FRANCE - Europe by Eurail 2015: Touring Europe by Train - page 150

Sights/Attractions/Tours
Cityrama Lyon operates a 1½-hour sightseeing bus tour of Lyon. Tel: [phone]
00; www.pariscityrama.com . The buses are equipped with headsets providing ex-
planations of the tour sights in six languages, including English. Fare for adults,
€18; one child rides free for each paying adult. Buses depart daily every hour from
1000-1815 April through October, and at 1000, 1130, 1400, and 1600 November
through March. Hop on and off whenever you want at any of the nine stops. Ask
for a folder at the tourist office.
Or join the Lyon Tourist Office's guided tour, “A Stroll Through Old Lyon,” which
is conducted on foot over a two-hour period. Departures are daily throughout the
tourist season at a charge of €10. An evening tour is also available. The tourist of-
fice also offers self-guided audio tours to discover Lyon at your own pace in about
three hours for €7 (available in English, German, Italian, and Spanish).
Le Vieux Lyon (Old Lyon) is a charming area to visit. For your convenience use
the funiculaires (funicular) to gain the summit. Take bus No. 44 from the station
annex and ask the driver to let you off at the St. Jean bus stop. The funicular sta-
tion is located at rue St. Jean and avenue Max, immediately to the left of place St.
Jean.
Old Lyon is said to be the most extensive Renaissance area in France. It covers
about 1 mile along the right bank of the Saone River at the foot of Fourvière
Hill. The historic area of Lyon, the Fourvière Hill, Croix-Rousse Hill, Renaissance
Quarter, and the Peninsula were recognized as UNESCO World Heritage architec-
tural sites. While visiting the Fourvière Hill area, check out Lyon's answer to Paris's
Eiffel Tower, located behind the basilica. The Lyonese claim their tower is 5 feet
higher than the Parisians', and it is—above sea level, that is.
Day Excursions
Contrasts continue in the selection of day excursions from Lyon, the third-largest
city in France. A scant 25 miles short of Geneva, the town of Annecy and its
crystal-clear lake wait to charm you. Annecy's old quarter, lying back from the lake,
has one of Europe's finest marketplaces.
Dijon vies with Lyon for gastronomic honors. During your visit to Dijon, you will
want to shop for its world-renowned product, mustard. But that's not all it has to
offer. The history of Burgundy breathes in Dijon, its capital, and you will want to
catch its scent.