Lyon, France

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Well all I can say is that it is impossible to describe even half of how good this city is. If you like big cities with a good atmosphere and ambiance, then Lyon is the best place in the world. I was there for summer 2012 and the truth is that it was the best summer of my life. The weather is really nice there in the summer, you can wear shorts, t-shirts and sandals every day, because temperatures are around 30 degrees. After the summer, the weather changes completely, for example, I went to visit some friends after I left who were still living there during the 'Fête des Lumieres' which is a super popular festival which is celebrated at the start of December, where the whole city is full of lights and shows in every corner of the city (the only negative is that there are tonnes of people who come to the city to see it so it is really busy so you have to be patient if you want to see all of the lights). It was snowing the whole day and the temperature was around 7 degrees maximum. But put on a good coat and made the most of it!

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So, now I have told you all about Lyon's weather, I have to say that Lyon is an amazing city with so many different things to do. The student life is really good in the downtown area... which is a super nice area where there are tonnes of great bars and nightclubs. One of the things I had never done before I went to Lyon was going to a nightclub inside a boat! And on this part of the Rhone river, there is a fixed bank with many boats that have bars and nightclubs inside. Highly recommended.

As for the French people.. everyone knows that the French are not usually the most pleasant people in the world, but in Lyon, this wasn't the case at all. The people were really nice and I never had a problem with any of them. I have to say that the French were very well mannered.. even if they are most arrogant nation in the world! You'll find people of all nationalities.. because it is a very cosmopolitan city where many young people live and work in tourism in order to improve their French.. and there are lots of Erasmus students too! There was a group of us and most of them were from South America (Colombia, Venezuela) and I assure you that they are the biggest party animals in the world!

As for getting to Lyon, there is a great transport connection from anywhere in town from the airport thanks to a system which is similar to what we would call an 'express train'. It takes you to the main metro stations in Lyon for a very cheap price. Here, it is called the 'Rhone Express' and there is a discount if you are buying a return ticket, if you are a student, child etc. Once you get to the station, I recommend that you go to the information office and check out the 'magnetica' public transport card because it is the best option money wise for longer journeys. If you want to buy a normal ticket for the metro, they are valid for one hour and you can travel all around the city. The metro is great, the only criticism I have is that it seems to close really early (11. 30 at night) compared to the metro in Madrid.

If you really want to make the most of Lyon, I recommend that you get a shared apartment with other people. The accommodation in general is expensive and the flats are quite old... but don't be alarmed because this is normal in the city. The best area to live is definitely the area around the 'Hotel du Ville' because it is full of young people, and there is all sorts going on 7 days a week. There is also loads of kebab shops open all day there, and some small clubs. I would definitely recommend going to these clubs if you like having a good time and good music and cheap drinks. For example, Cosmopolitan and Ayers Rock are good. Here, most of the waiters are international... so don't be surprised if you start talking in French and finish in English!

Apart from these smaller clubs, there are also some huge, more exclusive night clubs and some that play house music, like Loft y Bloc and a lot more that I can't remember the names of.

If you're a smoker, I can tell you that it will cost a lot. Each pack costs about 7 euros, for example, I smoke Camel and I think that cost 6, 50. The nightclubs there have a kind of 'glazed' ventilated room where people can smoke as much as they want. They're called 'fumoirs'. If you don't smoke, stay away from here because the smell is unbearable, and I'm even saying that as a smoker!

I have traveled a lot over the years and I can honestly say that Lyon is one of the most charming cities I've ever visited. The atmosphere is great and the city is beautiful. If you like walking... much of the city can easily be explored on foot. It is also really typical to rent a bike, as they have a really cheap system where you can pick up and leave the bike in almost every corner of the city.

When I was living there, I was closest to the Massena metro station, across the Rhone... which is considered the poshest area of ​​the city and to be honest, it was quite noticeable. One thing that surprised me a lot about French people in general is that they dress really smart and wear lots of perfume.. but some of them so have problems with their self hygiene, which is especially noticeable on the metro!

I would 100% recommend going to Lyon to see everything that it has to offer... low cost airlines also fly there from Spain for super good prices... and if you want you can even drive there.. since it is only seven hours from Barcelona. If you are interested in sightseeing whilst you are there, I recommend that you look at the "Covoiturage" page. It is a website that arranges car travel between different parts of France. For someone making a considerable journey to another part of France, they advertise it on this site and those who want to go to the same destination, can buy a seat in the car. The first time I did it was with two friends and we were travelling from Lyon to Paris and I was honestly quite scared at first, thinking that the driver would be a psychopath who would abduct us... but it was fine. It is a really trustworthy site where you can apply many filters and meet wonderful people on the journey. The good thing is that you can make trips at a great price without the hassle of taking a plane etc.. for example, a return to Paris only cost me 45 euros!

Well, I hope I have't blabbed on too much... but I could go on for hours!

Good luck on your journey... and enjoy it as much as you can!