A guide to driving in Lyon

Whatever brings you to Lyon – the food, the architecture, the shopping or the culture – make sure you’re fully prepared for your journey and the experience of driving in this large city. You’ll certainly need to check if your car is compliant for Lyon’s low emission zone. 

At a glance guide to driving in Lyon

Can I drive into Lyon city centre?

Yes, you can, but Lyon has a low emission zone in force (ZFE). 

Vieux Lyon is a memorable place to visit, but perhaps on foot or public transport than in a car!

ZFE compliance and Crit’Air: quick guide

The low emissions zone in Lyon restricts access to private vehicles unless they meet the requirements for and display a Crit’ Air 2 sticker (Euro 4 standard for petrol vehicles, Euro 5 or 6 for diesel). This places it in the stricter end for ZFEs in France. So if your petrol car was registered before 1 January 2006, you won’t be able to drive it into Lyon. 

The ZFE in Lyon covers the historic city centre within the boundary of the ring road, as well as sections of the M6 and M7 expressway and the entire suburb of Caluire-et-Cuire. The ring road itself is included within the ZFE.  Remember to buy your Crit’ Air sticker in advance of your trip if you don’t already have one (they don’t expire), and display it at all times.

Where to park in Lyon

On-street and car parks

If you do drive into the central parts of Lyon, there are a number of underground and multi-storey car parks in the Presqu’île and Part-Dieu districts. Daily rates can be high, however. There is limited on-street parking, and these spaces are available for short term stays (Presto) of up to 1 hour, or medium term (Tempo), with a maximum of 3 hours. Payment is mandatory and enforced between 9am and 7pm. Parking is free outside these hours and on Sundays, public holidays and during August in Tempo zones. 

Parc Relais with TCL

The sensible way to get around Lyon is to use one of the Parc Relais park-and-ride facilities. These allow you to park your car at a site that connects to the Lyon Metro, tram and bus network, giving free parking in exchange for a return ticket on public transport. There are 22 P+R sites, with nearly 12,000 parking spaces in total, the largest sites being at Hôpital Lyon Sud, adjoining the southern terminus of the Metro B line, and Vaise 2, linking with Gare de Vaise railway interchange in the northwest of the city. 

Using the ring road and major approaches

The A6 is the main northerly autoroute approaching Lyon

Lyon is the second largest metropolitan area in France after Paris, and the third largest city, so is at the centre of a busy and complex road network. The main autoroutes leading to the city are the A6 (from the north) and A7 (from the south), which become the M6 and M7 multi-lane expressways within the city centre.

The Lyon ring road, which on a map is marked the D383, is called the Boulevard Périphérique de Lyon. It is also known as Boulevard Laurent Bonnevay for some of its course, and runs in a 16 mile loop around the city, and broadly marks the boundary of the ZFE in Lyon. There is a tolled section, in the north between Ponte de Vaise and Porte de Saint-Clair.

Local rules and signs

There are no major differences to driving in Lyon than anywhere else in France. Make sure you are aware of the basic road signs, and rules of the road. You should give way to trams – there are eight tram lines in Lyon. Traffic lights turn red automatically when a tram is approaching. 

You should also be aware that there is a limited traffic zone (ZTL) in the Presqu’île area of the city, which means private vehicles are generally not able to use the roads in this zone from 1pm to 6am. The ZTL does allow access for public transport, taxis, emergency services, local residents and disabled badge holders. If you are staying at a hotel within this area, you will be given a code that gives you exemption. 

Speed limits in Lyon

You should expect the same speed limits in Lyon as the rest of France:

However, the speed limit on the Boulevard périphérique de Lyon is 70 km/h. 

Tolls and approaching Lyon

Driving across the Rhône in Lyon at night

Driving to Lyon from the LeShuttle terminal in Calais is a journey of around 7 ½ hours. The quickest route is via Reims, Troyes and Dijon, following the A26 and A31 autoroutes. You will have to pay tolls on this major route, at a cost of around €77 each way. For such a journey it is strongly recommended to buy a toll tag in advance, which means you won’t have to come to a complete stop at the toll booth, and the payments will be taken automatically. 

Your Lyon road trip begins with LeShuttle

If you’re thinking of driving to Lyon, then the quickest way to get across the Channel and start your road trip is with LeShuttle. It’s just a 35-minute crossing from Folkestone to Calais.