Eurostar to Lyon

Lyon is a beautiful city in France, and is claimed by many locals and tourists alike to be France’s second city. It’s got a great selection of attractions, including classic architecture, an abundance of culture, and fantastic food to boot. Lyon is one of the connection services on the Eurostar, so it’s easy to get to and you’ll be there in about 5 hours. No time at all!

About Lyon

One of the best ways to start your trip in Lyon is to take a ride up Fourvière hill on the funicular. Once you reach the summit, you’ll experience truly breathtaking views of the whole city, as well as its surroundings. At the top, there is also the opportunity to visit the Basilique Notre Dame de Fourvière. This impressive church was built in the nineteenth century, and is a classic Lyons of baroque architecture.

Once you’re back in the town, take a stroll to the Museum of Gallo-Roman civilisation. It’s one of thirty museums in the city, so if museums are your thing, you won’t be getting bored! The Museum of Gallo-Roman civilisation houses some incredible exhibits, including a large collection of Rhône Valley artefacts. Nearby, there is also the Théâtre Romain amphitheatre. This incredible building dates back to 15BC.

But it’s not just ancient history that Lyon has to offer. The Nuits de Fourviére festival happens every summer in Lyon, within the walls of the Roman amphitheatre, transforming it into an alive and kicking venue once more. There are many events which take place in Lyon throughout the course of the year, including the Original Hip Hop festival, the Tout le Monde Dehors arts festival, and the biennial Dance and Contemporary Art festivals. So whatever your interest, Lyon will offer something to suit. And when you’ve seen everything you want to see in town, you can experience the culinary delights Lyon has to offer! French food is famed for being exquisite, but Lyon in particular has some incredible restaurants. After Paris, Lyon is home to the most restaurants holding Michelin stars, so dig in. And if these are out of your budget (or you simply tire of eating like royalty), there are plenty of traditional neighbourhood restaurants serving local dishes and wines.

Lyon by Eurostar Trains

A visit to Lyon is highly recommended. It seems to have remained under the radar for city breaks, and we can't think why. Bruges, Venice, Prague are the first places people seem to think about for city breaks, so why not be different and visit Lyon. You can get to Lyon on one of the Eurostar’s connection services. This means you'll have to change trains at some point, but it's all so easy on the French rail network. Eurostar trains depart from St Pancras International, a very easy-to-get-to destination in London. With speeds of 186 miles per hour, it's an easy journey. Your simplest option of connection services after getting on the train at London is to change at Lille. From Lille Europe station, you need only change platforms. From here, there are a number of TGV services that will take you all the way to Lyon. You can also change at Paris Gare du Nord, but you’ll have to take a taxi or get on the metro to catch a connection train from Gare de Lyon. All in all, if you travel from London, you can expect the journey time to be about five hours.

Visit the official Eurostar web site to book your train tickets to Lyon.