Lyon wheelchair accessibility guide

TCL runs Lyon's metro, tram, bus, funicular, and trolleybus network. Every bus is wheelchair-accessible and accessible stops are marked with a pictogram. The tram is fully step-free with raised platforms, low floors, and retractable door thresholds. Both funicular lines (F1 to Saint-Just, F2 to Fourvière) are step-free at every station.

The metro is mostly accessible. Lines A, B, C, and D have lifts at every station except Croix-Paquet (Line C), which is the one stop to avoid. Line B runs north-south through Part-Dieu station and is the spine of any cross-city day on rails.

When TCL does not work for the trip you need (late at night, between two unconnected stops, or for door-to-door), Optibus is the operator's on-demand transport for visitors with reduced mobility. Book by calling 04 37 25 24 24 (07:00 to 20:00, every day) or at optibus.fr. Registration is required.

Adapted taxis exist on the Lyon market. TL Access (TL Taxi Lyonnais) is the visible operator, running ramped vehicles for wheelchair users. Book by phone in advance, especially on Friday and Saturday evenings.

Five sights make most Lyon plans. The Musée des Confluences is fully step-free with lifts between every level (the one exception is the steep walkway between levels 1 and 2). The Musée des Beaux-Arts has lifts to every gallery and two free wheelchairs at reception. Parc de la Tête d'Or covers 105 hectares with paved paths, accessible toilets in all weather, and accessible parking inside the gate.

The Basilique Notre-Dame de Fourvière sits at the top of the funicular up the hill. The site is, in the basilica's own words, accessible to people with reduced mobility, with ramps on both sides and a lift from the esplanade open 09:00 to 18:30. The observatory tower with the panoramic view is 345 steps and is not accessible.

Vieux Lyon is the UNESCO-listed Renaissance district, inscribed in 1998. The streets are cobbled and the famous traboules (hidden passages between buildings) almost always have a step at the entrance. The Cathédrale Saint-Jean-Baptiste at the centre of the district is accessible: ask someone to hold the heavy right-hand door open and roll straight in.

Most Lyon museums admit disabled visitors free. Companion policies vary: Musée des Confluences, macLYON, and Musée des Beaux-Arts admit one companion free; Musées Gadagne admit two. Always carry proof: a national disability card from your home country, the French Carte Mobilité Inclusion (CMI), or the European Disability Card. Major venues also accept the AAH or AEEH allocation letter for French residents.

See the Lyon disability discounts page for a venue-by-venue table of standard prices, disabled rates, companion policy, and the proof each venue actually asks for at the desk.