Experience in Lyon, France by Guillermo

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

Lyon is always a lovely city to live in and especially if you live quite close to the centre, as that's where most of the things to do and the attractions are concentrated. It has a very rich historical centre and is full of restaurants with excellent reputations for their gastronomy. The centre is full of life and you can do and see a wide variety of things there.

However, if you go further out to the east side of the city, it loses a lot of its charm and just becomes an expanse of buildings that aren't very attractive.

What is the student lifestyle there like?

Lyon is a city you could describe as student-y, due to the numerous institutions and the huge number of students that it welcomes. The Univeristy of Lyon and the INSA of Lyon (Institut national des sciences appliquées de Lyon) stand out from the rest, but there are also a lot of other schools leading to Lyon's large student population. What's more, the campuses aren't far from the city centre at all and they're easily accessible by public transport.

How much does it cost to live in Lyon?

Lyon isn't expensive for a city in France (especially compared to Paris). It depends, of course, on which area of the city you live in, but all of the prices will be lower than anything you'll see in Madrid or Barcelona if you look for a flat that is relatively central.

Source

Did you find it difficult to find accommodation in Lyon? Do you have any advice?

I found my accommodation through the university I was at (Centrale Lyon) so I didn't have to do much. As for advice, I recommend that you look for advertisements from people who have just finished their course or from those who are leaving the city so they can give you their flat. Or else there's always the CROUS or private residences.

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

Lyon has a good reputation for its food, but that's definitely more for their haute cuisine. The food in general isn't bad if you really like cheese.

Where would you recommend to visit in Lyon?

Without a shadow of a doubt, the Basilica of Notre-Dame de Fourvière, from which there's an incredible view of the city. Otherwise, there's the Vieux-Lyon and Presqu'Ile areas and you can pass through the Tête d'Or park.

Source

And to eat in Lyon? What were some of your favourite places to go?

There's a huge range of ethnicities in Lyon, so it's not hard to find food from the Middle East or India, for example. Personally, I think that a kebab always comes in handy.

Where would you recommend for a night out in Lyon?

There are a lot of bars that are good for a drink in the town hall area. If you want to see a football or rugby match, to do it with a pint there's the Wallace and with a drink there's the Boston.

Do you have any advice for future students in Lyon?

I hope that they can be patient with the weather, in the winter it can be pretty cold and cloudy and it gets quite warm again in the spring.

Source