VIP Shopping in Lyon: the Galeries Lafayette, the Carré d'Or & Beyond by Chauffeur

Lyon is, by any measure, one of France's great shopping cities. The concentration of luxury retail across the Presqu'île, the Part-Dieu and the Carré d'Or is unrivalled outside of Paris, and in certain categories, Lyon holds its own with anywhere in the country. The jewellers of the Carré d'Or, the fashion houses of the Rue du Président Édouard Herriot, the department stores of the Part-Dieu and the Rue de la République, and the specialist boutiques of the Rue Auguste Comte and the Rue du Plat together compose a shopping landscape of extraordinary richness and diversity.

For those who approach this landscape as it deserves to be approached: without rushing, without carrying bags on public transport, without the frustration of parking on restricted streets: a private chauffeur is not simply transport. It is a cloakroom, a porter, a navigator and a quiet waiting presence that transforms the experience of a Lyon shopping day from logistically demanding to wholly pleasurable.

FFGR Lyon has developed a series of curated shopping circuits for clients visiting Lyon for one to three days of luxury retail. Each circuit is built around the specific geographic clusters of Lyon's luxury retail, moving between them in the order that minimises unnecessary travel while maximising time in the stores themselves.

The Rue de la République, the Rue du Président Édouard Herriot (Hermès, Vuitton and the principal fashion houses), and the historic passages of the Presqu'île. Two to four hours minimum. Evening dinner at a nearby Michelin-starred restaurant or a celebrated bouchon.

The Carré d'Or (Cartier and the leading jewellers), the Rue Auguste Comte (antique dealers and boutiques), and the galleries of Vieux Lyon. Three to five hours with lunch.

The Galeries Lafayette Part-Dieu flagship, the boutiques of the Cité Internationale along the Rhône, and the Halles de Lyon Paul Bocuse for the city's gastronomic specialities. Ideal for a morning circuit before a Presqu'île afternoon.

The artisan silk workshops of the Croix-Rousse, the specialist food merchants of the Halles, and the design boutiques of the Presqu'île. The quintessential Lyonnais shopping experience. Combine with a traboule walk through Vieux Lyon.

The Galeries Lafayette at the Part-Dieu is, for many international visitors to Lyon, the defining department-store destination of the city. The flagship spans several floors, with departments ranging from fashion and fine jewellery to a food hall that celebrates the region's gastronomic heritage: genuinely worth visiting regardless of whether one intends to purchase anything. The grand atrium, the seasonal window displays, and the concierge service are all part of an experience that is in many respects a celebration of retail as much as a shop.