Experience in Lyon, France by Akarshan

What is it like to live in Lyon? Would you recommend it? What is the city like?

I very much enjoyed my 2.5 month stay in Lyon for an internship. I'd never been to any european country before. I would definitely recommend it to others. It has all the flavors of french culture and unlike Paris(fast paced), Lyon is calm and peaceful.

What is the student lifestyle like in Lyon?

Lyon is not very much behind Paris and other cities for quality educations. There are nice colleges offering Arts, Humanities, Engineering etc. And these colleges are now extending their international relations. So we see different culture of students mixing and having fun.

How much does it cost to live in Lyon?

Accommodation varying - 150(small dorm room through crous) - 300(3 bedroom flat sharing) - 480(studio flat) - 650(1 bedroom flat)
Food - For students in an University restaurant - 3.1 EUR for a complete meal which is quite cheap. You can cook by yourself or by sharing for a more cheaper estimate. In restaurants 20-30 EUR. So 300 is good upper bound.
Transportation - Monthly TCL card - 30 EUR
Cinema/stadium/sports hall - 15-20EUR
So monthly budget is around 1000 EUR. I did it around 700.

Is it difficult to find accommodation in Lyon? Is there any advice you can give?

You can find an apartment for 300 EUR per month(sharing), studio flat - 480 EUR. And 150 EUR if you are an student through CROUS which is difficult to obtain, though you can ask your respective professor to pull some strings. I'd recommend the former one because you get a furnished apartment and utilities like kitchen, washing machine,wifi(maybe) etc. You can put up your advertisement in erasmus, bedycasa(from which I get apartment in 300 EUR near PART DIEU station) and many other sites.

What is the food like? What are your favourite dishes?

Lyon is the gastronomic capital of France. "Bouchon" restaurants are nice, unlimited choice. Various kinds of sausages, salads. Well I don't remember the names. But don't forget a nice wine with it.

What places would you recommend visiting in Lyon?

Fourviere, Place des Terreaux, banks of river Rhone(in the night), Parc de la Tete d’Or, Vieux lyon(Old Lyon) , Cathedrale St. Jean etc.

Is it good to eat out in Lyon? Can you tell us your favourite spots?

Yes once in week, maybe more(depending on your budget). Brasserie l'Est, Brasserie le Nord(near Cordeliers metro station).

Is the nightlife good in Lyon? Where is good to go?

Its good. There are nice bar, clubs, discotheques in the city. Areas around Hotel de ville - Lous Pradel, Bellecour, Perrache.

What advice would you give future students heading to Lyon?

English is an usual problem in France. In the beginning you can find many anglophone/english-speaking groups in france. Like Act4-English-lyon-club etc. Just google it.
But i won't suggest that because you want to mix with french people not with your own kind so i would suggest to Learn french. My roommate was french. She took me to some bars it was fun. Refrain from snub kind of bars. There are many local bars where people are more fun. You can find young french people speaking good english.