FR
Lyon
France’s gastronomic capital, with a Renaissance old town, hidden passageways and two great rivers
France’s gastronomic capital, with a Renaissance old town, hidden passageways and two great rivers
One of Europe’s largest Renaissance quarters, with Saint-Jean Cathedral and traboules, passageways through buildings and courtyards that you can explore.
Look for open traboules on Rue Saint-Jean and Rue du Bœuf; keep noise down as residents live here.
Photo: Romainbehar, CC0
The hill above the old town, topped by the ornate 19th-century basilica and Roman theatres, with views over the city. A funicular climbs from Vieux Lyon.
Photo: Guilhem Vellut, CC BY 2.0
A striking museum of science and anthropology at the tip of the peninsula, where the two rivers meet.
Photo: Mike is Michi, CC BY-SA 4.0
Eat in a bouchon: try quenelles, saucisson brioché, salade lyonnaise and praline tart.
Les Halles de Lyon Paul Bocuse is the city’s gourmet market hall.
High-speed trains from Paris take about two hours. Lyon-Saint-Exupéry Airport is linked to the city by the Rhônexpress tram in about 30 minutes. Metro, trams and buses cover the city.
France is in the EU and the Schengen area and uses the euro. EU citizens need only an ID card; citizens of the UK, US, Canada, Australia and many other countries can visit visa-free for up to 90 days in any 180-day period, with biometric registration under the EU Entry/Exit System. An ETIAS travel authorisation is also due to be introduced. Check current rules before you travel.
Lyon is cheaper than Paris, and its lunch menus are excellent value.
Old town, hills and food.
Explore Vieux Lyon and its traboules, take the funicular up to Fourvière and the Roman theatres, then dine in a bouchon.
Visit Les Halles, the Presqu’île’s squares and the Croix-Rousse silk-workers’ district, then the Musée des Confluences.
🛂 Entry rules: EES and ETIAS
France is in the Schengen area, which has two EU border systems for non-EU visitors.
EES (in force): since 10 April 2026 the EU’s Entry/Exit System registers non-EU visitors’ passport details, fingerprints and a photo the first time they enter the Schengen area, replacing passport stamps. Allow extra time at the border on your first trip; later crossings are quicker. EU, EEA and Swiss citizens are not registered.
ETIAS (not yet running): a €20 online travel authorisation for visitors who don’t need a visa, such as UK, US, Canadian and Australian citizens. It hasn’t started and no start date has been confirmed, so nobody can apply yet; ignore websites that offer to “pre-register” you for a fee.
Visa-free visitors can stay up to 90 days in any 180-day period across the whole Schengen area, not per country.
Official information: EU: Travel to Europe (EES & ETIAS) · Reviewed September 2026
Watch your belongings on public transport and at busy sights.
Around 8 December, the Fête des Lumières lights up the city; book months ahead.
The Lyon City Card covers transport and many museums.
Set lunch menus (formules) are usually much cheaper than dinner.
Quick answers for planning time in Lyon.
Citizens of the UK, US, Canada, Australia and many other countries can visit visa-free for up to 90 days in 180, with registration under the EU Entry/Exit System.
A traditional Lyonnais restaurant serving hearty local dishes.
Covered passageways through buildings and courtyards, especially in Vieux Lyon and Croix-Rousse.
About two hours by high-speed train.
Each year around 8 December.
French is the language; a few words of French and a polite “bonjour” go a long way.
Free
Planning a wider trip? Our France travel guide covers getting there, costs, when to go and more.