Flights from Montreal (YUL) to Lyon, France
Here is what to know before booking a flight to Lyon from Montreal.
From Montreal, fares to Lyon usually run between $920 and $2050. The best fare spotted recently is $669 (about 52% below the typical price).
Lyon sits where the Rhône and the Saône meet, a city of two hills with a long peninsula in between, and it has a strong claim to being France's capital of food. Its Renaissance old town is threaded with traboules, covered passageways that let people and goods move between streets, and the basilica of Fourvière looks down from the hill where the Romans founded Lugdunum. Plan your days around a long lunch in a bouchon, a climb up the Croix-Rousse and evening walks along the quays!
When to go
Spring (April to June) and early autumn (September and October) are the most comfortable seasons, mild enough for long walks and meals on terraces. July and August can be hot, with heat waves passing 35°C, though the Nuits de Fourvière festival brings concerts to the Roman theatre in early summer. Winters are cool, grey and sometimes foggy, but around 8 December the Fête des Lumières covers the city in light installations for four nights and draws enormous crowds, so book a room well ahead.
Getting there from Montreal
From Montreal (YUL), seasonal nonstop flights to Lyon have operated in some summers; otherwise you connect once through Paris or another European hub such as Amsterdam, Frankfurt or Munich. From Quebec City (YQB), add a first leg via Montreal or Toronto. Many travellers fly into Paris instead and take the TGV, which runs from Charles de Gaulle airport to Lyon in about two hours. Lyon-Saint-Exupéry airport is about 25 km east of the city, and the Rhônexpress tram reaches Part-Dieu station in roughly 30 minutes.
What to see and do
- Vieux Lyon and its traboules
- Fourvière basilica and the Roman theatres below it
- A bouchon lunch and Les Halles de Lyon Paul Bocuse
- The slopes and silk-weaving history of the Croix-Rousse
Good to know before you go
The TCL network runs four metro lines, trams, buses and two funiculars from Vieux Lyon, one of them up to Fourvière, while metro line C climbs the Croix-Rousse on a rack railway; tickets are sold in the TCL app and at machines. The Vélo'v bike share is handy along the flat riverbanks, and Uber and taxis cover the rest. The currency is the euro and contactless cards work almost everywhere. French is no obstacle for Quebecers, but the menus have their own vocabulary: a bouchon serves quenelles, saucisson brioché and the herbed cheese spread cervelle de canut, often as a set formule at lunch, and booking ahead is wise. Tap water is safe, many shops close on Sundays, and keep an eye on your bag around Part-Dieu station and on crowded metro lines.
Entry requirements and health
No visa needed
Good news: with a Canadian passport you can just show up for a short tourist stay, no visa needed. Keep an eye on how long you're allowed to stay so your trip fits.
General orientation for a Canadian passport on a short tourist trip, not legal or medical advice. Confirm with official sources, and see a travel health clinic four to six weeks before departure.
Travel information is provided as a guide and can change. Always confirm fares, schedules and entry requirements before booking.
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