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Lille to Lyon by train
How to take the high speed rail journey from Lille to Lyon
The high speed railway between Lille and Lyon is shared by both InOui and Ouigo services.
Though these two services don't tend to depart from and arrive at the same stations in each city.
Also it's worth checking the respective 'Train guides' to compare the facilities and boarding procedures.
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Routes
Option 1: taking the regular InOui services
Journey Summary
2hr 57min - 3hrs
Daily
Travel Information
Final Destination: Marseille or Montpellier or Lyon
All trains also call at: Marne La Vallée and Aeroport-CDG
On Mondays to Saturdays an additional TGV InOui service is typically scheduled to depart Lille at 06:45, but it diverts off of the high speed route in order to call in Douai and Arras, so it has a longer journey time of around 3hr 45mins.
Though it does depart from Lille Flandres station, which is closer to the city centre.
Mon-Weds = 8 x trains per day
Thursday & Friday = 9 x trains per day
Saturday = 6 x trains
Sunday = 7 x trains
Tickets
Book early and save: Yes
Online bookings usually open: up to 6 months ahead of the travel date - but bookings can open sooner when SNCF is running a promotion.
When booking 2nd class tickets only one type of ticket will be available per departure, discounted 'Prems' tickets or 'Seconde' tickets; though the price of Seconde tickets are also typically cheaper when they are first placed on sale.
When booking 1st class tickets there will be a choice of Premiere tickets and Business Premiere tickets.
The two key T&Cs of booking Prems, Seconde, or Premiere tickets are:
- Up until two days prior to departure, these types of tickets can be refunded for no additional charge (big tick), but a €15 fee will be payable for making a refund in the two days prior to departure.
- It's also possible to exchange tickets to an alternative departure on the same journey, but you will have to pay any difference in price between the cost you originally paid and the cost at the time of the exchange.
Though if you book Business Premiere tickets, the key T&Cs are that tickets can be exchanged and refunded free of charge up to 30 minutes after departure, so if you get to the station just too late to miss the train you were originally booked on to, you won't lose out financially
The price is dictated by demand per departure, so book ahead and try and be flexible re: your departure and arrival times, as trains leaving earlier or later can be cheaper.
Seat reservations:
Seats will automatically be assigned when booking tickets for this journey, but rail pass users will need to be pay a reservation fee prior to boarding.
Where to book
| Ticket Provider | Approximate Cost | |
|---|---|---|
| SNCF Connect | from €25 | |
| Download the SNCF Connect App | from €25 | |
| Save A Train | from €25 | |
| Happy rail | from €25 | |
| Trainline | from €25 | |
| Rail Europe | from €25 |
On this journey
Travelling On
Journey Features
Good to Know
Take care when comparing these InOui services with the alternative Ouigo trains.
None of the the Ouigo departures offer a like-for-like comparison with a journey from Lille Europe station to Lyon-Part Dieu, the primary station in the city.
Also keep in mind that not only will the on-board experience be more basic, you will also need to add the check-in time required for Ouigo passengers.
Option 2: taking the cheaper, but more basic Ouigo services
Journey Summary
3hr 1min
Daily
Travel Information
Final Destination: Marseille or Lyon
1 x train per day
(to Lyon-Part Dieu)
Tickets
Online bookings usually open: up to 9 months ahead of the travel date
Tickets for the alternative service of TGV InOui trains are usually made available 4 months ahead, so if you look up this journey more than 4 months ahead on SNCF Connect, you may only see these Ouigo services, but they are not the only option on this route.
What is particularly worth being aware of when booking tickets for journeys by Ouigo train services, is that:
- Premiere/1st class tickets are not available.
- Reservations are included when booking, as they are on the TGV InOui trains, but you can opt to pay additional fess, or book a more expensive type of ticket to select a specific seat (more info is available on the Ouigo 'Train Guide').
- The more expensive type of tickets also include an additional luggage allowance, click the Ouigo 'Train Guide' to access more info on the luggage allowances on Ouigo trains; they're more restrictive than on a TGV InOui train.
- You cannot book or collect tickets for Ouigo trains at stations.
- The two key T&Cs of booking either of the two types of ticket available for journeys by Ouigo trains are:
- The tickets are not refundable.
- Exchanges to alternative departures are possible until 1 hour before the beginning of the boarding procedure, but they incur a fee of €10 per passenger, with any price difference between the old and new ticket(s) also added to this fee.
Though these factors, and more, are why you can make big savings by opting to travel by these Ouigo trains and not on the standard TGV InOui trains.
Eurail and InterRail Pass Users:
Rail passes cannot be used on Ouigo trains, but if you will be travelling with a 2nd class pass, our guide to using rail passes in France, explains why taking a Ouigo train can be worth considering
Where to book
| Ticket Provider | Approximate Cost | |
|---|---|---|
| SNCF Connect | * | |
| Trainline | * |
On this journey
Travelling On
Journey Features
Good to Know
There are four Ouigo services per day, all of which depart from Lille Flandres station and not Lille Europe station, which is where the regular InOui services leave from.
Though only one of the Ouigo trains, the departure which typically leaves at 12:59 matches the InOui services, by arriving Part-Dieu, the main station in Lyon.
Two of the Ouigo services arrive at Lyon-St Exupery, which is the station attached to Lyon airport, so it's some distance from the city centre.
Though the final service of the day, which typically departs at 19:38, arrives at Perrache station, which is closer to the heart of Lyon than Part-Dieu.
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