The first two days in Lyon, in priority order: what has to happen, what should, and what can wait. Tick things off as you go.
For Lyon
How long you are staying
Must do
Free, Orange, SFR and Bouygues sell SIM-only plans with no contract, in shops or online; bring your passport. Many forms and every bank want a French number.
The free state rent guarantee, applied for online at visale.fr. The certificate takes a few working days and has to be in hand before you sign, so do it now.
Contactless bank cards and phones pay and validate a zones 1 and 2 journey at the readers on buses, trams and metro entrances. Validate again whenever you change vehicle.
An attestation d'assurance habitation is compulsory at signing. Online insurers and banks issue one in minutes.
Walk the flat with the landlord or agent, photograph every mark and have each one written into the move-in inventory. It is what your deposit is judged against.
Should do
SAMU, police, fire and the European number. 114 works by text for anyone who cannot speak.
Bring ID, the lease or an attestation d'hébergement, and your contract. The RIB goes to your landlord, employer and the CPAM.
Give the supplier the meter reading from the état des lieux so the bill starts the day you move in.
Water is billed to you directly by the metropolitan operator, not through the rent. Sign up online when you move in.
Non-EU visa holders validate online on the ANEF portal within three months and pay the tax. Doing it in the first week means you can travel in and out of Schengen freely.
No TCL pass or ticket covers the airport tram. Buy it online, cheaper than at the machine, and book a return ahead for a lower fare.
The free housing advice service checks a rent against the cap and reads a lease before you sign. Lyon and Villeurbanne are under encadrement des loyers.
Nice to do
In a shop, a café or an office, greet first and then ask. It changes the service you get.
Look for the Bouchons Lyonnais label, order the set menu, and drink a pot of Beaujolais or Côtes du Rhône.
Most embassies run a registration or alert service for nationals living abroad, useful in an emergency.
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