Solo travel · Lyon · France
Solo travel in Lyon
How to enjoy Lyon at your own pace.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Benoît Prieur, CC0
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Quick answer
Lyon is easy for solo travellers: compact, well connected and full of counter seats in bouchons and wine bars, with a lively student population and plenty of free sights. Many solo travellers base themselves in Terreaux and the Pentes de la Croix-Rousse.
Key facts
- Base
- Terreaux and the Pentes de la Croix-Rousse
- Getting around
- Metro
- Emergency number
- 112 (European emergency number)
- Language
- French
Solo travel tips
- Sit at the counter of a wine bar or bouchon; solo diners are common and staff are used to them.
- Hostels in Vieux Lyon and near the Croix-Rousse slopes make social bases.
- Free walking tours of Vieux Lyon and the traboules are an easy way to meet people.
- Use Vélo'v bikes for the riverside paths, which are flat and well lit.
- Keep valuables close in crowded metro stations and during the Fête des Lumières.
Where to stay
$$ · Best for nightlife, food lovers, solo travellers and culture
Terreaux and the Pentes de la Croix-Rousse
Around the Place des Terreaux, with the Bartholdi fountain and the Hôtel de Ville, the Opéra and the Musée des Beaux-Arts, the 1st arrondissement climbs the Pentes (slopes) of the Croix-Rousse. The slopes are full of traboules, small bars, artists' workshops and independent restaurants.
- Good
- Lively bar and restaurant scene; Central with good character; Walk to Vieux Lyon
- Watch out
- Steep streets and stairs; Noisy at night around the bars
- Nearby
- Place des Terreaux, Museum of Fine Arts of Lyon, Opéra National de Lyon
Great on your own
Religious site · Fourvière
Basilica of Notre-Dame de Fourvière
Take the funicular up from Vieux Lyon and walk down through the Jardin du Rosaire for views on the way.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Free
- Iconic
- Free
- Views
- Architecture
- Photo spot
Neighbourhood · Vieux Lyon
Vieux Lyon and the traboules
Push gently on doors marked with the traboule sign; many open to visitors during the day, but keep quiet as residents live here.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Iconic
- Free
- History
- Architecture
- Off the beaten path
Historic site · Fourvière
Roman theatres of Fourvière and Lugdunum museum
The theatre site is free to walk around; in summer it hosts concerts during the Nuits de Fourvière festival.
- Time needed
- 1.5–2 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Free
- Outdoors
- Views
Religious site · Vieux Lyon
Saint-Jean Cathedral
Ask at the entrance when the clock's automata next perform; the show lasts a few minutes.
- Time needed
- 45 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- History
- Architecture
- Rainy day
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Street · Presqu'île
Place Bellecour and the Presqu'île
Look up at the façades on rue de la République, among the best Second Empire architecture in the city.
- Time needed
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Shopping
- Architecture
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Landmark · Terreaux
Place des Terreaux
Come after dark, when the fountain and the city hall are lit.
- Time needed
- 30 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Architecture
- After dark
- History
Meeting people
- Bouchon dinner — Lyon's traditional small restaurants serve hearty set menus of salads, charcuterie, quenelles and cheese at shared or tightly packed tables; the official 'Bouchons Lyonnais' plaque marks certified ones.
- Weekend oysters at the Halles — On Saturday and Sunday late mornings, Lyonnais gather at the oyster counters of the Halles Paul Bocuse for seafood and a glass of white wine.
- Pentes de la Croix-Rousse — Small bars, wine bars and cafés in the steep lanes above the Terreaux.
- Berges du Rhône — Barge bars and clubs moored along the Rhône's east bank, busy on summer nights.
Sensible precautions
Lyon is generally safe for visitors, but pickpocketing occurs in crowds, on the metro and at the Fête des Lumières. Some areas around Place Gabriel-Péri and the Part-Dieu and Perrache stations can feel uncomfortable at night.
- Emergency number
- 112 (European emergency number)
- Staying connected
- EU roaming applies to European SIMs; free Wi-Fi is available in many cafés, the stations and some public spaces.
Questions travellers ask
+Is Lyon good for solo travellers?
Lyon is easy for solo travellers: compact, well connected and full of counter seats in bouchons and wine bars, with a lively student population and plenty of free sights.
+Where should solo travellers stay in Lyon?
Terreaux and the Pentes de la Croix-Rousse: City hall square, the fine-arts museum and steep lanes of bars and studios.