Neuville-sur-Saône sits in a bend of the river just north of Lyon, and this stop is up on the plateau east of it, between Montanay and Cailloux-sur-Fontaines. The land here is open farmland and new housing, a transition zone where the city thins out and the Dombes begins. It is not the place for scenery, but it is a sensible finish: close to the motorways, with easy access back into Lyon or out towards the Ain.
The history is subtle but real. Neuville was once the capital of the Franc-Lyonnais, a small territory along the left bank of the Saône that enjoyed tax privileges under the old monarchy. The town took its present name in the seventeenth century from Camille de Neufville de Villeroy, archbishop of Lyon, who rebuilt it and left behind a large church with twin towers that still dominates the riverside.
Across the river rise the Monts d'Or, a small limestone massif with old villages, stone walls and views over Lyon. On a clear evening the hills glow in the low sun, and the Saône below is calm and wide. The quays at Neuville are a pleasant place for a slow walk after a long ride, and the bridges give you views up and down the river.
Riding into this area at the end of a day, you come off quiet roads and into the traffic of the Lyon outskirts. The D433 and D51 can be busy, especially at rush hour, and roundabouts come thick and fast. Watch for cyclists along the river and for slow traffic on the narrow roads of the villages.
Neuville has fuel, cafés, bakeries and restaurants, and the town is busy on market days. If you want to finish with a meal, the riverfront has a few places with terraces where you can watch the barges go by.