London to Lyon by train

Prices explained

Cheapest Price $68.91
30 day advance $176.71

89% based on 52,371 reviews

First train

07:15
Last train

07:19

Avg changes

0
Fastest journey

4hr 41m

Distance

743 kilometres
Trains per day

1

Avg. journey time

4hr 43m
Train operators

Travelling from London to Lyon by train

Fast trains from London to Lyon take around 4 hours and 41 minutes, covering a distance of approximately 743 kilometres. There are frequent services on the rail route between London and Lyon.

1. Are there direct trains from London to Lyon?

Direct trains from London to Lyon have been found.

We usually find at least one direct train on the route from London to Lyon every weekday.

Trains usually run with a similar frequency on weekends.

2. How long is the train journey from London to Lyon?

The London to Lyon train travel time is normally about 4 hours and 41 minutes, whatever time you make the journey.

3. What are the London to Lyon train times and schedule?

On weekdays the only direct train to Lyon is usually scheduled to depart London around 07:15. This is the same at the weekend.

What's the London to Lyon train price?

The earlier you book the better, and the cheapest tickets we've found for trains from London to Lyon are $68.91.

Trains departing 30 days in advance will cost around $176, and when booking 7 days in advance the price is usually the same. Booking on the day of travel may be more expensive.

When to book London to Lyon train tickets?

Trains for this journey usually open for booking around 9 months in advance. If booking is not yet open for your dates then you can set a booking alert to receive an email on the day that the cheapest tickets are released for your journey from London to Lyon by train.

Help with booking alerts

Which train companies operate between London and Lyon?

Eurostar is the train company that operates on the route from London to Lyon.

You can check which train you’ll be travelling on by looking for the train name in search results.

Lyon to London by train

Other journeys to Lyon View all journeys to Lyon

From Geneva From $37.52
From Paris From $27.29
From Barcelona From $49.81
From Ashford International From $70.96
From Avignon TGV From $17.74
From Lille From $34.80
From Nice From $44.35
From Dijon-Ville From $24.56
From Bordeaux From $69.59
From Cannes From $49.12
From Brussels From $88.69
From Bourg-Saint-Maurice From $24.56

Use a direct Eurostar train for your journey from London to Lyon. Or, on those days when the direct train does not run, travel by Eurostar to Paris (or Lille), changing there onto a fast TGV to Lyon.

Direct Eurostar

During summer 2018, it'll be possible to board a Eurostar train at London St. Pancras International and travel directly to Lyon without the need to change trains along the way. This is a seasonal direct train to Marseille which stops in Lyon on its fash dash south to the Mediterranean.

The 2018 season for the direct service from London to Lyon started on 4 May 2018, but there are of course plenty of alternative routes to the direct train, with multiple options each day requiring an easy change of train in Lille or Paris.

London to Lyon

The first part of the Eurostar journey from London sweeps through Thameside landscapes and rural Kent. The train stops at Ashford International to pick up passengers before diving into the Channel Tunnel. Little more than an hour after leaving London you’ll already be in northern France, tracking south through Flanders’ fields towards Paris. Skirting the east of the French capital, it’s then a fast dash south through Burgundy to the Rhône Valley where the first stop is at Lyon Part Dieu station. At Part Dieu, there are excellent onward connections to many cities in the south of France and to Barcelona.

On the return journey from Lyon Part Dieu to London St Pancras, there is an extra stop at Lille Europe. This is required by the UK Border Force in order for the authorities to carry out immigration checks before the train enters the Channel Tunnel.

Eurostar train guide

Eurostar & TGV via Paris

Travellers taking the train from London to Lyon are spoilt for choice. The route with the largest number of departures each day is that via Paris – and many travellers who opt for this route take the chance to stop off for a couple of hours in the French capital.

The journey from London to Lyon via Paris kicks off with a high-speed run on Eurostar from London to Paris, where you will need to change stations. The second leg from Paris to Lyon takes just a couple of hours.

If you want to cut out that change of stations in Paris, you can instead travel via Lille – changing at Lille Europe from Eurostar onto a direct TGV to Lyon. Since spring 2015 travellers have a very attractive new option with Eurostar’s direct London to Lyon service. For Eurostar’s new direct service to Lyon, bookings open very much longer in advance.

London to Paris

The first part of the journey from London sweeps through Thameside landscapes and rural Kent to reach the Channel Tunnel. Little more than an hour after leaving London you'll already be in northern France, tracking south through Flanders fields towards Paris.

Remember to factor in at least half an hour for Eurostar's airline-style baggage check prior to boarding your train. There is a luggage and body scan and you'll be asked to show your passport. There are no restrictions on taking liquids on board Eurostar trains.

Eurostar train guide

Paris interchange: Paris Nord to Paris Lyon

When you alight from the train at Gare du Nord look for signs to the Metro and RER. Once you've bought a ticket follow the signs to 'RER D', direction 'Melun' or 'Malesherbes'. So long as you're heading in the right direction, all the trains on this line stop at Gare de Lyon. The actual train journey takes around 10 mins with just one stop on the way at Châtelet-les-Halles. Upon alighting from the RER train at Gare de Lyon, follow the signs to the mainline station. The signs read 'Accès aux trains Grandes Lignes'. The whole journey from the concourse at Gare du Nord to the mainline departure platforms at Gare de Lyon will normally take about 40 mins but we recommend leaving at least 50 mins.

If you are arriving at Gare du Nord from London, bear in mind that you can buy Paris Métro tickets at the Eurostar terminal at St. Pancras and on board the Eurostar train. Similarly, passengers arriving at the Gare du Nord on Thalys trains from Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands can buy Metro tickets on the train (at the Thalys Bar). Although universally referred to as Métro tickets, they are in fact valid on RER trains too.

Paris to Lyon

Every day, TGVs leave the Gare de Lyon in Paris for the city of Lyon. This is a fast dash on France’s oldest dedicated high-speed rail route – it opened way back in 1981. Within little more than an hour you swap Parisian suburbs for the soft contours of Burgundy vineyards and before long the train is gliding into Lyon. All TGV services from Paris stop first at Lyon Part Dieu station. Most then continue to serve Lyon Perrache.

TGV train guide

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