Lyon: Getting there & around

Flights to and from dozens of European cities land at Aéroport Lyon-St-Exupéry (08 26 80 08 26; www.lyon.aeroport.fr), 25km (16mi) east of the city. Satobus (04 72 68 72 17; www.satobus.com) links the airport with the city centre every 20 minutes between 05:00 or 06:00 to 24:00 . Journey time is 35min to Gare de la Part-Dieu, 45min to Gare de Perrache. The fare includes one hour's travel on public transport.

Lyon has two mainline train stations: Gare de la Part-Dieu (metro Part-Dieu), 1.5km (0.9mi) east of the Rhône, which handles long-haul trains; and Gare de Perrache (metro Perrache), a stop for many long-distance and regional trains. Just a few local trains stop at Gare St-Paul (metro Vieux Lyon) in Vieux Lyon. Tickets are sold at all three stations and in town at the SNCF Boutique (2 place Bellecour, 2e; metro Bellecour).

Destinations served by frequent, direct, high-speed TGV trains include Paris' Gare de Lyon (2hr), Lille-Europe (3.75hr), Nantes (4.5hr), Beaune (2.25hr), Dijon (2.75hr) and Strasbourg (5.25hr).

In the Perrache complex, Eurolines (04 72 56 95 30; www.eurolines.com), Intercars (04 78 37 20 80; www.intercars.fr, in French) and Spain-oriented Linebús (04 72 41 72 27; www.linebus.com, in Spanish) have offices on the bus-station level of the Centre d'Échange (follow the 'Lignes Internationales' signs).

Major car-rental companies have offices at both Gare de la Part-Dieu and Gare de Perrache.

Pick up a set of red-and-silver wheels at one of 200-odd bike stations dotted around the city and drop them off at another with the city's hugely successful Vélo'v (08 00 08 35 68; www.velov.grandlyon.com in French) bike-rental scheme. The first 30 minutes are free, and you pay a small fee for subsequent hours. Central bike stations include in front of the town hall on blvd de la Croix Rousse, 4e (metro Croix Rousse); beside the opera house, 1er (metro Hôtel de Ville); and opposite Cathédrale St-Jean on place St-Jean, 5e (metro Vieux Lyon). A city map showing every bike station and cycling path is posted at each station.

Motorists who park in the 24-hour car park (04 78 42 50 09; www.vincipark.com in French) beneath place Bellecour can borrow a bike for free.

Less leg work is required with the covered, chauffeur-driven electric tricycles operated by Cyclopolitain (08 26 10 00 03; www.cyclopolitain.com in French). Pick up a cyclo at one of seven points around the city centre or beckon one by telephone.

Public transport - buses, trams, a four-line metro and two funiculars linking Vieux Lyon to Fourvière and St-Just - is run by TCL (08 20 42 70 00; www.tcl.fr in French). TCL offices are at Place Éouard Commette, 5e, in Vieux Lyon (metro Vieux Lyon) and at 5 rue de la République, 1er, on the Presqu'île (metro Bellecour). Public transport runs from around 05:00 to 24:00 . You can buy single tickets, books of 10 tickets, or tickets allowing unlimited travel for two hours/one day. These are available from bus and tram drivers and from machines at metro entrances. Tickets must be time-stamped on all forms of public transport.

Taxis hover at stands in front of both train stations; on the place Bellecour end of rue de la Barre, 2e; and at the northern end of rue du Président Édouard Herriot, 1er. Otherwise call Allo Taxi (04 78 28 23 23) or Taxis Lyonnais (04 78 26 81 81).