front of the train station of the same name, which includes shops of international brands. The Paradise of Foodies is located in Les Halles de Lyon , a food market offering unique items made by top local chefs and producers.The north end of this neighborhood borders the Parc de la Tête d’or (in English it can be translated as the Park of the Golden Head), a beautiful 19th century garden.

Hotels in the 3rd Arrondissement