Greenland spent decades funnelling every visitor through an old American airbase, and that has just ended.

Greenland spent decades funnelling every visitor through an old American airbase, and that has just ended. Every international arrival used to land at a former military strip far inland, then transfer to a small propeller aircraft. Now a runway built for jets serves the capital directly from Copenhagen, Reykjavik and Newark, a second airport has opened in the south, and a third is due at the icefjord town. With all three running, most of the country sits within about ninety minutes of one connection. That rebuild is the reason to look now. Check whether the northern airport is operating before planning around it, since the opening has moved more than once, and expect prices that reflect a place where almost everything is imported. Beds are few and fill fast in the short summer. Compare flights and hotels for Greenland at https://destination.chat and build in spare days, because weather cancels flights here as routine rather than misfortune. The icefjord is the headline. A glacier that ...

Personally, I would come to Lyon for the food and stay for the secret passageways.

Personally, I would come to Lyon for the food and stay for the secret passageways. The traboules are covered corridors that cut straight through buildings and courtyards, linking one street to the next, built so silk workers could carry cloth across the city without the rain reaching it and later used by the Resistance to disappear into the maze. Hundreds survive, a fraction are open to the public by agreement with the city, and UNESCO lists the historic districts that hold them.

Fast trains put Paris a couple of hours away, the airport has its own tram link into town, and the city sits within reach of Geneva and the Alps. Rooms cost less than in Paris, with one great exception: the winter festival of lights fills every bed for its four nights and prices climb accordingly. Compare flights and hotels for Lyon at https://destination.chat and check that date before you commit.

The city stacks itself around two rivers. Vieux Lyon keeps the Renaissance quarter of pale stone below Fourvière hill, which a funicular climbs to the basilica and the Roman theatres of the original Gallo-Roman colony. Between the Rhône and the Saône lies the Presqu'île, the shopping and dining peninsula around Place Bellecour, while above it the Croix-Rousse slope holds the old silk workshops, a plateau market and the painted walls the city is known for.

Where you stay changes the daily rhythm. In Vieux Lyon, boutique hotels occupy Renaissance houses near the cathedral of Saint-Jean. On the Presqu'île, mid-range and design hotels sit within walking distance of Place Bellecour and the covered market. Up in Croix-Rousse, guesthouses and apartment rentals gather near the plateau and the great painted wall of the silk workers, while around Part-Dieu station, business hotels suit early trains and quick stays.

Everything runs on public transport: metro, trams and two funiculars up the hill, with parking difficult and pointless in the centre. Guided walks matter here more than usual, because many traboule doors now carry entry codes after years of noisy visitors, and a guide gets you through the good ones. Beyond that, book a food tour or a table in a bouchon, and give a day to the Beaujolais or northern Rhône vineyards. You can check guided tour and food tour prices at https://destination.chat and reserve dinner earlier than feels necessary.

Two courtesies will improve your trip. In the traboules, keep your voice down, skip the flash and remember people live behind those doors. And at a proper bouchon, expect offal, pork and richness rather than delicacy. Order it as intended, at a shared table, and you will see why the French argue about this city and food.

Q: What are the traboules in Lyon?
A: Covered passages running through courtyards and buildings to connect streets, built for the silk trade and later used by the Resistance. Some are open to the public, many are private homes with entry codes.

Q: Is Lyon really the food capital of France?
A: Many say so, and the case rests on its bouchons, its covered market and its restaurant tradition. Bouchon cooking is hearty and offal-heavy, so read the menu before you sit down.

Q: Do I need a car in Lyon?
A: No. Metro, trams and funiculars cover the city, parking in the centre is awkward, and the vineyards are reachable by train or organised tour.

Q: When is the best time to visit Lyon?
A: Spring and autumn are the most comfortable. The winter festival of lights is spectacular but packed, with rooms booked months ahead and prices to match.

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