Lyon / The verdict
Lyon airport to the city: which way?
For most arrivals the Rhonexpress express tram is the way in: 29 minutes to Part-Dieu every 15 minutes for 16.30 EUR online. Groups with bags, late landings and door-to-door needs are better served by a taxi or a pre-booked transfer.
By The Real Traveler Experiences team. We earn a commission if you book through our links. It never changes a verdict.
The Lyon story
Lyon is France's second city at nearly everything except eating, where it is first: bouchon bistros and the Les Halles market, the Presqu'île between two rivers, Roman theaters on Fourvière hill, and the hidden [traboules](/lyon/vieux-lyon-traboules/) threading the Renaissance lanes of Vieux Lyon. The gastronomy reputation is earned rather than marketed, and the scale stays humane: big-city France you can still walk.
The verdict in 30 seconds
Our pick: Rhonexpress tram (runner-up: Taxi or ride-hail)
For most arrivals the Rhonexpress express tram is the way in: 29 minutes to Part-Dieu every 15 minutes for 16.30 EUR online. Groups with bags, late landings and door-to-door needs are better served by a taxi or a pre-booked transfer.
Go if
- You want the fastest reliable link and travel light
- Your hotel sits near Part-Dieu station or along metro line A from La Soie
Skip if
- You land after midnight, when no public transport runs
- You are three or four travelers with luggage, where a cab can beat the tram on price per person
The options
Rhonexpress tram Go
You want the fastest, most predictable ride into the city and do not mind a metro hop for the old town.
Good
- 29 minutes from the airport station, a two-minute walk from Terminals 1 and 2, to Part-Dieu; every 15 minutes from 4:25 to midnight.
- 16.30 EUR online against 17.40 EUR at machines; e-tickets stay refundable if unused, and under-12s ride free.
- Stops at Vaulx La Soie and Meyzieu along the way connect to metro line A and tram T3 for different parts of the city.
Watch out
- Priciest airport link in the log: the fare has risen every year, and local press calls it the dearest airport shuttle in France.
- Ends at Part-Dieu, not the center; Vieux Lyon and the Presqu'ile need a second leg on metro or tram.
- No service between about midnight and 4:25, so late landings default to road options.
TCL bus and metro It depends
You are a budget traveler with time to spare and a destination near metro A or tram T3.
Good
- The standard 2.10 EUR TCL ticket covers the airport buses C200 and 248, with an hour of onward connections included.
- C200 links the terminal area to Vaulx-en-Velin La Soie on metro A, running about every 10 minutes at peaks.
- The fare is already included if you hold a TCL day pass or the transport part of the city card.
Watch out
- About an hour door to door against 29 minutes on the express, and traffic adds variability.
- Only some runs continue to the airport, roughly one in three on weekdays and one in two on weekends, so check times first.
- The airport stop sits at the bus station by Terminal 1 and services end well before midnight.
Taxi or ride-hail It depends
You are a group splitting the fare, carrying bags, or landing after the last tram.
Good
- Door to door with no stairs or ticket rules, and the only option that still runs overnight.
- The regulated tariff is published: 8 EUR minimum, about 2 EUR per km on a one-way daytime run, more at night and on Sundays.
- A ride-hail to the center was reported at about 45 EUR, undercutting the lower end of the taxi range.
Watch out
- The priciest choice for a solo traveler: guides put the airport-to-center meter at roughly 45 to 100 EUR depending on traffic.
- Around 30 km to the center means traffic jams stretch both the clock and the fare.
- Only the marked rank outside arrivals is official; the airport warns against touts quoting flat fares inside.
Pre-booked private transfer It depends
You want a fixed price, a driver waiting at arrivals and zero meter anxiety, typical for families and first-timers.
Good
- Price is set at booking, so traffic cannot push the fare up, and meet-and-greet removes the rank hunt.
- Flight tracking and free waiting time cover delayed landings.
- Child seats and larger vehicles can be reserved, which the taxi rank cannot guarantee.
Watch out
- Costs about the same as a taxi and more than the tram for solo travelers.
- Needs booking ahead; it cannot help a last-minute change of plan.
- Still rides the same roads, so rush hour slows it like any car.
Book a fixed-price airport pickuppartner site
| Criterion | Rhonexpress tram | TCL bus and metro | Taxi or ride-hail | Pre-booked private transfer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Official fare | 16.30 EUR online or 17.40 EUR at machines, one-way adult | 2.10 EUR standard TCL ticket | Metered, roughly 45 to 100 EUR reported to the center | Fixed price quoted at booking, similar to a taxi |
| Journey time | 29 minutes to Part-Dieu, 21 minutes from La Soie | About an hour to the center via La Soie | Roughly 30 to 50 minutes, traffic dependent | Roughly 30 to 50 minutes, traffic dependent |
| Hours covered | 4:25 to midnight daily | About 5:30 to 22:00 for line 248, C200 runs later | 24 hours | 24 hours |
| Frequency | Every 15 minutes, 30 at the edges | C200 about every 10 minutes at peaks but only some runs reach the airport | On demand | Reserved time slot |
| Where it drops you | Part-Dieu, Meyzieu ZI or Vaulx La Soie stations | La Soie or Meyzieu, then metro or tram | Any address | Any address, with meet-and-greet at arrivals |
| What reports flag | Fast and simple but fares keep rising; no overnight service | Cheapest way in; sparse airport runs and a slower ride | Touts inside the terminal; the meter climbs in traffic | Predictable cost and a waiting driver; needs advance booking |
What it costs
- Rhonexpress one-way, adult, bought at machines or onboard: €17.40 (16.30 EUR bought online; 28.50 EUR online return; onboard purchases add a 4 EUR surcharge per transaction). Official source, checked Oct 2026.
- Rhonexpress one-way, ages 12 to 25: €10.70 (free under 12; 10-trip ticket 143 EUR, or 85 EUR for under-26s). Official source, checked Oct 2026.
- TCL single ticket, zones 1 and 2: €2.10 (one hour of connections included; 2.40 EUR bought on board; 24-hour pass 6.90 EUR; covers the airport buses but not the Rhonexpress). Official source, checked Oct 2026.
- Taxi, metered per-km rate for a one-way daytime run: €2 (3.10 EUR flag fall and 8 EUR minimum; 3.00 EUR per km at night and on Sundays; travelers report 45 to 100 EUR to the center). Official source, checked Oct 2026.
What travelers report
Based on 13 traveler reports (Oct 2024 to Jun 2026) and the official sources linked on this page. 3 were negative.
What people like
- Reports call the express tram the fastest and simplest link, about 29 minutes to Part-Dieu.
- Service every 15 minutes for most of the day means almost no planning is needed.
- Taxis and pre-booked transfers earn praise for door-to-door ease with luggage.
- Budget guides single out the 2.10 EUR TCL bus as a genuine bargain.
What people complain about
- Price is the recurring complaint: local and national coverage call the express France's priciest airport shuttle, and fares rose again in 2025.
- Nothing public runs between about midnight and 4:25, which hurts early-flight departures.
- The tram ends at Part-Dieu or La Soie, so the old town adds a metro change.
- Airport bus runs are sparse off-peak, and not every departure continues to the terminal.
How to do it right
- Buy the Rhonexpress ticket online before boarding: the web fare is 16.30 EUR against 17.40 EUR at machines, and the unused e-ticket stays refundable.
- Ride the tram to Vaulx-en-Velin La Soie for metro line A toward the center, or stay on to Part-Dieu for the main rail station and tram links.
- Check the timetable at the edges of the day: trams run 4:25 to midnight, every 15 minutes, thinning to every 30 early in the morning and late at night.
- On a tight budget, take TCL bus C200 toward Vaulx La Soie and continue by metro for the standard 2.10 EUR fare; check first that your run continues to the airport, since only some do.
- Landing after midnight or with heavy luggage, use the marked taxi rank outside arrivals or a pre-booked fixed-price transfer.
The trap to avoid
Assuming a cheaper ticket exists onboard: buying on the Rhonexpress adds a 4 EUR surcharge per transaction, and the normal 2.10 EUR TCL fare never applies on the airport express.
Why this verdict
The express tram wins on the thing that matters most after a flight: certainty. It runs every 15 minutes for almost twenty hours a day, reaches Part-Dieu in 29 minutes and never sits in traffic. Travelers across blogs and forums describe it as the simplest link, and the guides that compare every option land on it for most arrivals. Its weakness is price, not service: local and national coverage calls it the dearest airport shuttle in France, and fares rose again in January 2025. Buying online trims the sting to 16.30 EUR, and under-12s ride free.
The tram is not right for every arrival. It ends at Part-Dieu or La Soie, so travelers headed to the old town add a metro ride, and it stops overnight. Groups of three or four split a taxi to roughly the per-person cost of the tram with door-to-door service on top, which is why taxis and pre-booked transfers rate depends rather than skip.
The 2.10 EUR TCL buses are the budget answer, ten times cheaper than the express. The catch logged in reports is that only some runs continue to the terminal and the trip to the center takes about an hour. For a tight budget with flexible timing it is a fine trade; for a tired arrival it rarely is.
Timing and tickets
Buy the express ticket online or in the app before boarding: it is cheaper than the machines and onboard sales carry a 4 EUR surcharge per transaction. Check the official timetable around 4:25 and midnight, the edges of service. For the buses, confirm that the specific run reaches the airport stop by Terminal 1, since many C200 departures end at Genas.
Book or check times
Rhonexpress fares and timetableTCL tickets and faresAirport transport overview
We earn a commission if you book through our links. It never changes a verdict. How this works
Book a fixed-price airport pickuppartner site
Questions
What is the cheapest way from Lyon airport to the city?
The TCL airport buses at the standard 2.10 EUR city fare are the cheapest legal way in. They link the terminal to metro and tram connections at La Soie and Meyzieu, and the full trip to the center takes about an hour.
How late does the Rhonexpress run?
The operator lists service daily from 4:25 to midnight, every 15 minutes through most of the day and every 30 minutes at the edges. After midnight the only options are taxis and pre-booked transfers.
How much is a taxi from Lyon airport to the center?
Taxis run on the meter: 3.10 EUR flag fall, 8 EUR minimum and about 2 EUR per km for a one-way daytime trip, more at night and on Sundays. Guides and forum reports put the total at roughly 45 to 100 EUR depending on traffic.
Is there a direct train from Lyon airport into the city?
The airport TGV station serves intercity routes, not central Lyon. The Rhonexpress express tram to Part-Dieu, 29 minutes, is the direct rail link into town.
Does the Lyon City Card cover the airport tram?
Only in the bundle version sold with a Rhonexpress transfer. The standard Lyon City Card covers TCL transport and museums but not the airport express.