Lyon Part-Dieu station guide

By the Viamo editorial team · Editor Terje Moy · Last updated October 2026 · 5 min read

Lyon Part-Dieu is France's second-busiest rail hub after the Paris stations, and for a long stretch of the 2010s and 2020s it was also one of the country's biggest building sites — a near-decade of renovation that has only recently finished handing back space to passengers. It's the TGV gateway to Lyon and a genuine interchange in its own right, sitting beneath the modern Part-Dieu business district rather than the older, prettier city centre around Bellecour. Here's how to navigate it.

A station rebuilt around you

Part-Dieu has been under near-continuous renovation for close to ten years, expanding capacity to cope with growth the 1980s-era station was never built for. Recent milestones include a new gallery connecting the main hall to hall 2 in 2024, a new lower square giving direct access to the Lyon Metro in April 2025, and the reopening of the upper Charles-Béraudier Square in September 2025 — finally opening the station properly onto the surrounding district. The result is a station hall roughly twice the size of the old one, plus an extra track added to improve punctuality. If you haven't passed through in a few years, expect it to look considerably different — more open, better signed, and with far more space to wait than the old cramped concourse.

Finding your platform

The station is organised into three halls — Hall 1 (the original, historic section), Hall 2 and Hall 3 — connected by the Béraudier Gallery and underground passages, with platforms numbered across them. Departure boards are the reliable way to find your platform rather than guessing by hall, since TGV, TER and connecting services are mixed across the same tracks depending on the time of day. Allow a few minutes to cross between halls if your platform is at the opposite end from where you enter, particularly with luggage — this is now a genuinely large station.

Lyon's place in the TGV network

Part-Dieu handles around 150 TGV and 400 TER services a day, making it one of the few French stations where you can connect between high-speed lines without routing through Paris at all — useful for journeys toward Marseille, Provence and the Mediterranean, or west and south without backtracking. Direct TGVs reach Paris in around two hours, among France's busiest high-speed corridors; see our Lyon to Paris route guide for the details, and our Lyon to Marseille route guide for the run down the Rhône to the coast. For the wider network this all sits within, our guide to France by TGV and France by train guide cover booking, classes and the cheaper Ouigo alternative.

The Rhônexpress to the airport

The dedicated Rhônexpress tram links Part-Dieu directly to Lyon-Saint Exupéry Airport in under 30 minutes, running roughly every 15 minutes through the day and less frequently in the small hours, with services operating right around the clock. It's a premium fare compared with an ordinary tram ticket, but it's the fastest and most reliable way to make a flight connection, since it runs on a largely dedicated right-of-way rather than mixing with general traffic. See our Lyon airport to the city guide for how it compares with the alternatives.

Metro, trams and getting into the centre

Part-Dieu connects directly to Metro line B and to tramways T1, T3 and T4, making it straightforward to reach the rest of the city without a taxi. It's worth knowing that Part-Dieu sits in Lyon's modern business district, not the historic centre around Bellecour and Vieux Lyon — that's roughly 15–20 minutes away by metro or tram, via the older Lyon-Perrache station area. Don't assume Part-Dieu is "downtown Lyon" in the way a station like Milano Centrale sits at the edge of its old town; budget the extra transfer time if your destination is the Old Town or the Presqu'île. Our Lyon public transport guide covers the TCL network, funiculars and tickets in full.

Left luggage

Lockers (consignes) are available in the Tunnel Villette linking halls 1 and 2, with a separate staffed luggage drop-off in Hall 3. Pricing depends on locker size and how long you need it for, generally charged by the day, and it's the same kind of self-service system found at most major French stations.

Food and shopping

Part-Dieu is attached to one of the larger shopping centres in France, which means an unusually wide choice of food for a station — from quick bakery counters and coffee chains to full restaurants, all reachable without leaving the complex. If you've a longer wait, it's worth the short walk into the centre rather than settling for the platform-level kiosks.

Changing trains and tips

With the station now spread across three halls and a significantly bigger footprint than a few years ago, give connections a little more time than you might expect from an older mental map of the place — 20–30 minutes is a sensible minimum between TGV services if you need to cross the station. Signage has improved considerably with the renovation, but it's still a building site in parts as the final phases wrap up, so watch for temporary diversions around stairs and lifts.

Frequently asked questions

Is Lyon Part-Dieu the same as Lyon's main station?

Part-Dieu is Lyon's principal TGV and long-distance hub, though Lyon-Perrache, nearer the historic centre, also handles regional and some long-distance trains. Check which one your ticket specifies.

How do I get from Lyon Part-Dieu to the airport?

Take the Rhônexpress tram, which runs directly to Lyon-Saint Exupéry Airport in under 30 minutes, roughly every 15 minutes through the day.

Is Lyon Part-Dieu in the city centre?

It's in Lyon's modern business district, not the historic old town — the Presqu'île and Vieux Lyon are around 15–20 minutes away by metro or tram.

Where can I store luggage at Lyon Part-Dieu?

There are lockers in the Tunnel Villette between halls 1 and 2, plus a staffed luggage drop-off point in Hall 3.