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- Where to meet the locals in Lyon ?
Where to meet the locals in Lyon ?
Experiences to live
Last updated date : 21/05/2025
You’re visiting Lyon and you’d like to explore the Lyonnais way of life. You want to experience an authentic stay by meeting locals and lifting the lid on the place they call home. Read on to find our tips for addresses and events where you can connect with the people of Lyon.
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Gathering places in Lyon
The typical Lyonnais is obsessed with food, likes to enjoy life and is generally curious. So it’s no surprise that visitors are keen to meet them. We’ve picked out for you a few addresses where you can get acquainted with local folks, from restaurants to third places, show venues and learning spaces.
Les Petites Cantines: cook and eat the Lyonnais way
Are you a kitchen maestro or curious cook? Would you like to befriend fellow foodies in Lyon? Try visiting Les Petites Cantines. The concept is simple as scrambled eggs: neighbourhood residents and visitors passing through are free to come as they please to cook together and/or share a meal.
Explore Lyon with a Greeter
Greeters are residents of the Lyon metropolitan area who like to meet new people and share their interests. On a voluntary basis, they introduce you to the local area, their top nature spots, or their favourite haunts. It’s an excellent alternative way to explore the city, by soaking up its atmosphere, meeting its people and understanding what makes it tick.
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Lyon’s most popular events
Tout l’monde dehors (everybody outdoors): a great event to meet locals
Held in the nine districts of Lyon each year, ‘Tout l’monde dehors !’ is a smorgasbord of free cultural gatherings in public spaces. It’s an opportunity for visitors to enjoy shows and live music, and take part in the many activities on offer, including open-air tango balls, swing and Lindy Hop sessions, and folk dance classes for beginners.
Festival
Tout l’monde dehors!
- 69123 Lyonwww.lyon.fr/sortir-et-decouvrir/se-cultiver-se-divertir/tout-lmonde-dehors
Spend the night at a local’s home
Still hungry for further immersion? Why not get a real taste of everyday life in Lyon by staying at someone’s home? In Lyon and the metropolitan area, there are many guest houses where you can get to know the owners, by chatting with them or sharing a meal together. Here is our selection :
Meeting Lyon’s residents can also be a good way to expand your knowledge of French. This is the idea behind Ling’Home Lyon, where Hélène, a French as a Foreign Language teacher, welcomes foreign students and visitors to the city, helping them to build their French language skills by immersing them in her family’s life.
Bed & breakfast
Ling' Home Lyon - French immersion at teacher's home
98 rue Croix Barret - 69008 Lyon 8ème