Lyon in 2-3 days

Day 1

After kicking the morning off in the Old Town with the inevitable croissant (or if you fancy something local to the city, a praline brioche), get the blood pumping by climbing up to Notre-Dame de Fourviere. The view of the city is spectacular but the church itself is rather disappointing.

Then head back to the Presqu’Ile and up the town’s main shopping strip from Place Bellecour towards Place des Terraux and L’Opera. After lunch on Rue Merciére, head to the Musée de Beaux Arts de Lyon for a spot of culture before making your way to a Peniche for a well earned drink. If you haven’t already been to one for lunch, make sure to try out a bouchon for dinner. Rue des Marronniers is a good bet.

Day 2

Head to the markets in the morning to stock up your picnic basket before getting yourself a Velo’V public bike and heading to the Parc de la Tête D’Or for a lunch of cheese, paté and a bottle of local red.

From there head up to the Croix-Rousse, the old silk-weaver’s district, for more panoramic views and the chance to explore the many “traboules” — tunnels and alleyways originally erected by the silk weavers for shelter, but which have also been known to come in handy as escape networks for prewar gangsters and later resistance fighters during WWII. Have dinner at Bocuse’s “Le Sud”.

Day 3

Head either to the Textiles Museum or the Musée Lumiére (once the home of inventors of the moving picture, the Lumiére brothers, and home today to many treasures of cinema history), depending on your tastes. And round off your trip in style with a night dinner cruise on the Rhône.

In one week

Take the 2-3 day itinerary, before heading off up through the wine regions and into the Alps in a rental car.