Traveling from Paris to Lyon
... by car or train
By Train
The fastest way to get from Paris to Lyon is by the TGV train, departing from the Gare de Lyon station many times a day.
The trip — around two hours at its fastest — stops in Lyon at the Lyon Part Dieu station. From this station, there is easy access to buses, rental cars, the subway, and other trains.
There are other train stations in Paris where you can catch a train to Lyon. Trains from stations other than Gare de Lyon are not fast, and the duration will be much longer — about four to five hours.
By Car
Traveling from Paris to Lyon by car is around five hours — more if you leave Paris, or arrive in Lyon, at rush hour (4p to 7p). While there are car rental agencies all around Paris, we find more availability and reasonable prices when we rent from one of the agencies at Gare de Lyon. To get to Gare de Lyon:
Take a taxi or Uber to 193 Rue de Bercy, or
Take the Paris Metro to the Gare de Lyon stop
There’s a walkway above the street-level entrance. Just inside the station, there is an elevator and stairs to get to that upper level. Walk across the walkway, across the street from Gare de Lyon — the majority of the car rental companies are located here.
SIXT is an exception. On the opposite side of the building, there is a bank of elevators just outside the Gare de Lyon exit. The SIXT rental car office can be accessed by this elevator — five floors down.
TFE Insiders Tip: Before you rent your car, enter the address of your destination in your mobile phone map application. Select Directions from your Current location to start navigation.
This won’t be possible when you pickup your rental car — in a parking garage, several floors underground, with no cellular service. In addition, once you’re in the rental car and exit the parking garage, there’s no convenient place to stop and program navigation.
When you exit the garage, cellular service will be available, and the directions will catch up with you.