Car hire in Lyon
1 office in Lyon · airport pick-up · France
Lyon, set between the Rhône and the Saône, is France's gastronomic capital: traditional bouchons, the Les Halles Paul Bocuse food market and a Renaissance old town threaded with secret passageways, the traboules. The city itself is easy on the metro, but its strategic position makes it the best launch pad for south-east France.
From Lyon-Saint Exupéry airport, where you can collect your car the moment you land, motorways fan out towards the Alps, Provence and the Beaujolais hills. If your plan mixes city with vineyards, mountains or medieval villages, hiring a car multiplies what you can see in just a few days.
Search cars in LyonWhy hire a car in Lyon
- Lyon is the crossroads of the south-east: the Alps, Provence and Burgundy are all within a day's drive.
- The vineyards of Beaujolais and the Côte-Rôtie, with their golden-stone villages, have no practical public-transport alternative.
- Pick-up at Lyon-Saint Exupéry airport, around 30 minutes from the centre, with immediate access to the A43 and A7 motorways.
Day trips near Lyon
- Pérouges — A walled medieval town with cobbled streets, one of France's prettiest villages and a regular film set. About 40 minutes away.
- Beaujolais — Rolling vineyard hills and golden-stone villages such as Oingt, with family wineries open for tastings. About 45 minutes away.
- Annecy — An Alpine lake of turquoise waters, canals and an old town at the foot of the mountains; a favourite escape for Lyonnais locals. About 1 hr 30 min away.
- Vienne — A Roman temple, an ancient theatre and the Côte-Rôtie slopes above the Rhône, just a stone's throw from the city. About 35 minutes away.
Where to pick up your car
- Aeropuerto de Lyon-St Exupery
Final prices in euros · book without paying · free cancellation up to 72 h before.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a car to visit the city of Lyon itself?
No: the centre, Fourvière hill and the Croix-Rousse are perfectly covered by metro and funicular. The car earns its keep once you leave the city — for the vineyards, the Alps or the surrounding villages, where trains are patchy or non-existent.
Are there driving restrictions in Lyon?
Lyon operates a low-emission zone requiring a Crit'Air sticker in the centre. Recent hire cars usually comply without issue, but ask at the desk whether the vehicle carries the sticker, and avoid the centre during announced pollution alerts.
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