Out and about in Lyon

Getting Around on Foot

The Festival of Lights takes place mostly in the city center within a pedestrianized area. This area is closed to vehicles every evening during the Festival, starting 2 hours before the event opens and lasting until 1.5 hours after the installations close. About forty entrances are distributed approximately every 100 meters.

Within this area, it is strictly forbidden to travel by car, motorcycle, scooter, bicycle, or electric scooter.
Please note, the entrances and exits to both public and private parking lots are prohibited. Therefore, vehicles parked inside the perimeter will not be able to exit during the closure hours.

Municipal decrees govern the parking prohibitions. Signs will be displayed at various locations.

 

The Presqu’île is open to pedestrians through access points every day throughout the duration of the Festival.


Only the following footbridges will be closed on December 5, 6, and 8 from 5 PM to midnight, and on December 7 from 4 PM to 11 PM:

  • Palais de Justice footbridge
  • Homme de la Roche footbridge
  • Saint Vincent footbridge
  • Paul Couturier footbridge (also called St Georges footbridge)

Throughout the entire perimeter and on all four evenings of the Festival, bicycle and scooter traffic is prohibited. Pets are not allowed in the parks within this perimeter.

The festival area will be closed to traffic for all four days
This restriction also applies to motorcycles and bicycles. Only the emergency services will have access. 

Getting to the Parc de la Tête d'Or

To get to the Parc de la Tête d'Or by metro, take line A and get off at Masséna station (8 minutes' walk).

The Porte Tête d'Or entrance is also accessible by bus 38 (Parc tête d'or Duquesne stop) or C4 (Garibaldi Duquesne stop).

On leaving the park at Porte de la Roseraie, you can take metro line A to Foch station.

Leaving the Place des Terreaux

At the end of the Place des Terreaux, the easiest metro station to get to is Cordeliers (line A).

Vieux Lyon / Cathédrale Saint Jean Station - Metro line D and funicular

Due to heavy crowds at Vieux Lyon station, please use Bellecour station instead (a 9-minute walk via Pont Bonaparte).

 

Public transport

During the event
The metro, tram and certain bus lines run more frequently.
https://www.tcl.fr/en

December 8: Travel free after 4 p.m in zones 1 and 2.


December 5 to 7, unlimited travel with:

  • The "TCL en Fête" ticket from 4 p.m. (€3.60)
  • the 1, 2 or 3-day ticket
  • the “Ticket famille” for a group of 2 to 5 people, with or without family ties, including at least 1 child aged between 4 and 17

You can pay for your ticket and validate it directly with a contactless credit card.

Lyon City Card
Unlimited access to public transport: metro, tram, bus and funicular included in the Lyon City Card

By Car

The main area and the Parc de la Tête d’Or area will be closed to vehicle traffic, including authorized vehicles in the Limited Traffic Zone (ZTL):

  • December 5, 6 and 8, from 5 p.m. to midnight
  • December 7, from 4 p.m. to 11 p.m.

Times are indicative and may be modified by the organizers.

No parking allowed from 12 p.m. onwards on all Festival days on the following streets: rue Édouard Herriot, rue Paul Chenavard, rue de Brest, rue Gasparin, rue Émile Zola, rue des Archers, rue Childebert (between Place des Jacobins and rue de la République), rue Jean de Tournes (between Place des Jacobins and rue de la République), rue Jean Fabre, rue du Président Carnot, and boulevard des Belges (Lyon 6th).

These areas may be modified by the organizers.

Car parks

The following car parks are open during the Festival:

  • LPA Berthelot,
  • LPA Cordeliers,
  • LPA Fosse aux Ours,
  • LPA Confluence,
  • LPA Gros Caillou,
  • LPA Croix-Rousse,
  • LPA Morand,
  • LPA Rozier (members only),
  • LPA Saint-Just (members only),
  • Indigo Tolozan.

Car parks closed during the Festival:

Please note! Vehicles will be allowed out 1h30 after the end of the illuminations when traffic reopens. If you wish to take your vehicle back after the shows, please park outside the perimeter.

  • Indigo Bellecour 
  • LPA Célestins
  • LPA Grôlée
  • LPA Terreaux
  • Tupin Central Park
  • LPA Saint-Jean 
  • LPA Saint-Antoine

Access closed but exit possible during the Festival
(entrances closed on December 5, 6 and 8 from 5 p.m. to midnight, and on December 7 from 4 p.m. to 11 p.m.):

  • LPA Antonin Poncet
  • LPA Bourse (members only)
  • LPA République
  • LPA Hôtel de Ville
  • LPA Saint Georges

 

Coach parking areas are located at:

  • Quai Sarrail (Lyon 6th) and Quai Augagneur (Lyon 3rd): Quai Victor Augagneur, west side, between Pont Wilson and Pont de la Guillotière.
  • Quai Rambaud (Lyon 2nd) : Friday, December 6 and Saturday, December 7 only: Saône riverside, between Cours Bayard and Rue Dugas Montbel.

There are no dedicated camper van parking areas in the city center. We recommend parking your vehicle on the outskirts of Lyon and using public transport to reach the Festival.