Travel Tips

Lyon Shopping & Luxury Hotels: Postcard from Suzy Gershman

Locations in this article:  Hong Kong London, England Paris, France

Suzy Gershman's Postcard from LyonDear Peter,
Although summer airfares are going up, the euro is going down and I’m yearning to return to France to finish up the shopping and the shipping I didn’t get to do in April because of that volcanic ash.

I’m going to avoid Paris and will revisit the smaller cities that feel so French and offer a less touristic destination.

TOUJOURS LYON


Lyon is the second largest city in France as well as the gateway to Provence and the eating capital of the South of France. You can get a good meal every where in France, but Lyon is where regional multi-star cooking took hold and is home to a stack of stars and chefs and their bistros. California’s über-chef Thomas Keller based his Napa Valley restaurant, Bouchon, on the bistros (called bouchons) of Lyon.

If you insist on visiting Paris, don’t miss Suzy’s postcard on New Paris Hotels & Luxury Travel Trends.

You can get to the real thing by flying into Lyon (connect from London to take advantage of summer flight deals) or taking the fast train from Paris.

BELLECOUR IS BELLE

Lyon Sofitel Bellecour LobbyI go to Lyon several times a year, if only for a few days. I always stay at Le Sofitel Lyon Bellecour which is on the edge of the main square on the Presqu’ile. (Presqu’ile, which means “almost island,” is an isthmus that juts into the point where the Soane and Rhone Rivers merge together.)

This is a modern luxury hotel with some rooms overlooking the Rhone River; this means the hotel sits at the edge of the roadway through town so that if you are driving, you can easily pop right off the highway and into the arms of the doorman. He will park your car because from there, most of the best destinations in town are a short walk away. Many are hidden in plain sight.

Learn more with our Off the Brochure Travel Guide: Lyon, France.

Lyon Streets - rue de MarronniersOn my last trip, I found a street I never knew existed—after years of visiting this town—right around the corner from the Sofitel Bellecour: the rue des Marronniers, which is only one block long, closed to vehicular traffic and devoted to reasonably priced bouchons.

The street was built in the mid-1700s and is only 8 meters wide. It’s a photo op waiting for meal-time.

HIDDEN BELLECOUR
 

It’s easy to get to the main shopping districts from the hotel, but an adventure into the adjacent back-streets is what really made my last visit sing. I discovered Comptoir des Couleurs on the rue August Comte (#28) by accident, because this is the less chic end of August Comte (southern end) and the designer big-brands are closer to rue de la Republique, more north.

You’ll find more from Suzy in our Shopping section.

Lyon ShoppingComptoir des Coleurs is not a chain, but a single creation with fabrics and pashminas made in India to the specifications of the local designer, whose work is very similar to that of Lisa Corti in Milan—bold and bright colors splashed all over cottons.

The store is not very large, but it’s got so many tablecloths and home-style items that you want to touch and then buy everything.

NEW IN TOWN


All of the best shopping in Lyon is in the Presque’ile area—more commercial stores are on the pedestrian street rue de la Republique. The newest store is a free-standing branch of Zara Home at # 77 (not to be confused with regular Zara at #73), with two floors of decorative arts from the Spanish chain store, although the look is far more international than Spanish and there is a small department for kiddie bedroom style. Prices are moderate while the shop-me imperative is high.

Explore France with Suzy: Video Postcard – St. Remy Market in Provence.

Shopping in France - Suzy GershmanNote that Monoprix, once in a Belle Epoque building named Le Grand Bazar, has moved into a brand-new and very modern shop space that replaces Grand Bazar with one of the most modern buildings in town. It’s located close to the Jean Nouvel-designed Opera House, toward the north end of rue de la Republique. This Monoprix (#27) has an enormous supermarket in the basement with a specialty cheese market, giving you a chance to shop for you own regional foodstuffs, many of which make great gifts or souvenirs.

Learn more in our Complete France Travel section.

MANUFACTURING BLISS

Lyon FountainLyon is indeed the food capital of France, but it is also the home of many textile mills and factories, especially from the silk industry. Hermès makes its iconic silk scarves nearby. This is also where underwear and bathing suits are made in France, so off-price stores in town often feature discounts on French lingerie.

My favorite discount source is Jaymes, 28 rue de President Edouard Herriot, right in the thick of the shopping district around the Opera House and the Musee des Beaux Arts. This street is one of the main shopping thoroughfares in town and is mostly devoted to designer boutiques, except for this one jobber with a plethora of branded markdowns. The store has two stories and sells men’s, women’s and children’s clothes as well as shoes, accessories, bed and bathroom fashion, and lingerie. It’s an ever-changing buffet, but with high prices in Europe, this is a great place to save some $$$.

Marked-down kisses,
SuzyKG

By Suzy Gershman for PeterGreenberg.com. Suzy and her partner-in-shopping, Sarah Lahey, are hitting the road! Put on your kimono and join them on a shopping spree with the Born to Shop Japan tour, November 4-10, 2010, with an optional three-day add-on to Hong Kong. Plus, stay tuned for Suzy’s latest book, Born to Shop California Wine Country, available soon. Catch up on all their adventures at www.SuzyGershman.com and BorntoShopLady.blogspot.com.

For more on traveling in France, check out these articles on PeterGreenberg.com: