One of France’s largest cities, Lyon is a vibrant hub of gastronomy, colourful architecture and history. The city is known for its bouchons, which are specialist restaurants that serve authentic Lyonnaise cuisine. As for its roads and streets, Lyon is considered to be relatively hard to drive around, thanks to its narrow streets and the city being a Low Emissions Zone. However, driving in Lyon is no different to driving in any other French city, and you likely won’t encounter any major problems if you choose to drive there.
At Holiday Cars, we offer the best range of vehicles to suit your needs, from affordable economy cars to luxury estate cars. Whether you’re looking for an SUV, an economy car or a luxury vehicle, you’ll find your ideal rental car from a wide range of options and suppliers. For Lyon’s best quality car hire, look no further than Holiday Cars. Our site is easy to use and navigate, and we allow up to 48 hours' cancellation to give you the freedom and flexibility to amend your booking. We also don’t charge any hidden fees or costs, so you can be assured that you’ll only pay for what you expect to pay for.
Driving Rules and Regulations in Lyon
Lyon is surrounded by toll roads, so it’s helpful to plan your route in advance. Regardless, hiring a car makes it easier to explore the city. And it’s pretty straightforward if you’ve driven in other French cities – Lyon’s driving rules mirror those of the rest of France. Lyon often experiences heavy traffic, so it’s important to bear this in mind and try to avoid city centre roads during peak hours. There are important rules and regulations to bear in mind when driving in Lyon, such as:
- To drive in France, you have to be aged 18 and over, and to rent a car, the minimum age is usually 18-21, although this can vary considerably between car rental companies. Some suppliers may require you to be aged 25 and over, and those under 25 may be charged a young driver fee.
- Lyon is a Low Emission Zone, meaning that you need to abide by the emissions rules. Certain vehicles carry more emissions than others, which will be indicated by a Crit’Air sticker. On rental cars, Crit’Air stickers are usually already included. Additionally, with your own vehicle, if it doesn’t comply with emission rules, you may not be allowed to drive in Lyon.
- Lyon also has toll roads surrounding the city. Toll fees can either be paid automatically via a built-in transponder in your rental car or can be added to your final rental payment.
- If you’re from the UK or EU, you won’t need an IDP to drive in France as UK licences are widely accepted. However, for ease and convenience, you might find it necessary to obtain one.
Top Tips for Driving in Lyon
Driving in Lyon is no different to driving in any other city across France, but there are certain rules you need to be aware of. Before you drive in Lyon, make sure your car has the relevant Crit’Air Sticker to be allowed access into the city – if you’re renting a car, the sticker will already be on the car. Also, be aware that toll roads surround Lyon, and that traffic is heavy within the city at certain times of day. You might struggle to find parking spaces during the day in peak hours, too. Lyon Airport is a major hub for car rental, and you might be able to find cheaper deals and a wider range of cars from there.
If you do decide to hire a car in Lyon, the process will usually involve finding a supplier, filling out paperwork and choosing the car you want to rent. You’ll normally be asked to provide ID/driving licence, a valid credit card and any insurance or registration documents. Some suppliers may allow alternative payment methods like debit or prepaid cards. Another thing to bear in mind when driving in Lyon is the right-hand driving.
Parking in Lyon – A Guide
The layout of Lyon makes parking and sometimes driving difficult, but there are several options for parking dotted across the city. Bear in mind that Lyon is usually very busy, which means that parking spaces may be in higher demand and finding on-street parking may be more difficult. Because of this, it may be an easier option to use a park and ride, where you can park outside of the city and use Lyon’s public transport to get around the city.
Hiring your Car from Lyon Airport
Lyon Airport is another major hub for car hire in the city, where you can find a wide range of Europe’s top car hire companies and a variety of cars to choose from, from economy cars to SUVs and minivans. Some of the top suppliers you can find at Lyon Airport include Hertz, Europcar, Alamo, Enterprise, National and Sixt. Holiday Cars liaises and partners closely with these companies to bring you the best deals on car rental from both Lyon city and Lyon Airport. Skip the lengthy queues for car hire at the airport and choose to rent through Holiday Cars’ website, where your booking will be confirmed within minutes.
Types of Vehicles to Hire in Lyon
You can find a huge range of rental cars for hire in Lyon, including SUVs, minivans, luxury cars and economy vehicles of varying makes and models. Most of these suppliers offer excellent deals and affordable rates on car rental, and partner closely with us to ensure you find the car of your dreams at an affordable rate. Currently, the cheapest car you can rent in Lyon through Holiday Cars is the Renault Twingo, with a daily price of around £25, while the most expensive car is the BMW X5, with a daily price of around £165.