SNCF Trains & Railways in Lyon & the Rhône Valley

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SNCF Trains & Railways in Lyon & the Rhône Valley

• SNCF is the national train service for France. The website allows for a route and timetable search and online booking. It has an English-language website: Click here
• TER SNCF is the regional French rail system. The timetable can be browsed online. Tickets can also be booked online. Information booklets with train times and destinations for local or longer trips are available at all stations and some tourist offices 
• TGV is the fast train network in France. Bookings must be made in advance. In the Rhône Valley there are TGV stations in Lyon, Valence and St-Etienne 

Local Lyon and Rhône Valley Train Services

The main train station in the region is the Gare de Lyon-Part-Dieu, with direct connections to the main French towns including Paris, Nice, St-Etienne, Marseille, Strasbourg, Valence and Bordeaux. There are also international rail connections to Geneva and Brussels. The station is served by both TGV and TER trains.

Locally within the region, trains are operated by TER SNCF. The website has searchable timetables and an online booking function. 

• TER SNCF Rhône-Alpes (in French)

Ticket information is available at any train station or by telephone.

Many travel agents are also SNCF agents and are permitted to sell tickets for local, national and international travel.

Note: There are no passenger train services in the Ardèche. TER SNCF provide coach travel from Annonay to Lyon Part Dieu station and to stations in Valence, Grenoble, Le Puy and St Rambert d’Albon.

OùRA! card

The OùRA! smart card can be used on the TER Rhône-Alpes train and coach network, and on the St-Etienne, Valence and Grenoble urban transport network. It can be used as a single ticket throughout the region and replaces paper tickets. In some areas it can also be used in car parks and for bicycle rental.

• For further information about the OùRA! card: Click here (in French)

The OùRA! card can be obtained or recharged in stations and SNCF boutiques. A passport-sized photograph and proof of identity are all that is required.  

• For a map of areas where the card can be used: Click here (PDF)

Some Tips & Points

• Booklets with train times and destinations for a local or longer trip are available at all stations and some tourist offices. TGV bookings must be made in advance
• A ticket must be validated using the orange ticket-validation machine in the station before boarding; otherwise a fine may by payable
• There are various discount rates available for the young (Carte 12-25), the over 60s (Carte Senior) and groups
• For more information on the Carte 12-25: Click here (in French)
• For more information on the Senior SNCF: Click here (in French)
• Discounts and special conditions are available for mobility, sight and hearing disabled people. 
  • For information on accessibility for passengers with reduced mobility: Click here (in French)
• There is a service available for unaccompanied children 
• For information on the Jeune Voyager Service, JVS: Click here (in French)
• Dogs and cats may be taken on the trains, but there are conditions and a fee is payable; the price depends on the size of the pet. Once onboard, a fellow passenger may legally request it be moved
• To find contact details for a local station, go to Pages Jaunes and type in SNCF and the region
• Gares en Mouvement is a website in several languages that provides information on major stations around France including open hours, address, and a real-time schedule of departures and arrivals as well as the platform numbers: Click here

Rail strikes in Lyon and the Rhône Valley

Real-time information on delays or cancellations is available at the station, online from the service, Infoligne or by telephone. When the train service is reduced due to strike action, schedules of trains running are usually posted on notice boards at stations.

• Infoligne
  Tel: 36 35

The TER-SNCF also offers a 24/7 service called TER Flash Trafic that alerts subscribers via e-mail or SMS to delays or cancellations. Subscription is free.

In the case of long-distance travel (more than 100 Km), if a main line SNCF train is delayed more than 30 minutes and the delay is caused by SNCF, compensation in the form of travel vouchers may be available.

• For more information on SNCF customer service and obtaining compensation: Click here

Further Information

• See the AngloINFO INFOrmation Page, Airports in Lyon and the Rhône Valley
  See the AngloINFO INFOrmation Page, Bus, Tram and Metro Services in Lyon and the Rhône Valley

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