Getting there: Lying at a crossroads of Europe, Lyon is easy to reach by car, train or plane. There is a dense network of highways (A6, A7, A42, A43, A47, and A48), putting Lyon in direct touch with Geneva, the Alps, Saint-Etienne, Clermont-Ferrand, Marseille, Nice and Paris. It's only a two-hour trip from Paris on the high-speed train, the TGV. The Lyon Saint Exupery Airport (renamed last summer in honor of the late author-aviator Antoine de Saint Exupery) is served by most major European airlines, and there are 66 direct destinations worldwide. The average cost of a taxi ride from the airport to the center of town is about 200 francs ($27). Many visitors rent bicycles. There are a number of pedestrian-only streets in the Presqui'le, the peninsula between the Rhone and Saone rivers that is the heart of the city, as well as bike paths along the Rhone.
Currency: With the strength of the U.S. dollar growing against the French franc and the Euro, traveling in France these days can be relatively inexpensive. As of Oct. 3, 2000, $1 would buy 7.47 francs.
Lodging: Lyon has 347 hotels with 10,000 hotel rooms, ranging from five-star establishments to a Holiday Inn to bed-and-breakfast inns and hostels. Rates range from more than 800 francs (about $108) at the five-star hotels to over 400 francs a night (about $54) at the four-star hotels to $71 francs (about $9.50) for a bed at one of the hostels. There are three campgrounds in the area.
Dining: Next to Paris, Lyon has more top-rated restaurants than any other city in France. One guidebook says it has more per square mile than any other city in all of Europe. Naturally, it would also be home to some of the world's most famous chefs.
One is Paul Bocuse, who has a restaurant by that name in an old house north of Lyon in Collonges-au-Mont-d'Or. Reservations are essential for this rather formal dining room where the favorite dish is truffle soup and sea bass. Expect to pay at least 400 francs (about $54) or more per person.
Another four-star eatery is Leon de Lyon, where Chef Jean-Paul Lacombe presides in another old house with alcoves and wood paneling. Dishes include such things as suckling pig, which comes with fois gras, onions and truffle salad. Dinner here is also going to top 400 francs per person.
Less expensive is the Cafe des Federations, where there is sawdust on the floor and sausages hanging from the ceiling.
Information: Visit Lyon's official tourism Web site: www.lyon-france.com.
Phone the French Government Tourist Office in New York City at (212) 838-7800.