International Student Accommodation in Lyon
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Quai Docteur Gailleton 69002 |
Apartment | ||
| 1600€ pcm | Map | View | |||
City Guide
The City
Lyon is a sprawl of urbanisation which lies on the banks of two major rivers; the Rhone and the Saone, only coming to a head at their convergence which has formed a peninsula (presqu’ile) between the two. Lyon’s wealth and its development over the years is largely thanks to the silk trade. Through the cobbled streets of Vieux Lyon (the old quarter) can be found many hidden passages ’Les Traboules’ which intertwine amongst buildings and courtyards. The traboules were engineered to facilitate the transportation of the silk up from the river (Saone) to the workshops, factories and outlets in order to minimise exposure to the polluted air and keep the silk in its purest form.
The presqu’ile is the heart of Lyon’s thriving affluence with Bellecour, an enormous square home to a fantastic statue of Louis XIV, the centre piece. From Bellcour leads la Rue de la Republique, a pedestrianised road which constitutes the main shopping area in Lyon. At the other end of this magnificently wide boulevarde littered with Renaissance architecture lies l’Hotel de Ville, the famous ’marmite’ Opera House (you either love it or hate it), and la Place des Terreaux in the centre of which can be found a truly amazing water feature; a statue of a half-naked goddess harnessing the power of four raging stallions, which depicts the Rhone and its four tributaries.
Lyon is geographically in a fantastic location. On a good day you can see Mont Blanc from the top of the Fourviere. You can be in the centre of the French Alps for as little as 10€ and a few hours on the train, so is an ideal location if you are looking to make the most of a cold French winter. When the summer roles in you are also only a couple of hours from the French Riviera and the beauty of the south thanks to an excellent TGV service.
For museum lovers, there is the Museum of Fine Arts (Le Musée des Beaux Arts), a Resistance museum, a puppet museum, and an African museum, as well as several places paying remembrance to the Lumière Brothers who invented the motion picture in 1895.
La Quai du Rhône is the site for bars and clubs on boats, such as Sirius, le Platforme, Q Boat and la Marquise (good for after hours!), and book fairs and flea markets at weekends. Sunbathe, skateboard, cycle or walk along “les berges du Rhône” at Guillotière, which in summer reminds you of the artificial beach in Paris, complete with a seasonal open air swimming pool! At night, “les berges du Rhône” at Guillotière come alive with a lively yet safe environment of people chatting and enjoying a few aperitifs.
Go up to the top of the peak overlooking Lyon at Fourvière and visit the magnificent Catholic Basilica, one of the few in existence not owned by the Vatican. Whilst you’re up there, take a bird’s eye view of the rest of the city. On a clear day, you can see Mont Blanc and the Alps in the distance. Another good place for views of the city is the top floor bar of the Radisson hotel located in “le Crayon”, Lyon’s skyscraper.
Parc de la Tête d’Or, north-central Lyon close to Massena, is where the Lyonnais people come out to play at the weekends and is a great place to relax in the sun when it is less busy during the week. It offers a free zoo and safari park, a good place to jog, 4-person bicycle carts, pedal boats and rowing boats on the lake, acres of grass for a kick-about and plenty of spots to picnic. Pebble beaches can be found on the River Rhône in the north of the city, close to the INSA engineering school campus (Tramway T1 northbound).
Take one of the oldest funiculars still in function today anywhere in the world to Croix-Rousse on a Sunday to get your groceries from the huge fresh produce market, then walk through the “traboules” (interlinking pedestrian tunnels) down hill towards the old town, via a Scientology church, stopping in on a few of the remaining silk workshops that funded so much of the growth of the city in past times. There are some great gift ideas and silk ties to be purchased! (Guided walking tours through the traboules, used by the Resistance during the Second World War to avoid the Nazi officers, and workshop tours are available.)
Transport
There is little need to order taxis in Lyon as the public transport on offer is so efficient. There is an underground metro system, over-land trams, local, national and international train services, electric cable buses and a system of free bicycle hire called the “vélo’v”, the first system of its kind anywhere in the world. You simply use a bank card with at least €150 of credit to act as a deposit, claim a swipe card and pick up a bicycle from one of hundreds of bicycle stations located all over the city. Travelling this way is free for the first half hour of use, then around €1 per hour after that. When you have finished your journey, simply find one of the numerous and practically located bicycle stations and park up. Easy!
The metro, buses and trams all use the same tickets. A single journey ticket costs €1.50 and you can use the ticket as much as you want for an hour. Night time, off-peak and day tickets are also available. These three forms of public transport run from around 5:30am until 00:30am. Lyon, being quite a compact city, means that walking is always an option.
University
There are three major universities in Lyon: Lyon I,II and III. All three specialise in different areas and are spread out across the city.
Université Lyon I, is primarily science and medicine based and is located to the north of the city at the La Doua campus. The campus is quite big but also quite dated however does offer some excellent sports facilities (there are free tennis courts if you fancy a quick knock), it is easy to get to and it has its own tram stop.
Université Lyon II, is an arts and languages focused university. The main campus is located on the outskirts of the city towards Bron, but again is quite easily accessible on the tram. The campus, and a lot of the students have quite a bohemian feel, and when they are not in lectures can often be spotted wandering the streets of the old town.
For students studying at l’Université Lumière Lyon II – Your main building is at Quai Claude-Bernard on the Rhone (Tramway T1 has a stop right outside the university building) and you can enjoy top of the range computer facilities in the new computer rooms filled with Apple Mac PCs. This is also the site of the main library. There is another site at the Porte des Alpes, on Tramway T2, in the south of the city. This is near a big shopping centre with an Auchan mega store and Ikea for buying useful items for your accommodation! (See http://www.univ-lyon2.fr/ for details about the university, the courses on offer and a map.)
Université Jean Moulin Lyon III, concentrates on the subject areas of business and law, however they do also have a growing language department. The university is again spread out around the city, but most international students will find themselves at the Manufacture des Tabacs, a converted tobacco factory (hence the name) which has been beautifully developed to offer a stunning contrast between the old and the new. From the centre of town the best way to get there is on the metro, line D, stopping as Sans Soucis. When you get off just follow the hoard of students who will lead you back to the university.
For students studying at l’Université Jean Moulin Lyon III – The International Relations office that deals with ERASMUS student registration, accommodation issues, module choices, Fresher’s Week induction courses and French language classes can be found at the “Manufacture des Tabacs” site, Cours Albert Thomas, near “Sans Souci” metro station. The main contact for prospective students is Chantal Ortillez, head of the International Relations team. Her email address is ortillez@univ-lyon3.fr. The university has another major campus at 15 Quai Claude Bernard. This site is used mostly by students studying masters courses. (See http://www.univ-lyon3.fr/ for more information about the university itself, details about the courses available and a map for directions.)
There is even a McDonalds(!) on site and has a nice student pub round the corner called Red House, with pool tables, an upstairs dance floor and often shows major sporting events. Lyon III also offers a variety of sporting options, such as football, wall climbing, tennis, squash, dance classes and a gym. There is no real university “society” culture in Lyon (e.g. Law Society, Medics Society, French Society etc), so meeting new people and arranging nights out depends on your own initiative.
Food and Drink
Lyon is the gastronomical capital of France, so as you can imagine there are restaurants everywhere! The highest concentration is in the old town, where in the summer the already narrow streets are crammed with people eating and generally enjoying life. If you are on a budget there are bargains to be had, with most places offering set 3 course menus between 15 and 20€. The Bouchons Lyonnais are some of the best restaurants and are only given the name if they have a certain amount of local produce on the menu. Some of the local delicacies are very agricultural and might scare you a bit but there will always be something pleasing on the menu. Have a look through the Petit Paume for some good recommendations and to find some new places.
Seafood, international cuisine, classics such as moules frites and steak frites, regional French cuisine and local Lyonnais specialities are all easily accessible for those who enjoy dining out. Paul Bocuse, a Michelin star chef, has founded 4 affordable brasseries, called Nord, Sud, Est and Ouest, each serving dishes with different regional influences. The clue as to what influences are used in the cuisine at each brasserie is in the name! Rue des Marroniers and Rue Mercier at Bellecour and Hotel de Ville respectively are quaint cobbled streets literally lined with restaurants and are great places to dine. Indian cuisine can be found in Vieux Lyon (old town) and Vietnamese, Chinese, Japanese, Italian and even Reunionnais cuisine can be found dotted all over. A small “Chinatown” can be found behind Guillotière. North African goods and foods can be found at Guillotière, also. For safety, it is recommended that girls do not walk through Guillotière alone at night time.
Out on the Town
Lyon is a great student city with loads of bars and clubs to see. The old town (Vieux Lyon) is filled with bars, cafe’s and restaurants which are all worth a try. Some of the favourite haunts for UK students in this area are The Smoking Dog and Jonny Walsh’s, both typically English/Irish pubs with lots of character and always lively. They are open till reasonably late 1am and 2am respectively but if you fancy carrying on then check out the melting pub; a bizarre little place where people seem to congregate until the sun comes up. Although these are some great pubs, please don’t spend too much time there, you won’t learn any French and will have missed out on all of the local culture. Treat yourself once in a while.
In the centre of town one of the favourites is Ayers Rock, situated just behind La Place des Terreaux. An australian bar, which is open till 3am where you can get on the tables and dance the night away. It’s probably the closest thing that you will get to an English student night. We do recommend that you be careful (especially the girls) around that area as it is quite seedy.
If you fancy something a bit more up-market or club like, then head down to the banks of the Rhone, where you will find river boats that have been converted into nightclubs. The Fish is one of the more popular but it is quite expensive and you will have to pay to get in, it is open till 7am so you can get your money’s worth. Further out again, in an old converted train station is the First. An exclusive nightclub where all the footballers and other celebrities hang-out, you won’t get a beer for less than 10€ though!
These are just a few bars and clubs in the city, however there are many, many more. Check out ’Le Petit Paume’ for listing and recommendations of all the bars and restaurants around the city.
Vieux Lyon, the old town, is the site of many bars and pubs, and has a distinct ERASMUS atmosphere. Here you will find the ubiquitous Irish pub, such as Johnny Walsh’s (and its neighbouring restaurant good for pub food, Johnny’s Kitchen) and the Cavern. Also in this area are craft shops and beautifully maintained architecture from up to 300 years ago. You can also find “Café Théâtre” comedy shows here. Place des Terreaux and the surrounding area have some plusher bars. Some clubs worth looking into are La Chapelle, an old castle found on the hill side next to Perrache, for house music lovers. The music is accompanied by performers and entertainers; DV1 offers techno and electro music; Ayers Rock offers party classics and cheese and can be found at Hotel de Ville; le Fridge on Boulevard Vivier Merle near Part Dieu has some good student nights; Loft at Jean Macé has up-to-date dance music, but beware of the bouncers who can seem quite arbitrary, and also the mandatory hand bag and oat check-in at the cloakroom; and La Voile at Perrache for some fun studenty nights.
Day Tripper
Grenoble- take a ride in the bauble look-a-like cable cars and explore the fortress carved into the mountain, and take in the mountain views and views of the city below.
Bourg-en-Bresse- visit the famous working monastery and taste the local speciality dish, chicken cooked in a truffle and cream sauce.
Annecy- a beautiful tourist hot-spot featuring a large lake and recreational activities such as motorized boat hire, cycling and walking.
All three of these places above are close to Lyon, and it is advisable to buy a “12-25” travel card to use with the national railway network to get up to half price tickets. It costs €50. If you also plan journeys to Paris, Marseille, Bordeaux, the Côte d’Azur and so on, it is worth the investment!
Lyon is home to several ski tour companies. There is the possibility to have a day trip to the French Alps to go skiing for the cost of around €30, including ski hire and your ski pass for the day. This is great for beginners or those watching their budget. Coaches leave from the main post office behind Bellecour at 6 am, you arrive at around 8:30, ski the whole day (lessons are available at the ski resorts at an extra cost, and can last an hour or the whole day) and then leave at around 5pm to be back in Lyon for around 8 or 9 pm. Very handy!
Annual Festivals
Biennal de la Danse– this happens in the month of September in years ending in even numbers (the last one was 2006). Several public squares and the Opéra at Hotel de Ville host dance shows of various styles, from several different cultures.
Look out for the Beaujolais wine festival at the beginning of November. Free wine is on offer all evening as the wine from the previous year’s harvest is first opened. Aside from the wine, there are great local food produce stalls and there is a really festive and safe atmosphere to enjoy a memorable evening.
Each year Lyon celebrates the “Fete des Lumières” in December, an annual event with religious and historical undertones, and you should try to make the most of the spectacle. The city is lit up in lights with spectacular light shows at several locations dotted around the city, and plenty of “vin chaud” and roasted chestnuts to keep you warm!
Administration
Unless you are from outside of the EU you will not likely require a “carte de séjour”, however most administrative tasks such as opening a bank account requires a lot of paper work, so be organised. Proof of residence certificates from the concierge of your residence (“attestation de logement”), proof of student status (“attestation de statut étudiant”), driving licences, passports and passport photos are all commonly requested documentation. You can’t arrange an interest-free overdraft like you can in England, as you are not allowed to go into debt at all with most student bank accounts. Le Crédit Lyonnais offers presents (either an MP3 player or a when you sign up to open your account with them, as long as you bring a friend to sign up with you (“parrainage”).
If you are unfortunate enough to need to see a doctor (A GP usually costs around €30), or go into hospital, they will charge you an amount up front. To my experience or knowledge, treatment will never cost over €100, but the majority of this is refunded to you by the government at a later date (around 80%). Speed of treatment is excellent, but again, there is paper work to be done to claim your money back. Don’t forget your European Health Insurance Card, which has since replaced the E111 form. There seems to be a requirement for several types of insurance. Make sure you take out year long travel insurance cover before you leave the UK, but don’t be surprised if you are asked to buy insurance to cover you for instances such as sporting injuries to your team mates when using your university’s sports facilities.
The boring stuff
When you first arrive in Lyon there are a number of things that we suggest you get out the way.
Housing Benefit; As a student in France you will be eligible for housing benefit. It is a monthly payment offered by the state to help students to afford their rent. In order to receive this benefit you must apply for it at the Caisses d’Allocations Familiales or CAF as it is better known. You can apply for housing benefit either on-line or at the CAF itself. The address is:
67, Boulevard Vivier Merle,
69409 LYON CEDEX
We do recommend that you try to complete the necessary paperwork on the internet as the waiting time at the CAF is notoriously long. If you have any problems filling out the forms don’t hesitate to ask us for a hand!
Gas and Electricity; EDF are the main suppliers of gas and electricity in France. Once we have secured your accommodation we will contact EDF to inform them that you are the new tenant. You will get your bills from these guys which we suggest you pay as soon as they arrive. Failure to pay may mean disconnection at a charge of 30€. If you have any problems with the supply of gas or electricity get in contact with the supplier and notify the landlord. The number for EDF (your region) is: 08 10 69 20 00.
Bank Account; When you arrive we recommend that you open a bank account asap. Having a French bank account will allow you to pay bills and manage your money more easily. There are a number of Banks to choose from all offering slightly different packages. We can however recommend La Banque Postale. This is a subsidiary of the post office ’La Poste’. The advantage of having a bank account with ’La Poste’ is that you will be able to access your money and carry out transactions from practically anywhere in France, unlike other banks who often require that you return to the holding branch to carry out any transfers or transactions.
Transferring Money; Thanks to our english banking service you are able to pay your rent into an English bank account so you will not be charged a transfer fee or be stung by exchange rates. In order to fully benefit from this fact we suggest that you use travelers cheques to transfer money between accounts. Travelers cheques are secure and there is no charge for cashing them. It is an ideal way to move money between your English and French account without losing money.
Guide written by Andrew Chan, 4th year Law & French LLB undergrad student Lyon, 2006/2007.
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