Transports in Lyon

The transportation system is extensive and practical, and when going out, you can choose from four subway lines, five tramway lines, more than 130 bus and trolleybus lines, as well as two cable car lines. On top of the public transportation system, you can also use ride-sharing apps, which are very popular in France and extremely practical if you are moving from one city to another.

Subway, cable cars and tramway in Lyon

Lyon's subway network stretches more than 30 km. With over 44 stations, the network is covered by four operational lines, including one which is fully automatic. These lines can take you anywhere across the centre of the city. If you need to go to other parts of Lyon, you can use cable cars, which can take you to Fourvière, Vieux Lyon Saint-Just, Vieux Lyon Hôtel de Ville and Croix-Rousse through a tunnel.

Tramway in Lyon

The city is served by five tramway lines which allow you to travel to the following areas: Villeurbanne, Bron, Meyzieu and Chassieu. The lines are laid out as follows:

• Line T1 serves 27 stations: IUT Feyssine, Debourg

• Line T2 serves 29 stations: Perrache / Saint-Priest Bel-Air

• Line T3 serves 11 stations: LEA, from Part-Dieu to Meyzieu ZI

• Line T4 serves 29 stations: from La Doua to Hospital Feyzin Vénissieux

• Line T5 serves 11 stations: from Grange-Blanche to Eurexpo, passing by the Bron city-centre and the Chêne activity park.

The Rhônexpress, for its part, is a special tramway which links the Part-Dieu station to the Lyon-Saint Exupéry airport within around 25 minutes for each trip. For more details on timings, and to plan your trips, you can refer to the TCL website, which administrates the lines.

Buses in Lyon

If you prefer to travel across the city by bus, you can use one of the 130 bus lines in Lyon. For those of you moving with a family, note that the city of Lyon also has more than a hundred school bus lines serving a total of 80 schools in the mornings and afternoons. Moreover, local authorities have set up a shuttle bus park serving 35 buses, as well as a special minibus service called Optibus which is intended for the disabled.

Car sharing and carpooling in Lyon

Car sharing is also quite widespread in Lyon as in the rest of the country. Indeed, the city hosts a self-service car rental network. You simply have to register with an operator to rent a car for a maximum of two hours to travel across the city, but without leaving it. You might also want to try carpooling, whether to go out, go to work or take your children to school - in fact, carpooling is a common practice in Lyon. If you intend to travel in the neighbouring cities or even further out, make sure to check out services such as BlaBlaCar, which allow multiple travellers to travel together in a single car. The prices offered by BlaBlaCar are often significantly lower than the TGV or regional train systems.

Other modes of transport in Lyon

There are several taxi stands in Lyon. To hire a taxi, you can either flag down the driver in the street, make an advance booking or go to the nearest taxi stand. Finally, if you wish to explore the city by bike, you can use the Vélo'V bikes, which are on rental 24/7.

Useful links:

Public transport system ' TCL
Lyon Official Portal
Oura ' Public transport fares