Erasmus in Lyon

Lyon is France's second-largest student city with nearly 160,000 students spread across an exceptionally dense academic ecosystem. You'll find Lyon 1 (science and medicine), Lyon 2 (humanities and social sciences), Lyon 3 (law and literature), alongside prestigious grandes écoles such as INSA Lyon, EM Lyon, École Centrale Lyon, ENS Lyon and Sciences Po Lyon. Most welcome Erasmus students with dedicated tracks.

Built at the confluence of the Rhône and Saône rivers, Lyon is listed as UNESCO World Heritage thanks to its unique historic core: the Renaissance Vieux Lyon, the Fourvière hill, the Presqu'île and the Croix-Rousse with its traboules inherited from the silk industry. It is also the world capital of gastronomy, home to the legendary bouchons lyonnais and chef Paul Bocuse, where eating is part of daily art of living.

Its location makes it a perfect base to explore Europe: Paris in 2h by TGV, the Alps in 1h (weekend skiing in Chamonix or Val d'Isère), the Mediterranean in 3h, Italy and Switzerland next door. Hard to beat for an Erasmus semester.

The Lyon rental market is tight but clearly more affordable than Paris. The best option for Erasmus students is CROUS Lyon student housing, which prioritises exchange students: rooms cost €200 to €400/month depending on the residence. Apply as soon as you receive your Erasmus acceptance — spots fill quickly.

For private housing, look at student residences (Studea, Néméa, Cardinal Campus), platforms like Studapart, Erasmus Play, HousingAnywhere, Colivys (modern coliving), or direct search via Leboncoin and PAP. Expect €400 to €650/month for a shared room depending on the area. Good news: Erasmus students qualify for the APL housing aid from CAF (~€100-150/month), to claim as soon as you move in.

Key neighbourhoods: Presqu'île (lively historic centre), Croix-Rousse (former silk workers' district, bohemian and creative), Vieux Lyon (Renaissance, touristy but charming), Guillotière and Mutualité (vibrant and student-friendly but pricey), Part-Dieu (train station and business district), Gerland in the 7th (close to Lyon 1), Villeurbanne La Doua (INSA/Lyon 1 campus, cheaper) and Confluence (modern architecture, south of Presqu'île).

The TCL network (Transports en Commun Lyonnais) is comprehensive: 4 metro lines (A, B, C, D), 7 tram lines, two funiculars up to Fourvière and Saint-Just, buses everywhere and the Rhônexpress to the airport. The metro runs from 5am to midnight (1am on Fridays and Saturdays).

The TCL student pass for under-28s costs around €30/month, available on the TCL app or in an agency with your student ID. Unbeatable for daily convenience. Pair it with Vélo'V, the bike-sharing service (free for the first 30 min, €25/year for students).

Lyon-Saint Exupéry airport (LYS) is connected to the centre by the Rhônexpress in ~30 min for around €17. For Paris, the TGV from Part-Dieu or Perrache takes 2h. Lyon is also a great hub for BlaBlaCar and Flixbus to anywhere in Europe.

ESN Lyon is one of the most active in France, with multiple chapters in each university and school: welcome parties, trips, language tandems, winter ski outings. Sign up in your first week so you don't miss a thing.

Food-wise, Lyon is unbeatable. The bouchons lyonnais are the iconic traditional restaurants: pike quenelles, andouillette sausage, hot saucisson, Lyon-style salad and the must-try pink praline tart for dessert. For markets, Marché Saint-Antoine along the Rhône on Sunday mornings and Marché de la Croix-Rousse are essentials. Nightlife is rich: boat bars on the Rhône (Sirius, Marquise, Ayers Rock Boat), pubs in Vieux Lyon and alternative vibes in Croix-Rousse.

Don't miss the Fête des Lumières on 8 December, four evenings of spectacular light installations attracting millions of visitors. For weekend getaways: Annecy (1h30), Geneva (2h), Chamonix (2h for skiing), Marseille (1h45 TGV) and Paris (2h TGV).

Paperwork is the same as anywhere in France. Apply first for APL housing benefit at CAF as soon as you move in (caf.fr) — it can cover €100-150/month of your rent. For health, EU students travel with the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC). Non-EU students must register with French Social Security via etudiant-etranger.ameli.fr.

Opening a French bank account is practically essential for CAF and direct debits. Traditional banks (BNP, Société Générale, Crédit Agricole, LCL) or online (Boursorama, Revolut, N26). Online banks are faster but don't always provide a CAF-compatible IBAN — check before opening.

Non-European students must validate their visa with the OFII (French Immigration Office) within 3 months of arrival — mandatory to stay legally.

French is the main language, but Lyon is very international and English is widely spoken in student circles, especially at EM Lyon, ESDES and INSA Lyon. Many programmes are offered fully in English in business and engineering schools.

To learn or improve your French, Lyon 2 hosts the Centre International d'Études Françaises (CIEF), one of the most respected French-as-a-foreign-language centres in France. Other strong options: Alliance Française de Lyon, Inflexyon and ESL Lyon, all highly rated by Erasmus alumni.

For informal practice, language tandems run by ESN Lyon and the Lyon International groups on Meetup are perfect to meet locals and progress quickly in a relaxed setting.