24 Hours in Lyon, France

When planning my 2022 trip to Europe, originally France was not in the cards, but Geneva, Switzerland was. Once we realized that Lyon, France was just two hours away from Geneva by train, we decided to make a stop on our way from Barcelona.

Intercontinental Lyon

After a five-hour train ride from Barcelona, we arrived and headed straight to our hotel at the Intercontinental Lyon Hotel. It was around 40 Euros for a 10-minute taxi ride from the train station.

The Intercontinental offers a restaurant that is located in a courtyard in the middle of the hotel. We had an impeccable four-course lunch that was paired with a glass of French wine. This hotel had great food but even better service. After having lunch we headed into ‘Old’ Lyon— we had to hustle because we only had a few hours to explore before getting ready for dinner.

Lyon was not what I expected— it’s a diverse city with beautiful architecture all around. There were so many shops for buying local goodies like wine and art.

We’ve never been to Lyon so we were not sure what to expect. We were aware that the city is renowned for its gastronomy, largely due to the influence of the late Paul Bocuse, who was known as the Pope of Gastronomy. We knew we had to visit his restaurant.

Paul Bocuse is a must-visit! Although Mr. Bocuse is gone, his legacy is alive and well at his restaurant. If you ever have the chance to visit Lyon, please take the opportunity to enjoy this remarkable restaurant. They have set or a la carte menus. We indulged in a set menu with about six courses that ended with a dessert cart. By the time we got to the desert, I was so full. We spent approximately $1,200 for two people on the meal, but it was completely worth it.

Just like that, our 24 hours were up in Lyon. It wasn’t even close to enough— I guess I have to be back.