Our travel diary
Getting to Lyon
The capital of the Rhône Alpes region benefits from its strategic location in the heart of the natural activity corridor that is the Rhône Valley. Lyon is located 450 km from Paris and 300 km from Marseille. If Lyon is not far from Switzerland, some 150 km from Geneva, count nevertheless 700 km from Belgium and Brussels. While all solutions to get to Lyon are possible, from airplane to road to train, some are more attractive than others depending on where you live.
The city's major multimodal airport (it also contains a TGV station), Saint Exupéry Airport, is located some 25 km east of the city centre. From this station begins the Rhône Express link, which connects the city centre to the airport by public transport. Count between 12 and 15€ to reach the heart of the city in less than half an hour. As far as airlines are concerned, it is of course Air France which has the densest network in France and therefore certainly offers a direct line from your airport to Lyon. Easyjet, with its low-cost service, also has an interesting network, with departures from Toulouse, Nantes, Brest, Bordeaux, Nice, or Brest. There are also international lines to Lyon, with routes from Belgium, for example, from Brussels operated by HOP and Brussels.
Getting to Lyon by train is a solution appreciated by many travellers. It must be said that the capital of the Gauls is located at the heart of the French high-speed line network. From Paris, you will reach Lyon in just over 2 hours. If you live in Marseille, the TGV will take you to Lyon in just 1 hour and 40 minutes. The train can also be attractive from Switzerland, with TER trains linking Lyon and Geneva in just 1h50. Under these conditions, the comparison with the plane turns in favour of the train, which is less the case for cities in western France or Belgium for example, whose journey is longer and therefore less interesting.
It is possible to reach Lyon by road, the capital of the Gauls being only 300 km from Marseille for example. In the heart of the Rhône Valley, the city benefits from the concentration of motorways serving the city. This mode of transport also has a clear budgetary advantage. And if you can't charter a coach for your group trip, there are regular bus lines, especially those of Flixbus and Ouibus, offering affordable rates.
Hotels for all needs and budgets
At the heart of the second largest French urban area with more than 1.5 million inhabitants, Lyon is a centre of economic activity and a cultural centre of national scope. It is therefore not surprising that it has a large number of hotels and facilities adapted to accommodate groups of all sizes and types. A brief overview of the city's main districts. Lyon's city centre is located on the Presqu'île, between the Saône and the Rhône. This lively and charming old district is classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The tip of the Presqu'ïle, the Confluence district also attracts visitors with its exhibition centres and the Confluence Museum. The Croix Rousse hill stretches back from this peninsula. It is a typical district, with small squares and the appearance of a village. Notice to amateurs, there are many bars and designer shops! Fourvière, on the other side of the Saône, is a hill dominated by the basilica of the same name, a true symbol of the city. There is a historic district, the Saint Jean district, a large Renaissance district attracting tourists and gastronomes. Lyon's business district is located on the other side of the Peninsula, to the east. It is the Part-Dieu district, the 2nd largest business centre in France, and the second largest in Lyon. North of the Croix Rousse, the Tête d'or park is also one of the city's major attractions. Groupcorner lists the accommodation adapted to accommodate groups of all types in Lyon. Depending on your needs, Groupcorner will help you select the appropriate facilities, in terms of location and equipment.
