Over the past decade, the city of Lyon has become more accessible thanks to the increase in budget airlines flying to the local airport, LYS, and more recently, the Eurostar from London direct to Lyon Part-Dieu.
‘Lyon Saint-Exupéry’ is 20 miles southeast of the city centre, and the only official way to get from the airport to the city centre by public transport is with the Rhônexpress tram, otherwise it's by private transfer.
Rhônexpress
The Rhônexpress goes between Lyon–Saint-Exupéry Airport and Lyon's central train station, Lyon Part-Dieu. This express train runs every 15 minutes and the journey takes 30 minutes each way, so it’s nice and speedy
Operating Hours
The Rhônexpress runs between 4:25am and midnight every day, but we strongly advise checking the news or the Rhônexpress website before you go because strikes are unfortunately a common occurrence in France and can severely disrupt your journey, which we definitely don’t want!
The first Rhônexpress departing from Lyon-Saint-Exupéry Airport to the city centre leaves at 5am. In the opposite direction, the first Rhônexpress from Lyon Part-Dieu to the airport starts at 4:25am. The last train is at midnight in both directions so any early flights or late arrivals should still be well catered for
You can check out the full timetables here.
Prices
A return ticket costs just £24.75 (€26.84) for adults, with kids under 12 travelling free. The same return ticket will cost you £26.09 (€28.30) if you buy on arrival, so it’s definitely worth booking in advance to save a little for that extra croissant in the mornings!
City Card with Airport Transfer
If you’re going to make the most of the beautiful city of Lyon while you’re there, then it makes sense to get a City Card with Airport Transfer included! This not only includes Rhônexpress return tickets, but also unlimited travel on all Lyon public transport (metro, trams, buses), free entry to 23 museums, AND discounts for tours, opera and theatre!
Benefits
Unlimited Travel on Lyon public transport
Lyon has 4 metro lines, 6 tram lines, 2 funicular railways and over a hundred bus routes to navigate, so a card with unlimited travel will help you make the most of this impressive network so you can see this amazing city from all its best angles.
Free Entry to 23 Museums
23 museums is a lot, and we’re sure we’d struggle fitting all of these into one trip to Lyon (c'est impossible, non?), but we’ve listed some of our favourites below which are well worth a visit. Check out the full list of museums on the City Card website.
- Musée Des Confluences - a museum of science and anthropology
- Dr Mérieux Biological Sciences Museum
- Fine Arts Museum
- Modern Art Museum
- Musée Gadagne - includes the Historical Museum of Lyon and the newly refreshed Museum of Puppetry Art
- Automation Museum - see scenes from literature and culture recreated by old-fashioned automated puppets
- Lugdunum (Fourvière Gallo-Roman Museum) - explore Roman, Gallic and Celtic artifacts
Free Entry or Discounts for Tours, Opera, and the Theatre
For the full list of activities you can get into for free or for a discount around Lyon, check out the official City Card website here (there are even more of these than on the museum free entry list!), but some of our top unmissable attractions around the city are here.
Free Entry:
- River Cruise Tour
- The Silk Workers’ House
- Guided Tour of Groupama Football Stadium (Parc Olympique Lyonnais)
- Unusual Guided Tour of the Roofs of Fourvière
- Guignol’s House Theater
- Planetarium of Vaulx-en-velin
Discounted Entry:
- Lyon Bike or Segway Tours
- Le WagonBar (a restaurant on a double decker bus!) or the Lyon Food Tour (discover Lyon on foot with 5-6 gourmet food breaks)
- Maison de la Danse
- Lyon National Opera House
Price Comparison - City Card vs. Buying Direct
We know choosing what to do can be complicated, so we’ve provided a quick price comparison between buying the Lyon City Card with Airport Transfer through Klook, and buying the same activities directly once you arrive.
Section | Type | Price | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
CityCard | 3-day pass | £56.49 (€61.27) | £56.49 (€61.27) | |
Buy Direct | Rhônexpress | Return ticket | £24.75 (€26.84) | £74.33 (€80.62) |
Public Transport | 4x 1-hour ticket per day, x3 days | £21 (€22.78) | ||
Museum Entry | Musée Des Confluences (€9), Fine Arts Museum (€12), Musée Gadagne (€6), Lugdunum (€4) | £28.58 (€31) |
Difference: The Lyon CityCard is a whopping £17.84 (€19.35) cheaper, not including any discount entry to the other attractions or all the other free activities you can experience while you’re there! We definitely know which option we'd pick...
Private Airport Transfer
Fancy a slightly more luxurious transfer? How about a meet & greet service with flight tracking so your English-speaking driver will be right there to pick you up when your flight arrives (on time or otherwise!), and they’ll be ready to answer questions on the drive to your hotel and on the way back to the airport. Luggage, insurance, and fuel costs are all covered, and child seats are available on request, so there’s really nothing to stress about on arrival to this amazing location!
Choose between a 3-person Sedan or get up to 6 of you in a Minivan, and rest assured that everything for your transfers is sorted before you ever have to worry about it!
And remember, Klook also sells the City Card without Airport Transfers included, so you can still make the most of those amazing discounts, free entry opportunities, and travel around Lyon once you arrive, even if private transfer to & from the airport is more your style (we feel that).
As always, use Klook to #KeepLooking as you explore the region of Lyon and surrounding areas, and get in touch if you have any questions or want to share your gorgeous pics post-holiday!
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