Lyon’s Saint-Exupéry International Airport is located 12 miles east of the city centre in neighbouring Colombier-Saugnieu. The airport is well-connected, both internationally and as a regional hub. Formerly known as Lyon Satolas Airport, this three-terminal facility’s current name pays homage to Lyon native, Antoine de Saint-Exupéry.

The list of airlines servicing Lyon’s airport is long. Some of the most prominent include Lufthansa, Air France, Air Algérie, Aigle Azur and Delta Airlines. Numerous other carriers operate in the airport, each specialising in one or two select cities. Terminal 3 is devoted to routes and connections by London’s easyJet, one of Europe’s biggest discount airlines.

Massive and modern, Saint-Exupéry International Airport sees an annual throughput exceeding seven million passengers. The facility offers an exhaustive collection of amenities and services to its passengers. ATMs are widely available and currency exchange is easily accommodated.

Public transportation between the airport and the city centre is easily accommodated. Satobus operates a shuttle service between the two, taking between 30 and 50 minutes to complete the journey.

There are numerous other modes of transport that access Lyon. The Train à Grand Vitesse (TGV) high-speed railway links the international airport with the cities of Marseille and Paris. Both of these connections take approximately two hours. There are three other train stations in Lyon: Part-Dieu, which services Marseille, Montpellier and Grenoble; Perrache, the regional hub located within a short walk of Place Bellecour; and St Paul, the provincial station set in the heart of the city.

There is a regular stream of buses travelling between Lyon and Grenoble, and these coaches also offer outlying connections to many of the smaller, provincial villages. While this mode of transport may be necessary to reach some out-of-the-way locations, it is less practical than the train, as backtracking is often involved.

Once you are stationed in Lyon city proper, public transportation is very well-planned, making travel between any two parts of the city convenient. Vieux Lyon is best traversed on foot though the occasional connection by metro or tramway may be necessary to expedite sightseeing.

Three tramway lines operate in Lyon, servicing a total of 62 stations. There is also a thorough metro network servicing 38 stations with a total of four lines. Between the two, transportation throughout the city is quick and relatively simple.

There is also a public bus service which travels outside of the metro and tram networks. These three public transportation options (the metro, tramway and bus routes) are accessible through a common ticketing system. A ticket purchased for one is good for the other two for up to one hour after it is first used. Daily combination passes for all three are also available through ticketing and tourism offices.

Lyon is also serviced by a public bicycle service. A person swipes their (European-issued) credit card at a public bicycle terminal and may borrow a bike and ride it from one station to the next. Prices are very inexpensive (the first half-hour is free) and the credit card serves primarily as collateral against lost or unreturned bicycles.

Finally, hire cars are widely available in Lyon though driving on congested city streets can be a challenge. Generally, hire cars are much more useful for exploring the countryside and are available to drivers 21 years of age and older.