Hi, I’m Lisa Garrett!

Your insider guide to Lyon, France

Planning a trip to Lyon?

I’m here to help you figure out where to stay, what to see, where to eat, which experiences are worth your time, and how to put it all together into a wonderful trip.

And I’m not just researching Lyon from home.

I’ve been there. Again and again.

I’ve stayed in Lyon’s neighborhoods, wandered its cobblestone streets, eaten my way through its bouchons and bakeries, explored its museums and historic sites, taken guided tours, used the public transportation, discovered hidden gems, and spent enough time in the city to see it from more than a visitor’s perspective.

And I keep going back.

Planning a trip and would rather have an expert help you put it all together? I can help with that, too. Learn about my travel planning services

Chris and I taking a gondola ride in Venice, Italy; the picture is in postcard format and says 'wish you were here!'.

My love affair with France started in Paris

I’m a retired engineer by profession. I earned my Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Arizona and spent more than twenty years working as an engineer for Intel.

(With a three-year detour where Chris and I owned and ran a bed and breakfast in Texas. But that’s another story!)

We’ve always loved to travel, and one of our early international trips was a whirlwind tour of Italy.

But the part of that trip that really changed me came afterward.

I took a night train from Rome to Paris and spent two weeks living with a host family and taking Berlitz language classes.

Every afternoon, I was free to explore Paris on my own.

The museums. The monuments. The neighborhoods. The food. The atmosphere.

I fell in love with France.

And I discovered how much I enjoyed really experiencing a place, rather than simply checking attractions off a list.

I’ve been returning to France ever since.

Then I discovered Lyon.

Lyon was the highlight of our third trip to France.

Chris and I stayed in an apartment in Vieux Lyon, just a few blocks from one of my favorite bakeries.

And the pastries?

Let’s just say Lyon immediately had my attention.

Spiral pastry with pink sugared almonds baked into the pastry.
Lyon has some of the best pastries I’ve eaten in France. And that’s saying a lot!

We explored the traboules, wandered through the historic neighborhoods, ate wonderful food, and discovered a city that felt different from the more obvious tourist destinations in France.

I was hooked.

And unlike some places I’ve visited, Lyon has only gotten better the more time I’ve spent there.

I’ve returned several times since that first visit, including a solo trip through France that finished in Lyon. I’ve taken tours I didn’t know about on earlier visits and discovered restaurants, neighborhoods, shops, museums, viewpoints, and hidden corners I’d somehow missed before.

And most recently, I spent two full weeks in Lyon.

The weather was unusually cold and rainy much of the time (the locals assured me that April isn’t normally like that!).

But I still had a fantastic time.

I ate delicious food, explored places I’d never seen before, revisited old favorites, and came home with even more Lyon experiences to share with you (and a few extra pounds).

What you’ll find here

There is a LOT of information online about Lyon.

My job is to help you figure out what is actually useful.

On Travel to Lyon, you’ll find practical, firsthand advice about:

🥐 Food & restaurants — what to eat, where to find it, and which Lyon specialties you shouldn’t miss.

🏛️ Things to do — the famous sights, museums, neighborhoods, and attractions that are worth your time.

🔎 Hidden gems — the less-obvious places and experiences that can make your trip memorable.

🏨 Where to stay — help choosing the Lyon neighborhood that’s right for your trip.

🚶‍♀️ Tours & experiences — ideas for seeing Lyon from a different perspective.

🚎 Getting around — practical information to help you navigate the city without stress.

🗺️ Itineraries & trip planning — ideas for putting all those individual pieces together.

My goal isn’t to give you the longest possible list of things to do.

It’s to help you have a better trip.

A perfect day in Lyon

Want to know what kind of traveler I am? Here’s my idea of a perfect Lyon day:

🥐 Start with a fabulous French pastry for breakfast (or maybe two…).

🚶‍♀️ Wander through Vieux Lyon, stopping to explore a hidden traboule.

🖼️ Discover something fascinating about Lyon’s history, architecture, or culture.

🧀 Pick up something delicious at a market for lunch.

🍷 Take my time over a meal at a cozy bouchon or outdoor café.

⛪ Leave room for discovery—whether that’s a hidden gem, a little shop, or somewhere I’ve never been before.

🚎 And when my feet finally give out, hop on Lyon’s easy-to-use public transportation.

That’s my kind of vacation: a little planning, plenty of wandering, and lots of good food.

And hopefully, that’s the kind of Lyon experience I can help you have, too.

And if you’d rather have someone help plan it…

You can absolutely use Travel to Lyon to plan your trip yourself.

That’s exactly why I created the site.

But maybe you’d rather not spend dozens of hours researching hotels, comparing tours, figuring out neighborhoods, and trying to make all the pieces fit together.

That’s where I can help.

I’m also a travel advisor.

So if you’d like expert help turning all of this Lyon inspiration into an actual vacation, I can help you plan the details and create a trip that fits your interests, your travel style, and the way you want to experience Lyon.

Want help planning your Lyon trip?

LET’S PLAN YOUR LYON TRIP!

Prefer to learn more about me first? Visit my Fora Travel profile

Or, if you’re still in the research stage, keep exploring Travel to Lyon. Start with my favorite Lyon attractions and see where your Lyon adventure takes you.

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A little more from Lisa

Travel to Lyon is my love letter to one of my favorite cities in France.

But it’s not my only travel project.

I also write Waves and Cobblestones, where I share travel experiences, tips, and inspiration from destinations around the world.

You can visit Waves and Cobblestones here.

I’ve also had the opportunity to contribute to and be featured by travel publications and websites including MSN, Explorers Away, Wander Era, Our Woven Journey, XYU and Beyond, Flannels or Flip Flops, and A World to Travel.

I’ve also been quoted for my travel and blogging insights and have appeared on travel podcasts.

Bienvenue à Lyon!

Whether you’re planning your first visit to Lyon or returning because, like me, you just can’t stay away, I hope Travel to Lyon helps you make the most of your time in this wonderful city.

Happy travels,

Lisa