Lyon travel guide
Lyon Tourism | Lyon Guide
You're Going to Love Lyon
With a population of 472 317, Lyon is a must-see destination in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, France. It is one of the most popular cities to visit in the country. We recommend you stay at least 3 days in order to fully appreciate everything Lyon has to offer.
When to visit Lyon
Looking for warm weather? Then head to Lyon in July, when the average temperature is 21 °C, and the highest can go up to 26 °C. The coldest month, on the other hand, is January, when it can get as cold as 0 °C, with an average temperature of 3 °C. You’re likely to see more rain in October, when precipitation is around 80 mm. In contrast, January is usually the driest month of the year in Lyon, with an average rainfall of 40 mm.
How to Get to Lyon
Plane
When flying to Lyon, you’ll arrive at Lyon-Saint Exupery Airport (LYS), which is located 20 km from the city centre The shortest flight to Lyon from Canada departs from Montreal and takes around 6h 55m.
Train
SNCF is the most popular train carrier serving Lyon, followed by Trenitalia. The train journey from Lyon to Montpellier takes 1h 27m and costs around C$ 15 for a one-way ticket. When coming by train from Marseille, expect to pay about C$ 16 for a 1h 28m trip. Located 1.3 km from the city centre, Lyon Perrache is the busiest station in Lyon. Another popular train station is Lyon Part-Dieu, located 1.9 km from the centre.
Car
Another option to get to Lyon is to pick up a car rental from Nice, which is about 297 km from Lyon. You’ll find branches of Europcar and Goldcar Rental SP, among others, in Nice.
Bus
Several bus lines operate bus routes to Lyon, including BlaBlaBus, FlixBus and ALSA. From Chambéry, the bus ride to Lyon takes 145 km and will cost you around C$ 19. From Clermont-Ferrand, the ticket costs about C$ 29 for a journey of 201 km. The most popular bus station is Lyon Vaulx-en-Velin La Soie, located 7 km from downtown Lyon. Lyon Place Bellecour is also a commonly used station, and is 0.4 km from the city centre.
Airlines serving Lyon
Where to stay in Lyon
From 5-star hotels such as the Intercontinental Lyon Hotel Dieu to great affordable options like the Hôtel des Congrès, Lyon offers a range of accommodations for every taste. Average rates range from around C$ 131 per night for a double room in a 3-star hotel to C$ 355 and up for a 5-star experience. If you’re on a budget, well-reviewed accommodations include Pilo Lyon and ibis budget Lyon Centre - Gare Part-Dieu. There are also lots of vacation rental options in Lyon, with prices from C$ 60 to C$ 596 per night. 3rd arrondissement is the neighbourhood with the highest amount of rentals to choose from. On average, vacation rentals in Lyon are about 8% cheaper than a hotel room in the city.
6th arrondissement - Here you’ll find travellers’ favourites such as Lyon Marriott Hotel Cité Internationale, Okko Hotels Lyon Pont Lafayette and Hôtel Le Roosevelt. The average nightly price for a double room in 6th arrondissement is C$ 108.
7th arrondissement - Le Flaneur Guesthouse, Mama Shelter Lyon and ibis Lyon Gerland Musée des Confluences have some of the best reviews among hotels in this area. A 3-star room in 7th arrondissement will cost you about C$ 87 per night.
Where to stay in popular areas of Lyon
Most booked hotels in Lyon
Renting a car in Lyon
Renting a car in Lyon costs C$ 62 per day, on average, or C$ 187 if you want to rent it for 3 days. Sixt, Europcar and Hertz are the agencies with the best reviews in the city. The most popular location to rent a car in Lyon is the Rentscape branch at 75, 75 Rue de la Villette, which is 2 km from the downtown.
It’s generally cheaper to rent your vehicle outside the airport: locations in the city are around 2% cheaper than airport locations in Lyon.
Expect to pay C$ 2.90 per litre in Lyon (average price from the past 30 days). Depending on the size of your rental car, filling up the tank will cost between C$ 34.75 and C$ 46.34. The most frequently booked car type in Lyon is Intermediate (Peugeot 5008 or similar). If you’re looking to save money, though, keep in mind that Compact rental cars (Volkswagen T-ROC or similar) are, on average, 65% cheaper than other rental car types in the city.