Train stations in Lyon

Lyon Part-Dieu suits most journeys, but airport and Perrache trains can bypass it. Check the full Lyon station name before paying.

Choose Lyon Part-Dieu by default

Lyon Part-Dieu is the main station in the Lyon area. Perrache and Saint-Exupéry are secondary stations. TGV INOUI, OUIGO, TER and Trenitalia all use Part-Dieu, making it the sensible choice for most long-distance journeys and visits to central Lyon.

A search result that says only Lyon is not enough. Open the train details and confirm the complete station name, because some departures use Perrache or Saint-Exupéry instead. Two trains at similar times can leave from different parts of the city.

Use Perrache for the south Presqu'île

Perrache makes sense when the ticket names it or its southern Presqu'île location saves a journey across Lyon. The station is beside Place Carnot, connects with Metro A and handles TER, Intercités, TGV INOUI and OUIGO trains.

It is a separate station, not another platform group at Part-Dieu. Before leaving your hotel, see whether the train starts at Perrache or uses Part-Dieu instead. The ticket should show the full name.

Treat Saint-Exupéry as the airport station

Lyon Saint-Exupéry TGV is outside central Lyon, beside the airport. Use it for a flight connection or when the exact TGV INOUI, OUIGO or Frecciarossa departure names the airport station. A short walk leads to Terminal 1. Terminal 2 is closed to the public, so all flights use Terminal 1.

For a city visit, include the onward transfer before comparing fares and journey times. An apparently quick train can still leave you with Rhônexpress or a slower TCL connection into Lyon. Check which part of the city the train serves.

Paris and Marseille trains can use Saint-Exupéry without calling at Part-Dieu. Others use the city station. Read every stop on the exact train, especially when comparing low-cost departures.

Match representative routes to the station

Paris shows why the full station name matters. Fast direct trains from Part-Dieu to Paris Gare de Lyon take about two hours, with some journeys under that. Paris Gare de Lyon is in Paris. Lyon Part-Dieu is in Lyon. Read both the city and station fields before paying.

Direct trains from Part-Dieu to Marseille can take under two hours, while some OUIGO and Frecciarossa services use Saint-Exupéry. Italy needs the same care. Frecciarossa's Paris to Milan service calls at Lyon Part-Dieu. Its Paris to Marseille trains follow a different route through Lyon Saint-Exupéry.

A regional TER may use Part-Dieu, Perrache, Jean Macé or Vaise. Pick a smaller stop only when it appears in the itinerary and genuinely shortens your local journey. A regional station is not a safe substitute for the station on a long-distance ticket.

Use Rhônexpress for the fastest regular airport transfer

Rhônexpress is the direct airport link from Part-Dieu. The trip normally takes 29 minutes. Services run every 15 minutes from 06:00 to 21:00, then every 30 minutes early and late. At Part-Dieu, follow the signs towards Villette rather than the Béraudier city-centre side.

Booked online, an adult single costs €16 and a return costs €28. Ticket machines charge €17.10 and €29.80, while buying on board adds €4 per transaction to the machine fare. Travellers aged 12 to 25 pay €10.50 for a single, with proof of age required, while children under 12 travel free.

Look at the service status before setting out. Planned work or disruption can mean replacement buses and a longer trip.

TCL has cheaper options if time matters less. From Part-Dieu, take tram T3 to Meyzieu Z.I., then change to bus 47 for the airport. Selected C200 trips run from Vaulx-en-Velin La Soie to the airport, so check the bus destination before boarding. Both routes use TCL fares, but they take longer and include bus sections exposed to road traffic. Confirm the required zones and allow the full journey time.

Use Jean Macé and Vaise for regional trains

Jean Macé and Vaise combine TER and metro connections, but neither replaces the main long-distance station. Jean Macé is on Metro B in the 7th arrondissement. Vaise is on Metro D in western Lyon.

Use one only when the booked train calls there. A nearby hotel does not make it the right station for a Paris, Marseille or Milan train. If the itinerary adds a regional train into Part-Dieu before the long-distance departure, leave enough time for the change and check both legs.

Separate pass coverage from reservations

An Interrail or Eurail Pass does not remove every booking step in Lyon. TGV INOUI requires a separate pass-holder reservation, and the places available to pass users can be limited. Secure the reservation for the exact train before relying on it.

Ordinary TER trains around Lyon normally accept the pass without a seat reservation. OUIGO and Frecciarossa do not accept Interrail or Eurail in France, so each needs a separate full ticket. Intercités is included, but only some services require reservations. Check the exact train in the pass planner.

Arriving with only half of the required documents can leave you unable to board. A pass without a compulsory reservation is incomplete. A reservation on its own is not a travel ticket.

Leave Part-Dieu from the useful side

Part-Dieu has exits on both sides of the tracks. Take the Béraudier or city-centre side for Metro B and most journeys towards central Lyon. Use the Villette side for Rhônexpress. The wrong exit can mean an unnecessary walk through a large station.

For Vieux Lyon, take Metro B from Gare Part-Dieu Vivier Merle and change to Metro D at Saxe-Gambetta. Perrache is on Metro A, Jean Macé on Metro B and Vaise on Metro D. Look at the live TCL route before a tight connection because engineering work can change the quickest interchange.

Part-Dieu's luggage lockers are in Galerie Villette. Availability and opening hours can change, so confirm the service before building a long stopover around stored bags.