Lyon public transport: tickets, passes and apps

Decide by ride count, not by length of stay. Two rides in a day: two singles or one 24-hour pass are close in cost, so take whichever is simpler. Three or more rides: the 24-hour pass is cheaper and removes the need to think about it.

For a long weekend, a rechargeable TCL card or the TCL app is the practical choice: load a pass or a bundle of singles, top up as needed, and keep the card for a future trip. Paper singles work but are the slowest option at the validator.

Groups and families should price the day pass per person against singles before buying; there is no obvious group discount on the standard range.

Three routes work: paper or card tickets from machines and tabacs, a contactless bank card tapped on the validator, and the TCL app with a stored ticket. Machines at metro stations take cards and coins; not all accept notes.

Contactless bank cards are accepted on most TCL validators, but foreign cards occasionally fail; keep a backup ticket. The TCL app lets you buy and validate on the phone, which is the fastest option if your phone battery holds.

Validate every ride, including on trams and buses where there is no gate. Inspectors board randomly and fine passengers without a valid ticket; the fine is set by TCL and is not negotiable on the spot.

TCL fares cover the urban network: Lyon city, Villeurbanne and the inner suburbs, including metro, tram, trolleybus, bus and the funiculars. Most visitor trips sit inside this area.

The airport is outside the standard TCL fare zone, which is why Rhônexpress is priced separately. Regional TER trains around Lyon use SNCF fares, not TCL tickets; buy those at a station machine or on the SNCF app.

If your hotel is in the outer suburbs, check whether it is inside the TCL zone before buying a pass; a few addresses need a TER or a longer bus route.

Lyon Saint-Exupéry (LYS) sits about 25 km east of the city. The Rhônexpress tram-train runs to Part-Dieu business district in roughly 30 minutes; buy at the airport station or online, and note that TCL passes do not cover it.

Cheaper but slower: bus routes from the airport to a metro or tram interchange, then a TCL ticket into town. This takes longer and needs a change, so it suits travellers with time and light bags.

A taxi or ride-hail to the centre is the fastest door-to-door option and the most expensive; agree the fare or check the meter before leaving.

Buy before you board. Trams and buses have no barrier, so the only check is a random inspection, and the fine is real.

Keep the ticket until you leave the system; on some journeys you need it again at an exit gate.

Metro lines run late into the evening, but the last departures are earlier than in Paris; check the last train time for your line if you are out late.

For a weekend, the TCL app plus a contactless card as backup covers almost every case.