Festival of Lights: getting around Lyon without the hassle
Nearly two million visitors over four evenings, a pedestrianised Presqu'île and overwhelmed public transport: the Festival of Lights is magical — provided you have thought about your journeys beforehand. Here is a Lyon transport operator's guide.
Published on November 1, 2026 · By Khaled Aggoune, founder of ONLY VTC — private-hire driver in Lyon since 2016, assistance missions on the A43/A46 corridor
Every year in early December, around the 8th, Lyon lights up for four evenings: Terreaux, Saint-Jean cathedral, Place Bellecour, Parc de la Tête-d'Or… and with the artworks come the constraints. A pedestrian zone covers most of the Presqu'île and Vieux-Lyon in the evening, traffic is closed there, bus lines are diverted and the metro runs… if you can get in. Exact times and boundaries change each edition: check the official programme — but the principles for getting around do not change.
The golden rule: aim for the edge of the zone, not the centre
No vehicle — taxi, private-hire car or personal car — drops off at Place des Terreaux on a Festival evening. The right strategy is to get dropped off at the edge of the zone and then walk for 10 to 15 minutes: on the Rhône side (left-bank quays, Guillotière or Foch area), the Perrache side to the south, or at the top of La Croix-Rousse to walk down to Terreaux. Our drivers use these drop-off points every year and choose the one best suited to your route at the time.
An additional tip: the stations remain accessible. Getting dropped off at Perrache or Part-Dieu and then reaching the lights on foot or by metro avoids most closures — and also works in the other direction for leaving.
The return: where it all comes down to
The real headache is not arriving, it is getting home after 11 p.m. : packed metros when the installations close, queues at taxi ranks, dynamic-pricing apps whose prices soar just when everyone needs them. At ONLY VTC, the price is fixed at booking — demand on a Festival evening makes no difference. Book your return in advance with a meeting point at the edge of the zone, and your driver waits for you there at the agreed time, wherever your evening has taken you.
For visitors from the outskirts and beyond — Villefranche, Vienne, Bourgoin, the eastern Lyon area — a door-to-door private-hire car avoids the missed last train or the full park-and-ride. And for an outing with several people, the 7-seat van transforms the budget: one vehicle for the whole family or group of friends, often cheaper than two taxis.
Our local advice for the Festival
- Book your journeys early : Festival evenings are the busiest of the year in Lyon, and availability goes quickly.
- Opt for Thursday or Sunday evening : the same artworks, half the crowds of Saturday.
- Agree a precise meeting point for the return (street corner, station exit): in the crowd, "Place Bellecour" is not enough.
- Track your driver live on the app: you see their arrival and receive an approach notification — no waiting in the cold.
Coming from further away? We also provide transfers from theLyon-Saint-Exupéry airport and the stations for a Festival of Lights weekend. Estimate your journey in 30 seconds — fixed price, with no event surcharge.
ONLY VTC has been supporting Lyon residents and their visitors during the Festival of Lights since 2016: drop-off at the edge of the zone, late returns 24/7, vans for groups. Fixed price quoted at booking. Any questions? contact@onlyvtc.fr or 06 67 25 84 26.