Antibes or Lyon?

This is the starkest difference between the two. Antibes has sand where much of the Riviera has pebbles. There are long, shallow beaches at Juan-les-Pins and La Salis, and rocky coves with very clear water around Cap d'Antibes, though private beach clubs take a good share of the shore.

Lyon is three hours from the sea. Its swimming is a supervised lake in the Grand Parc de Miribel-Jonage, or a day out to Lake Annecy. If swimming is part of the plan, Lyon cannot compete.

Antibes eats well in a coastal way: socca, stuffed vegetables, grilled fish and rosé, with the covered market on Cours Masséna as its centre. Beyond the market and a few good bistros, the choice is narrower than in Lyon.

Lyon is one of France's great food cities. Its bouchons serve quenelles, andouillette and salade lyonnaise, its fine-dining tradition goes back to the Mères lyonnaises, and Les Halles Paul Bocuse and the Sunday markets by the Saône are destinations in themselves. With Beaujolais and the northern Rhône close by, food alone is reason enough to choose Lyon.

Antibes has one real highlight, the Picasso Museum in the Château Grimaldi above the sea. Add the ramparts, Fort Carré and the old town lanes and you have a pleasant couple of days.

Lyon has far more depth. Roman Lugdunum on Fourvière, the Renaissance quarter of Vieux Lyon with its traboules, the old silk-weavers' hill of Croix-Rousse and a major fine art collection on the Presqu'île would fill several full days. Lyon lacks one famous landmark, but its history runs through whole districts.

Lyon is the better place to go out, in summer as much as the rest of the year. Antibes offers a seasonal alternative built around the beach. In July and August, Juan-les-Pins has beach bars, lounges and a few clubs open into the early hours, and yacht crews fill the pubs and wine bars near Port Vauban. Out of season, much of it closes early or shuts altogether, and for a bigger night people take the train to Nice.\n\nIn Lyon, a large student population keeps evenings busy and informal.

The densest run of wine and cocktail bars lies between Hôtel de Ville and the Terreaux, with pubs in Vieux Lyon and quieter neighbourhood places on Croix-Rousse. On warm nights the péniches moored along the Rhône fill up and crowds spill onto the riverbanks, while warehouse clubs towards Gerland and the Confluence carry a serious electronic scene. Only on weeknights and outside term time do evenings end earlier than you might expect in a city this size.

Both have good outdoor options, but different kinds. Antibes has the edge for a traveller who likes the water: the limestone path round the cape, snorkelling and paddleboarding in the bay, and the red cliffs of the Esterel under an hour away.

Lyon's outdoors is about rivers and parks: car-free quays for running and cycling, the large Parc de la Tête d'Or and the hill stairways. For harder walking, the Chartreuse and Vercors are about an hour or more by car, but most of Lyon's countryside is gentle and best reached with a car.

Antibes sits in the middle of the Riviera, so it has more within easy reach. Nice, Cannes, Monaco and Menton are a short train ride along one line, boats run to the Lérins Islands, and Saint-Paul-de-Vence, Eze and Grasse lie in the hills behind.

Lyon is also a strong base, with a different theme of wine and old towns. Roman Vienne is a short train ride away, and medieval Pérouges, the Beaujolais villages, Cluny and Beaune are all within reach. Annecy and the Alps make a longer day out.

Lyon has more for children to do. The Parc de la Tête d'Or has a free zoo, pedalos and pony rides, the Musée des Confluences has dinosaur skeletons, and there are Guignol puppet shows and funicular rides, though the stepped lanes are hard going with a pushchair.

Antibes depends on its beach. The shallow sand suits small children very well and the town is easy to manage, but there is little else built for children, and August crowds and heat take some planning around.

Lyon is easier to get around. Metro, trams, funiculars and bike-share all work on one system, the Presqu'île is flat to walk, and a car is never needed.

Antibes's centre is small and walkable, and its two stations on the coastal line make the Riviera towns easy without a car. Cap d'Antibes and the hill villages rely on slow buses, and summer traffic on the coast road is heavy.

Antibes offers small-scale shopping: olive oil and soaps from the Provençal market and linen boutiques in the old town. For fashion, people go to Cannes or Nice.

Lyon has more of everything. Chains line rue de la République, luxury labels gather around Place des Jacobins, and Part-Dieu has a very large mall. The best buys are silk from the weaving heritage, designer pieces from Croix-Rousse workshops, and pralines and charcuterie to take home.

Neither is cheap, but Lyon costs less. Antibes in July and August is priced like a luxury resort, both for rooms and for beach loungers, and only spring, autumn and self-catering bring costs down.

Lyon's hotels are reasonable for most of the year, apart from trade fair weeks and the Fête des Lumières. Its generous bouchon set lunches make eating well cheaper than on the coast.

Antibes has one famous event, Jazz à Juan, held each July under the pines by the sea since 1960. Otherwise there is a regional programme at the Anthéa theatre, and Nice for opera.

Lyon has a full year of performances. There is the glass-vaulted Opéra with its ballet, the Orchestre National at the Auditorium and the Célestins theatre. Dance is a particular strength, with the Maison de la Danse and the Biennale. In summer, the Nuits de Fourvière festival holds concerts and plays in the Roman theatres.

Neither city has its own bathing tradition, so they are broadly level, but rest feels different in each. Antibes offers thalassotherapy and the grand hotel spas of Cap d'Antibes, and it is most restful in May, June and September by the sea.

Lyon's calm comes from long lunches, Sunday mornings by the Saône and the open-air pool on the Rhône quays. For thermal baths, Aix-les-Bains is a day trip away.