Travel and Lodging May 15 2014

Before you can enjoy the wonder of the RuLu conference, you have to get to Lyon. Sleeping indoors always makes a conference more enjoyable as well. We'd like to help with both of those pursuits.

Getting to Lyon

If you're nearby, you can take a regional train (TER). From a little farther away, the TGV is your best bet. Out of TGV range? You'll be flying into Lyon's Saint Exupéry Airport.

By Train

In the Rhône-Alpes region, the TER trains are cheap and convenient. Rserve your ticket on the SNCF site. Your destination is Lyon Part-Dieu, which is convenient because it is a transport hub with connections to busses, trams, and the Metro system.

Outside the region, check the SNCF or CapitaineTrain site for routes from your location to Lyon. The trains stop at Gare Part-Dieu and Perrache. Once you choose a place to stay, you can decide which endpoint is best for you.

By Plane

Reserve a round-trip on the Rhônexpress to get from the airport to the city and back. You can buy your tickets onboard the train, but it's cheaper to reserve in advance and not difficult at all. After you land, follow the signs to the platform. The trains arrive every 15-30 minutes depending on the time of day. Choose a flight to LYS or check with your preferred discount airline or bucket shop.

Transport Within the City

The transport operator in Lyon is TCL, and their web site is very useful. Open that site in a tab; after you decide where to stay, you can plan your route from the train station. The site will suggest Metro, bus or tram, or some combination. Look at later trips to see if there is a simpler one. There is also a great app if you have data service on your phone (iPhone or Android). There is free wifi in many locations, like the Gare Part-Dieu.

Sleeping Arrangements

There are many hotels in Lyon, and of course Airbnb and VRBO can help too. The conference venue is on the peninsula near the center of the city, in the 2nd Arrondissement.

Sleepability

Bellecour isn't too noisy unless there is an event there, like the Fête de la Musique. Which is on the 21st, so if you don't plan to get out and enjoy the music, you might not want to stay too close to the places where bands are playing. Vieux Lyon has a ton of character, and it's also full of restaurants bars so you can expect noisy people to be leaving those bars around closing time. If you're planning to close the bars yourself, cool! The apartments and hotels in Vieux Lyon are old and interesting and charming. Near Gare Part-Dieu there are a lot of hotels that don't generally have so much character, but they are close to transportation, and also close to Les Halles de Lyon - Paul Bocuse where you can have a spectacular culinary experience. Remember that the trains run at night also, and pay attention to the location of the tracks relative to your hotel. Of course there are many neighborhoods in Lyon and this is not an exhaustive list.