Where to stay in Lyon
Lyon sits between two rivers and two hills, and the part most visitors want is a narrow strip of it. The Presqu'île, the peninsula between the Rhône and the Saône, has the shops, the squares and the metro. Vieux Lyon, across the Saône, has the Renaissance streets and the funicular up to Fourvière. Stay on the Presqu'île for a central base, in Vieux Lyon for atmosphere and noise, and on the Croix-Rousse slope for a local feel and a steep walk home. The Part-Dieu is for trains and the airport tram. If you are coming in early December, read about the Festival of Lights before you book anything.
The short answer
- First trip
- The Bellecour end of the Presqu'île, or Vieux Lyon if you want the old town at your door.
- Couples
- Vieux Lyon for the lanes, or Ainay for a quieter, more elegant stay.
- Families
- Ainay or Bellecour: flat streets, the metro and the squares close by.
- Tight budget
- The Croix-Rousse or Brotteaux, a metro ride from the center.
- Trains and the airport
- The Part-Dieu, where the airport tram stops and the fast trains leave.
How we judge an area of Lyon: walking time to the sights, noise at night, transport, and price. Nothing on this page is paid for, and the hotels we choose will say who chose them and when they last stayed.
Lyon's neighborhoods, side by side
| Area | Best for | At night | Place Bellecour | Saint-Jean Cathedral | Part-Dieu station | Getting around | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bellecour | A central first stay | Busy on main streets, quiet on side streets | 5 min | 10 min | 35 min | Metro A and D | €€€ |
| Cordeliers and Terreaux | Restaurants, evenings out | Loud near the bars | 15 min | 15 min | 30 min | Metro A and C | €€€ |
| Vieux Lyon | Atmosphere, old streets | Loud on Rue Saint-Jean | 10 min | 5 min | 40 min | Metro D; funicular | €€€ |
| Croix-Rousse | Local feel, lower prices | Quiet on the plateau | 30 min | 25 min | 45 min | Metro C (cog railway) | € |
| Part-Dieu | Trains, the airport tram | Quiet after office hours | 30 min | 40 min | 5 min | Station; metro B; trams | €€ |
| Brotteaux | Quiet, near the park | Quiet | 35 min | 40 min | 15 min | Metro A; Brotteaux station | €€ |
| Ainay | Calm, near the center | Quiet | 10 min | 10 min | 40 min | Metro A; Perrache nearby | €€€ |
| Confluence | Modern hotels, museum | Quiet | 30 min | 35 min | 60 min | Tram T1 | €€ |
Walking times are the straight line between two points plus a third for real streets, at an easy pace, rounded to five minutes. They are measured from the middle of each area, so a hotel at its edge will be a few minutes either way. The Croix-Rousse is uphill on the way home, and Fourvière is steeper still. Price is our read of a standard double in the same week, from € (cheapest) to €€€€ (dearest), until booking-site prices replace it.
Where the neighborhoods are
Bellecour, for a central base
The middle of the Presqu'île: a huge square, the main shopping streets and two metro lines, with everything else a short walk or ride away.
Place Bellecour is one of the largest open squares in Europe, and the streets around it are the heart of the Presqu'île: the Rue de la République and Rue Victor Hugo for shops, and the bridges over the Saône to Vieux Lyon a few minutes' walk to the west. Bellecour is a stop on metro lines A and D, which makes the rest of the city easy to reach.
It is a practical base more than a pretty one. The square itself is open and windy, the main pedestrian streets are crowded on Saturdays, and the hotels vary a lot in quality. The streets east of the square, toward the Rhône, are busier than those to the south. A room on a side street, away from the tram and bus lines, will be quieter.
Good for
- A first visit of two or three nights
- Shopping, cafés and the metro at the door
- Walking to Vieux Lyon over the Saône in a few minutes
Think twice if
- You want old-town charm outside the door
- You sleep lightly and the room faces a main street or the tram
Staying in Bellecour: nearby sights, food and getting around
Cordeliers and Terreaux, for food and evenings
The northern Presqu'île: the town hall square, the opera, the covered food market and many of the city's restaurants and bars.
North of Bellecour, the Presqu'île narrows toward the Croix-Rousse hill. Around Place des Cordeliers there are old covered-market halls and bouchons, the traditional Lyon restaurants. Further north is Place des Terreaux, with the town hall, the fine arts museum and the opera house, and the Pentes quarter climbing behind it.
It is lively, and that cuts both ways. The streets around Rue Sainte-Catherine, at the foot of the slope, are the city's bar street and stay loud into the night. Place des Terreaux is quieter on most nights than its edges. Choose a hotel on a street off the squares, not on Rue Sainte-Catherine, and ask for a room at the back.
Good for
- Restaurants and bouchons on foot
- The Terreaux squares, the museum and the opera
- Metro lines A and C to Bellecour and the Croix-Rousse
Think twice if
- You sleep lightly: Rue Sainte-Catherine is loud late
- You want a calm, residential evening
Staying in Cordeliers and Terreaux: nearby sights, food and getting around
Vieux Lyon, for the old town
Cobbled lanes, covered passageways and the funicular up the hill, across the Saône from the Presqu'île. Beautiful, crowded and loud at weekends.
Vieux Lyon is the Renaissance quarter at the foot of the Fourvière hill, along the west bank of the Saône. Its narrow lanes, painted facades and covered passageways, the traboules, are what many visitors come for, and the funicular from the Saint-Jean metro stop climbs to the basilica in minutes. Bellecour is a short walk over the footbridge.
The price of that charm is crowds and noise. The main street, Rue Saint-Jean, is packed at midday and lively into the night, restaurants fill the lanes, and the cobbles carry every footstep and suitcase. Many buildings are old, with steep stairs, small lifts or none, and no way for a taxi to reach the door. Ask for a room at the back, and check the stairs before you book.
Good for
- Atmosphere, lanes and the funicular up to Fourvière
- Dinner in the old town without a metro ride
- Couples and short stays
Think twice if
- You sleep lightly: weekend nights are loud
- Stairs or cobbles are hard for you, or you have heavy luggage
- You want big rooms and modern hotels
Staying in Vieux Lyon: nearby sights, food and getting around
The Croix-Rousse, for a local Lyon
The old silk-weavers' hill north of the Presqu'île: a morning market, small restaurants and a village feel, with a steep walk or a metro ride home.
The Croix-Rousse is where Lyon's silk workers lived, in tall houses built to fit the looms, and its hillside streets and traboules still feel like a separate town. The plateau at the top has a daily market, bakeries and small restaurants, and fewer tourists than anywhere else on this page. Metro line C, a cog railway, climbs from the town hall in a few minutes.
The slope is the catch. The Pentes, the steep streets between the Terreaux and the plateau, are a stiff climb with luggage, and the walk back from dinner in the center is uphill all the way. There are fewer hotels here and more apartments, and the nightlife is quieter but less varied. It is a good second-night or longer stay, less so for a quick first visit.
Good for
- A local neighborhood with a daily market
- Quiet nights and lower prices
- A longer stay, or a return visit
Think twice if
- Hills or heavy bags are a problem: the climb is steep
- You want a wide choice of hotels
- You plan late evenings in the center and a long way home
Staying in Croix-Rousse: nearby sights, food and getting around
The Part-Dieu, for trains and practical stays
The main station, a large shopping center and business towers on the Rhône's east bank. Convenient, not charming.
The Part-Dieu is the modern district on the east bank of the Rhône, around the main station where the fast trains to Paris, Marseille and the Alps stop, and where the Rhônexpress tram from the airport arrives. It has the largest choice of chain and business hotels, and metro line B runs straight to the Presqu'île and on to Gerland.
There is little old Lyon here. The area is built of towers, a large shopping center and busy roads, it empties after the offices close, and prices can be higher on weekdays when business travelers fill the hotels. Bellecour is over half an hour on foot across the Rhône, or a few minutes by metro or tram, so it works best as a base for an early train or a late arrival rather than for wandering.
Good for
- An early train, or a late arrival from the airport
- Day trips by train
- Chain hotels with large rooms and air conditioning
Think twice if
- You want to wander old streets on your doorstep
- You want evenings out without a metro ride
Staying in Part-Dieu: nearby sights, food and getting around
Brotteaux, for calm residential streets
A well-kept residential district on the Rhône's east bank, beside the Tête d'Or park, with quiet evenings and the metro close.
Brotteaux is built on a grid of broad, calm streets east of the Rhône, between the river and the Part-Dieu. It has its own small railway station, some handsome apartment blocks, and the Parc de la Tête d'Or, the city's large park with a lake and a free zoo, a short walk to the north.
It is comfortable and uneventful. There are fewer sights than on the Presqu'île and not many hotels, but the streets are quiet at night and prices run lower than in the old town. Place Bellecour is about a half-hour walk across the Rhône bridges, or a short metro ride from Masséna or Foch.
Good for
- Quiet nights near a large park
- Prices below the old town
- Running or walking in the Tête d'Or
Think twice if
- You want restaurants and bars in the street outside
- You want to walk to the main sights
Staying in Brotteaux: nearby sights, food and getting around
Ainay, for a calm stay near the center
The quiet southern end of the Presqu'île: the oldest basilica in the city, antique shops and good restaurants, a short walk from Bellecour.
Ainay sits south of Place Bellecour, between the Rhône and the Saône, around the Romanesque Basilica of Saint-Martin d'Ainay. Its streets are lined with large townhouses, galleries and antique dealers, and it feels calmer and more residential than the shopping streets a few minutes north.
It has fewer hotels than the center and almost no crowds. The Perrache station and its shopping center lie to the south, and the roads and rail lines around it are noisy; stay closer to the basilica than to the station. Bellecour is about ten minutes on foot, Vieux Lyon a little more, and the Confluence is a walk or a short tram ride south.
Good for
- Couples and families who want calm and the center close
- Good restaurants without the bar crowds
- A walk to Bellecour and Vieux Lyon
Think twice if
- You want nightlife on the doorstep
- The room faces the roads around Perrache station
The Confluence, for modern hotels and the museum
A new waterside district at the tip of the peninsula where the two rivers meet, with big modern hotels, a shopping center and the Confluences museum.
The Confluence is the southern tip of the Presqu'île, redeveloped from old docks and markets into offices, flats, a shopping center and a marina, with the striking Musée des Confluences at the very end. Tram T1 runs up to Perrache and the center.
It is modern, tidy and a little empty in the evening. There is little old Lyon here and the main sights are two kilometers or more to the north, so you will use the tram. In return the hotels are newer and the rooms larger, and prices are often below those of the old town. Look at the walking time to Bellecour before you book.
Good for
- Newer hotels and larger rooms
- The Musée des Confluences and the riverside walk
- Lower prices than the old town
Think twice if
- You want to walk to the old town: it is a tram ride away
- You want street life in the evening
Staying in Confluence: nearby sights, food and getting around
Where not to stay in Lyon, and what to do instead
Every booking site lists these places to stay in Lyon. We would skip them, or at least choose with care. Nobody pays a commission on a warning.
- A room on Rue Saint-Jean or Rue Sainte-Catherine, if you need sleep
The main street of Vieux Lyon and the bar street at the foot of the Croix-Rousse both stay loud late. Ask for a room at the back, or stay two streets away.
- The roads around Perrache station, if you'll be out late
Handy for trains, and a noisy, less pleasant corner after dark. Stay in Ainay or near Bellecour and take the metro to the station.
- An old-town hotel with no lift, if stairs are hard for you
Many buildings in Vieux Lyon and on the Croix-Rousse have steep stairs and cobbled approaches. Check the floor and the lift before you book, not when you arrive.
- Early December without booking early
During the Festival of Lights, hotels near the center fill, rates climb and the streets are crowded in the evenings. Book as soon as your dates are fixed, or stay in the Part-Dieu or Brotteaux and take the metro.
- A hotel in the airport's business zone, for a city break
Cheap on paper, but a tram ride of about half an hour from the city. Lyon is walkable: stay in it.
Which neighborhood suits you
First time in Lyon
The Bellecour end of the Presqu'île, or Vieux Lyon if you can live with some noise.
Couples
Vieux Lyon for the lanes, or Ainay for calm.
Families with children
Ainay or Bellecour: flat, with the metro close, and the Tête d'Or park a ride away.
A tight budget
The Croix-Rousse or Brotteaux, a metro ride from the center.
Food
Cordeliers for the bouchons and the market halls, and the Croix-Rousse for its morning market.
Nightlife
The streets around Cordeliers and Terreaux, and Rue Saint-Jean in Vieux Lyon.
Peace and quiet
Ainay, Brotteaux or the plateau of the Croix-Rousse.
Day trips by train
The Part-Dieu, at the main station, and the airport tram.
Modern hotels and larger rooms
The Confluence or the Part-Dieu.
Before you book a room in Lyon
The practical things that decide whether a good hotel in Lyon makes a good stay.
- The tourist taxLyon charges a tourist tax per person per night, set by the category of the hotel. In 2026 it is €2.86 per night at a four-star hotel, including the 10% added on top, and less in lower categories. Children under 18 don't pay. It is collected by the hotel and usually isn't in the price the booking sites show.
- From Lyon-Saint-Exupéry airportThe Rhônexpress tram runs from the airport to Part-Dieu station in about 29 minutes, every 15 minutes from about 4.25am to midnight. A single ticket is €16 bought online, or €17.10 at the machine. It doesn't stop at Perrache or Bellecour, so you change to the metro for the Presqu'île.
- By trainLong-distance trains stop at the Part-Dieu or at Perrache. The Part-Dieu is on the east bank, and Perrache at the south end of the Presqu'île, so a hotel near the Presqu'île means a short metro ride from either.
- The Festival of LightsAround 8 December, Lyon lights its buildings and squares for several nights, and the crowds, the queues for the metro and the hotel rates all peak. Book as soon as your dates are fixed, and expect the streets around Bellecour, the Terreaux and Vieux Lyon to be packed in the evening.
- AugustMany restaurants and shops close for part of August, and the city is hot. The riverbanks are pleasant, but some of the places you came for may be shut.
- Lifts and stairsMany hotels in Vieux Lyon and on the slopes are in old buildings with small lifts or none. If stairs are hard for you, check the floor and the lift before you book.
Where to stay in Lyon: questions people ask
What's the best area to stay in Lyon for a first visit?
The Presqu'île, near Place Bellecour or the Cordeliers, for a central base with shops, restaurants and the metro at the door. Vieux Lyon is the alternative if you want the old town at your doorstep and can live with some noise.
Is it better to stay in Vieux Lyon or on the Presqu'île?
The Presqu'île for convenience and easy nights, Vieux Lyon for atmosphere. Both are a short walk apart over the Saône, so you are never far from the other.
Is the Croix-Rousse a good place to stay?
For a local feel and lower prices, yes. The market, the bakeries and the small restaurants are the draw. The catch is the hill: it is a steep climb with luggage, though the metro line C cog railway takes the strain.
Is the Part-Dieu a good place to stay?
For trains and the airport tram, yes. It has the widest choice of hotels and is easy to reach, but it is a modern business district with little character, and Bellecour is over half an hour on foot.
Where should I stay in Lyon for the Festival of Lights?
As close to the center as you can book, and as early as you can. The Presqu'île and Vieux Lyon put you at the lit squares, but rooms there sell out and cost more. The Part-Dieu or Brotteaux, a metro ride away, are a calmer second choice.
Can you walk everywhere in Lyon?
In the center, yes. Bellecour to Vieux Lyon is about ten minutes on the flat, and the Terreaux is about the same in the other direction. The hills are the exception: the Croix-Rousse and Fourvière are steep, and the funicular and the metro help.
How do I get from Lyon airport to the center?
The Rhônexpress tram reaches Part-Dieu station in about 29 minutes, every 15 minutes, for €16 online or €17.10 at the machine. From there, metro B or the tram takes you to the Presqu'île.
How much is the tourist tax in Lyon?
In 2026 it is €2.86 per person per night at a four-star hotel, with lower rates in lower categories. Under 18s don't pay. It is paid at the hotel, usually on top of the price shown online.
