Lyon

By plane

Lyon's Saint-Exupéry Airport IATA: LYS (http://www.lyon.aeroport.fr/) formerly known as Satolas, some 25 km east of Lyon, is a rapidly developing airport. It still hosts few intercontinental flights, but can easily be reached via a European hub Paris, London, Frankfurt.... Air France serves most airports in France and major European airports. EasyJet serves a number of destinations in Europe, including London, Berlin, Brussels, Rome, Edinburgh and Madrid, along with a few domestic destinations which are not easily reached by train Bordeaux, Toulouse, Nice. Most other major European airlines also operate flights between Lyon and their respective hubs.

The connection between the city and the airport has been improved by the recent opening of a "tram-train" line called Rhônexpress (http://www.rhonexpress.com). It is faster 30 min and more reliable than the old buses which no longer run, but it is definitely aimed at business travellers given the upscale onboard service for a tram including power sockets at each seat and the high price: €13 for a single journey, €23 for a return add €1 to purchase at the station or on board. The Rhônexpress connects in the city at the main Lyon Part-Dieu station, in addition to connecting with the metro line A at Vaulx-en-Velin La Soie second stop, which is convenient if you are staying in Presqu'île or Villeurbanne. Trains depart every 15 6AM-9PM to 30 min. To find them, follow the red signs in the airport terminals. You have to walk through the TGV station, which can be as long as 10 minutes if you arrive at Terminal 3 low-cost airlines. There are no alternatives except taxis. A taxi to Lyon costs around €40-50 depending on the exact destination, so if you are a group of four people this could be an option. Ask to be dropped at one of the metro stations located on the eastern side of town Vaulx-en-Velin La Soie, Mermoz-Pinel to save money. Taxis are found outside Terminal 1 follow the signs.

Grenoble airport is actually about midway between Lyon and Grenoble and is served by some low-cost airlines. There are bus services to Lyon from there (http://www.agbus.fr).

Another possibility is to fly to Geneva, which can save money by using low-cost airlines. Then Lyon can be reached by train, but it takes about two hours €21.50 for under 26s.

Finally, an interesting option for intercontinental visitors may be to fly to Paris Charles de Gaulle airport and take a TGV fast train to Lyon Part Dieu station directly from the CDG train station. In some cases, this makes the journey faster and more convenient no need to go from LYS to the city. Trains run every hour or so; be sure to buy an exchangeable ticket to be able to catch the first available train after you land.

By car

Lyon is a major automotive hub for central and southern France:

A6 to the north — Paris.

A7 to the south — Marseille, Nice, Spain, Italy.

A43 to the east — Grenoble, the Alps, Northern Italy.

A47 to the west — Saint-Étienne, Clermont-Ferrand, Massif Central, west of France.

A42 to the northeast — Bourg-en-Bresse, Geneva Switzerland, Germany.

By train

From the rest of France, train is generally the most convenient way to reach the city, except for some regions, the Southwest for example. Lyon has three main train stations serving national and regional destinations:

Perrache

M/T: Perrache is the historical station. It is just a short walk away from Place Bellecour and generally more handy if you are staying in the city centre.

Part-Dieu station

M/T: Part-Dieu was opened with the first TGV line in 1981. It is in the heart of Lyon's main business district.

Saint-Exupéry

the station is outside the city and serves the airport.

There are also smaller stations serving suburban and regional destinations: St Paul B: C3-Gare St Paul, Vaise M: Gare de Vaise, Jean Macé M: Jean Macé, Vénissieux M: Gare de Vénissieux and Gorge de Loup M: Gorge de Loup.

Lyon is linked by TGV fast trains to Paris two hours and Marseille 1 hr 36 min. Many other domestic destinations are served directly, and there are several direct services to Brussels every day 4 hr. TGVs to and from Paris serve both Perrache and Part-Dieu stations; other TGVs generally serve only Part-Dieu.

Coming to Lyon from London by Eurostar (http://www.londonparistra...) may be interesting. It is faster and easier to change trains in Lille rather than Paris. Hence, if you are traveling from London, England, the best way would be to take Eurostar from St Pancras Station to Gare de Lille Europe and take High Speed Train TGV. If you prefer Paris Gare de Nord, you would need to take RER D to Gare de Lyon Station. The total journey time from London to Lyon will be approx 5h30m. From Paris, you will find other local trains as well to reach Lyon.

For schedules, fares and bookings, see the SNCF website (http://www.voyages-sncf.com).