Lyon Transportation

Lyons owes much of its past and present prominence to its site in the Rhone valley. Between the mountains of the Alps and the Massif Central the river Rhone has forced a way that is now used by the railway tracks of the TGV network and major north-south motorways; the river itself still functions as an impressive waterway. Additionally, the city has an efficient international airport.

Arriving by Train

TGV high speed trains go from Lyon to Paris in three hours, and to Marseilles in one and a half. The Part Dieu station, conveniently located in a central business district, is the busiest TGV station of all. Many services also operate through Perraches, another centrally located station and Lyons Saint Exupery, the 15 mile (25 km) distant airport station, which is planned one day to be a hub for high speed trains to Germany, Spain, Switzerland and much of the rest of western Europe.

Arriving by Air

Lyons Saint Exupery airport is an international airport offering direct flights to Europe and the Caribbean. Shuttle buses and taxis connect it to the center of Lyons; a speedy tram service, to be known as Leslys, is scheduled to open in 2006.

Arriving by Car

Extensive motorway systems connect Lyon with Paris, Geneva, southern France, Turin and Barcelona, amongst many other places.

Getting Around Lyon

Public transportation companies offer a comprehensive service. Four lines of metro train services, one wholly automated, criss cross the center of the city. Tram systems connect the center to the Bron business area and the La Doua university campus. Intriguingly, two funicular railway systems carry passengers up and down the Fourviere hill. Bus routes extend one thousand km (approx. 600 miles) in the Lyons urban agglomeration.