The choice is less obvious between Lyon, a French city in the Rhône-Alpes region, rich in heritage and cultural sites, and Paris, the capital of France, both a world center of art, fashion and culture. . So, to better separate these two destinations, discover without delay the elements that may influence your choice.
Lyon vs Paris: the comparison criteria
To be able to congratulate yourself on your choice of holiday destination, it is important to take into account your desires, of course, but also to take into account certain criteria that can influence the success of a stay: climate, cost of living , types of activities available, tourist attractions ...
This match of destinations leads you to choose between Lyon and Paris, French cities appreciated for their respective tourist assets.
Lyon, a city two thousand years old in the historic Rhône-Alpes region, stands out for its exceptional heritage and its archaeological treasures. You can admire Roman ruins, buildings with medieval and Renaissance architecture (Fourvière hill and Old Lyon, etc.). Cultural destination par excellence, Lyon will also delight lovers of modern history and the culinary arts ...
Place des Jacobins, Lyon
Paris, capital of France, is one of the most beautiful capitals in the world, with its avenues and unmissable monuments such as the Eiffel Tower and the Gothic Notre-Dame cathedral which dates from the XNUMXth century. The city of Paris, capital of fashion is an internationally renowned shopping destination, also famous for its cafes, its luxury boutiques along the rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré, not to mention the riverboat cruise on the Seine.
Which city to choose according to the climate and the weather?
To determine the most climate-friendly city, all you have to do is take into account the climatic conditions that offer the greatest number of bright and pleasant days for an urban getaway.
Best weather forecast: Paris
The nuances between the climatic conditions of the city of Lyon and those of the city of Paris are hardly marked. And yet, the French capital is favored by the oceanic influence of its climate, resulting in milder winters, compared to those of Lyon. Likewise, during the summer season, Paris has many sunny and bright days, in addition to the particularly pleasant heat. Note that for the same period, Lyon is quite humid. In addition, its semi-continental climate explains the fairly rapid drop in temperatures in autumn.
MORE DETAILS :
• See the annual climate of Paris
• See the annual climate of Lyon
Paris, The Seine
Which city to choose according to the price of plane tickets?
The cheapest airline ticket prices during low and high tourist seasons are used as a point of comparison to find the preferred destination.
The cheapest average round trip price: Lyon
The city of Lyon is more affordable, since the return plane ticket costs less than that for Paris, especially from cities like Bordeaux, Nantes or Toulouse. On the other hand, the price of the flight to Paris from the European capitals like Geneva and Brussels seems to be more advantageous compared to that to Lyon.
The destination to choose according to your budget
By taking into account the costs of living during the stay, it is possible to determine which city is the most accessible with a reasonable travel budget.
The cheapest city: Lyon
For a getaway of two or three days only, Paris and Lyon are the same, close to a few euros. But when it comes to a stay of a week or more, the capital of France is more expensive than the capital of the Rhône-Alpes. Indeed, if the other expenditure items such as catering, transport, travel and activities make very little difference, the budget for accommodation must be substantial enough to make a successful stay in Paris. So, if you have a limited budget, choose the city of Lyon.
Basilica of Notre Dame de Fourvière, Lyon
Quality of life: health, safety, pollution
Which city should be favored in terms of well-being: Lyon or Paris? To get the answer, all you have to do is look at health and safety issues.
It's good to live in Lyon
The city of Lyon offers a better quality of life than Paris, according to its high safety index. This suggests that the level of delinquency is lower there. In addition, the air is more pleasant there, thanks to its many green spaces, including the Parc de la Tête d'Or with its 120 ha area, which makes it one of the largest urban parks in France.
Which city to choose according to travelers' opinions: Lyon or Paris?
If you're still having trouble making up your mind, you can also rely on the opinions of travelers who have had a successful stay in Paris or Lyon.
Travelers prefer: Lyon and Paris
Obviously ! Opinions differ when it comes to choosing between Lyon and Paris. And for good reason, these destinations have tourist assets that make them irresistible. One can alternate visits to museums and historical sites. Only those looking for authenticity and wanting to taste the famous Lyon corks will enjoy Lyon, while those looking for a romantic atmosphere will go to Paris.
Which destination to choose for a weekend or a week: Lyon or Paris?
Which destination to choose according to the time you have available: Lyon or Paris? To answer it, you just need to find out what activities to do during that time.
For a romantic weekend, prefer Paris
In addition to the many monuments and museums to discover in Paris, the French capital is full of activities conducive to romance, such as a boat trip on the Seine, a one-to-one dinner in a restaurant gastronomic. Moreover, Paris is aptly named the “city of love”.
Pont Neuf, Paris
For a week, prefer Paris and Lyon
Thanks to the many monuments, museums and historical sites that characterize both Lyon and Paris, these two destinations are suitable for a stay of a week or more. Indeed, the diversity of activities leaves no room for boredom, especially since everyone can find what they are looking for: cultural discovery, gastronomic getaway, etc.
Which city to choose, depending on the places of interest to visit?
The success of a stay depends on the quality of the accommodation, but also on the diversity of the activities to be done. So which city is more attractive, in terms of cultural discovery, Lyon or Paris?
The city with the most UNESCO classified sites: Lyon
With its cultural and architectural heritage, Lyon has 4 historic districts, listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1998. Spread over 500 ha, the districts of Vieux-Lyon, the Fourvière hill, the slopes of Croix-Rousse and a large part of the Presqu'île, located between the Rhône and the Saône, will take you back in time.
Read also : the essentials in Lyon
In Paris, the banks of the Seine, from where you can see among others the Louvre, the Eiffel Tower, the Place de la Concorde, the Grand Palais, the Petit Palais, the Notre-Dame cathedral and the Sainte-Chapelle, form a site of exceptional beauty, classified as a World Heritage Site by Unesco.
Gallo-Roman theaters, Lyon
The most cultural destination: Lyon and Paris
The cities of Lyon and Paris are among the most popular destinations for foreigners visiting France, because of the cultural aspect of these two destinations. Indeed, Lyon, with its 2 years of history has preserved buildings from the Roman era (The ancient theater of Lugdunum, leaning against the hill of Fourvière), from the medieval period, the Renaissance as well as the industrial revolution (textiles).
As for Paris, the city has many must-see museums and monuments (Notre-Dame de Paris cathedral, the Sacré-Cœur basilica in Montmartre, the Eiffel tower and the Arc de Triomphe, the Louvre and Orsay museums, etc.). In addition, the city of Lyon is a gastronomic capital, as renowned as Paris, thanks to the heritage left by Paul Bocuse.
So, which is your choice: Lyon or Paris?
Choosing between Paris and Lyon is not an easy task. But now that you can take other factors into account, all you have to do is choose the city that charmed you the most! Lyon or Paris? Whatever your preference, we're curious about your choice, so share it in the comments.
