Introducation of Lyon

Lyon is a city in east central France. Location: 45°46′1?N, 4°50′3?E. Together with its suburbs and satellite towns, Lyon forms the second largest metropolitan area in France after Paris, with 1,648,216 inhabitants at the 1999 census, and approximately the 20th to 25th largest metropolitan area of Western Europe.

Lyon is the capital of the Rhône-Alpes region, and the prefecture (capital) of the Rhône departement. The city gave its name to the Lyonnais province, of which it was the capital. Today the region around Lyon is still known as Lyonnais (French: le Lyonnais), or sometimes even as the Lyonnaise Region (French: Region Lyonnaise). Lyonnaise Region is an unofficial, popular name, not to be confused with the administrative region of Rhône-Alpes, which is much larger than the Lyonnaise Region.

Lyon is also the international headquarters of interpol.in December 1998, Lyon became one of only a few urban centers on the UNESCO World Heritage List. The city’s major asset resides in the way that
it has developed, enabling each of its districts to conserve their own distinctive architectural hallmarks. As a city, Lyon is characterized by contrasts in its setting, between its two hills - the Fourvière and Croix-Rousse - and between its two rivers - the Rhone and the Sâone. Lyon also demonstrates its mixed heritage, by displaying traits of a typical northern French town in some areas, while other features bear witness to its Latin heritage.

The city’s history begins on Fourvière Hill, where vestiges of the original Roman city are still evident. The Romans named Lyon Lugdunum, meaning the ‘city of light’. This tradition continues to the present day - every evening throughout the year, more than one hundred sites throughout the city are lit up to show the splendor of Lyon’s architecture. (more…)

Lille Excursions

Roubaix: Roubaix, now the centre of mail-order shopping, is the former heart of the French textiles industry. It used to be known as the ‘city of 1,000 chimneys’ and many of the old factories still stand. Don’t miss La Piscine, 23 rue de l’Esperance , a delightful art museum located in the former Art Deco swimming pool: the museum includes collections of paintings, sculptures, drawings, textiles, fashion, design and ceramics. Shopoholics can visit L’Usine (The Factory) a massive bargain shopping mall selling well known brands of discounts of up to 60%. For more information, contact Office du Tourisme de Roubaix, 12 place de la Liberte .

Musee d’Art Moderne Lille Metropole: Located in Villeneuve d’Ascq, this is a striking museum (the building looks like a construction of Lego bricks) set in a private compound in the middle of a lovely urban park. Opened in1983, it was designed by the architect Roland Simounet to house a prestigious collection donated in 1979 to the city of Lille by Jean Masurel, a Northern textile factory owner and patron of several modern artists from the 1950s on. Works by Leger, Derain, Braque, Picasso, Modigliani, Miro, Masson and Klee, to name but a few. 1 allee du Musee.

Getting Around Lille

Public Transport

Transpole operates a good network of buses, trams and an automated, driverless metro - the ‘VAL’.

The town centre is very walkable, but the metro is useful for longer journeys: it works from 0500-midnight. Buy a carnet of 10 tickets in advance to save money.

Alternatively, a daily travel card, the Pass’Journee, allows you to travel anywhere on the network all day. More information is available .

There is a shuttle linking the car parks at Champ de Mars, Norexpo et Porte de Valenciennes, via boulevard de la Liberte (stops at rue Nationale, place de la Republique, rue de Valmy, boulevard Jean-Baptiste Lebas) and boulevard Louis XIV (stop at Lille Grand Palais). Every 10-13 minutes daily except Sunday and bank holidays, 0700-2000.

Taxi

Taxis are available day and night from the main taxi ranks located at the airport, outside Lille Europe and Lille Flandres stations, and at various busy locations in town. Taxis can also be booked in advance from Taxi Union , Taxi Gare and Taxi Rihour .

Car Hire

Car rental is available from Ada, Avis , Europcar, Hertz (all at Lille Europe, call for other locations) and Rent A Car .

Bicycle and Scooter Hire

Ch’ti velo, in the Lille-Flandres station and at 146 rue Pierre Legrand, has bikes for hire and is open seven days a week.

Getting in Lille

By Air

Aeroport de Lille

The airport is located in Lesquin, 10km (6 miles) from Lille. A shuttle links the airport with the city centre in 20 minutes and runs from 0530-2230 during the week, and depending on flights at the weekend. Neither British Airways nor any of the no-frills airlines fly there, though, and even Air France does not have any direct flights from the UK. From the UK, the best option by far is Eurostar (see Getting There by Train).

By Rail

The easiest way to get to Lille from the UK is with Eurostar, either from London Waterloo (journey time - 1 hour 40 minutes) or Ashford in Kent (journey time - 1 hour). Trains depart regularly throughout the day but early booking is advisable for the best fares.

Information on other train services to Lille are available from the Societe Nationale des Chemins de Fer Français (SNCF) . Both the Lille Europe (for Eurostar) and Lille Flandres stations are located in the city centre.

By Road

Motorways bear the prefix ‘A’ and national roads ‘N’. Minor roads are classed as ‘D’ (departementales) roads. Traffic is on the right and drivers must give way to the right, unless the route is marked with Passage Protege signs (a broad arrow, a yellow diamond or an ‘X’ on a triangular background) or the driver is at a roundabout indicating ‘vous n’avez pas la priorite’ (‘you do not have the right of way’).

Speed limits are 130kph (80mph) on motorways; 110kph (68mph) on dual carriageways separated by a central reservation; 90kph (56mph) outside built-up areas and 50kph (30mph) in built-up areas. Drivers who have held a driving licence for less than two years have different speed restrictions to those who have been driving for longer - a maximum speed limit of 110kph (68mph) is enforced.

The minimum age for driving is 18 years. Seatbelts must be worn by all front- and rear-seat passengers. Under-10s may not travel in the front seat. A national driving licence, the car’s registration document and a red warning triangle must be carried at all times, or the driver is liable for a fine. EU nationals taking their own cars to France are strongly advised to obtain a Green Card, without which insurance cover is limited to the legal minimum.

The Green Card tops this up to the level of cover provided by the car owner’s domestic policy. All headlamp beams must be adjusted for right-side driving by use of beam deflectors or by tilting the headlamp bulb-holder. The French police fine motorists on the spot for driving offences such as speeding. Random breath tests for drinking and driving are common; the maximum legal alcohol to blood ratio is 0.05%.

Lille has excellent road links, located as it is at the crossroads of five motorways: the A1 from Paris, the A25 from Dunkirk and Calais, the A23 from Valenciennes, the A27 from Brussels, and the A22 from Ghent, Antwerp and Amsterdam.

Driving from the UK, you’ll have to go by ferry over the Channel or use the Eurotunnel to Calais, which is a mere 57 miles (92km) from Lille.

In Lille, car parks are available at Champ de Mars, Porte de Valenciennes and Norexpo. A shuttle links these three car parks with the city centre. Outside the city, in Porte des Postes, CHR Calmette, St Philibert and 4 Cantons, free parking is available.