Lyon or Toulouse?

Neither city is a beach destination, and both are about two hours from water worth travelling for. They differ in what that water is. From Lyon, it is the clear Alpine lakes of Annecy and the Lac du Bourget. From Toulouse, it is the warm Mediterranean around Narbonne and Gruissan.

For a swim without leaving town, Lyon has the supervised bathing lake at Miribel-Jonage. Toulouse has the leisure lakes at Sesquières and La Ramée. All of them are fine for a hot afternoon and nothing more.

Both cities cook rich, meaty regional food, but Lyon is the place to travel for it. The bouchon is a dining tradition unlike anything elsewhere in France, and the legacy of the Mères lyonnaises gives the city real depth at the top end. The Halles Paul Bocuse and the Sunday markets on the Saône show what goes into it.

Toulouse offers cassoulet, duck in every form and violet sweets, with a fine lunch at the Victor Hugo market. Its range is narrower, and its fine dining does not reach Lyon's level. For wine, Lyon has Beaujolais and the northern Rhône close by, while Toulouse has Fronton, Gaillac and Armagnac.

Lyon has more history to cover. A large part of the city is on the UNESCO list, and its sights run from the Roman theatres of Lugdunum through the Renaissance Vieux Lyon to the silk-weavers' Croix-Rousse. It also has one of the country's finest art collections outside Paris, and seeing it well takes a few full days.

Toulouse is more compact and more visually unified, with its rose-red brick, the great Romanesque basilica of Saint-Sernin and the palm-tree vault of the Jacobins. It also has something Lyon cannot match: an aerospace heritage you can visit. Two days covers it.

Both are student cities, with going out that is lively and informal, so the difference is in setting. Lyon's distinctive feature is the péniches, barges on the Rhône that serve as bars and clubs. It also has the stronger club scene, with warehouse venues towards Gerland and the Confluence.

Toulouse is about crowded terraces on Place Saint-Pierre and cheap drinks along the quays. Older drinkers head to the wine bars around Carmes. Both cities quieten noticeably when the students are away.

Lyon offers more outdoors close at hand. Inside the city, it has the car-free Rhône quays and the large Parc de la Tête d'Or. Just outside are the Monts d'Or and the Beaujolais hills, and the climbing and hiking terrain of Chartreuse and Vercors is about an hour by car.

Toulouse has gentler surroundings, mostly farmland and the long flat towpaths of the Canal du Midi, which are ideal for cycling. Its big asset is the Pyrenees, visible on clear days and about two hours away for proper mountain walks and skiing. The Aveyron gorges are also within reach.

Both make excellent bases, and the choice comes down to theme. Lyon's excursions centre on wine and old towns: Roman Vienne a short train ride south, medieval Pérouges, the Beaujolais villages and Burgundy around Beaune. Annecy and the Alpine towns lie the other way.

Toulouse has two standout sights an hour away by train, the ramparts of Carcassonne and the brick cathedral town of Albi. Beyond them are Moissac's Romanesque cloister and, with a car, the hill villages and castle towns towards the Pyrenees.

Both are easy with children, but they appeal in different ways. Lyon's day out is the Parc de la Tête d'Or, with its free zoo, pedalos and little train. Add dinosaurs at the Confluences, the Fourvière funiculars and Guignol puppet shows, its home-grown puppet theatre.

Toulouse is built around flight. Children can explore the rockets and planetarium of the Cité de l'espace, walk through aircraft near the airport and watch the giant mechanical creatures in Montaudran. Its flat centre is also gentler on a pushchair than Lyon's stepped hills, though July and August can be very hot.

Both centres are flat and pleasant on foot: Lyon's on the Presqu'île between its two rivers, Toulouse's inside the ring of boulevards. Lyon's public transport does more of the work. It has four metro lines, trams, two funiculars up to Fourvière and Saint-Just, a rack line up Croix-Rousse and a tram from the airport, so you never need a car. The metro is small, though, so some journeys still mean a change or a steep climb.

Toulouse has two automated metro lines and trams on the same tickets, which is plenty for the centre. Its weak spot is the edges. The space centre, the aircraft museum and the leisure lakes all take a bus ride, and the Pyrenees and most of the countryside are far easier with a car.

Silk is the souvenir Toulouse cannot match. Lyon's weaving past lives on in scarves and fabrics, and the designer workshops on the slopes of Croix-Rousse are worth a browse. Lyon also has a luxury quarter around Place des Jacobins, and Part-Dieu has one of France's largest city-centre malls.

Toulouse has the usual chains on rue d'Alsace-Lorraine and independent boutiques and antiques around Saint-Étienne, but no luxury district. In both cities, food is the best thing to bring home: pralines and charcuterie from Lyon, and violet sweets, duck confit and Armagnac from Toulouse.

Neither is a budget city, and they cost about the same. Toulouse is slightly gentler, with its student quarters keeping snacks and drinks cheap, inexpensive transport and free museum days.

In Lyon, the bouchon set lunch is the best way to save, and the Tête d'Or zoo costs nothing. Hotels in both cities get scarce during trade fairs, and in Lyon also during the Fête des Lumières.

Lyon has the richer stage life, and dance is what sets it apart. The Maison de la Danse and the Biennale give it a strong dance scene, and the Opéra and the Célestins add depth. In summer, the Nuits de Fourvière festival puts concerts and plays in the Roman theatres above the city.

Toulouse is a city for classical music. The Capitole stages opera and ballet, the Orchestre National du Capitole plays in the round Halle aux Grains, and a piano festival fills the Jacobins cloister. Rio Loco brings world music to the riverside.

For a proper thermal soak, Lyon is better placed. Aix-les-Bains, the spa town on the Lac du Bourget, is close enough for an easy day out. In the city itself, the large open-air pool on the Rhône quays and quiet Sunday mornings by the Saône add to a handful of hammams and spas.

Toulouse has a similarly small choice of spas. Its calm comes from long lunches, shaded squares and bike rides along the Canal du Midi. Its hot springs, at Luchon and Ax-les-Thermes, lie deep in the Pyrenees, so a soak there works best with a night away.