Neighbourhoods · 7 min read
Where to Live in Lyon as a Student
Lyon is compact and its public transport (TCL) is excellent, so the right neighbourhood isn’t about distance on a map — it’s about a short, direct commute to your campus. Here’s where to look, university by university.
Think in commute time, not distance
With a single TCL pass you get metro, tram, bus and funicular across the whole metropolis. A place that looks “outside Lyon” on a map can be 10–15 minutes from your faculty by a direct tram — often faster and cheaper than a central flat with two changes. So pick your area around the line that serves your campus.
Université Lyon 2 — Campus Porte des Alpes (Bron)
If you study at the Porte des Alpes campus (Université Lumière Lyon 2 and its IUT), Bron is the obvious base. Our La Butte house is about 13 minutes from campus by a single, direct tram — no changes. Bron is calmer and greener than the centre (the Parc de Parilly is on the doorstep) while staying well connected to the city.
Medicine and dentistry — Rockefeller and Grange Blanche (Lyon 8)
For the Lyon 1 health faculties (medicine, pharmacy, dentistry) around Rockefeller and the Grange Blanche hospital cluster, Lyon 8 is ideal. Our Thenard house is about 10 minutes from Grange Blanche by tram, and a 5-minute walk from Pinel metro — so you’re close to both the faculties and the hospitals where you’ll do placements.
Lyon 8 is also handy for Lyon 3
The Manufacture des Tabacs campus (Université Jean Moulin Lyon 3) is in the same district — a few minutes away.
Sciences and engineering — La Doua (Villeurbanne)
The La Doua campus (Université Lyon 1 sciences, INSA Lyon, CPE) sits in Villeurbanne, just east of the centre. Areas along the tram and metro lines that reach La Doua work well; from the east of Lyon you stay on a single line for most of the trip.
City centre and Part-Dieu — the connectors
The Presqu’île (Lyon 1, 2) is the lively heart of the city but rents are high and rooms are scarce. Part-Dieu is the transport hub — useful if your week is split between several campuses or you commute by train, as everything connects there.
Quick recommendation
- Lyon 2 / Porte des Alpes → Bron (our La Butte, ~13 min direct tram)
- Lyon 1 health / Rockefeller / hospitals → Lyon 8 (our Thenard, ~10 min tram)
- Lyon 3 / Manufacture → Lyon 8
- Lyon 1 sciences / INSA / La Doua → east Lyon / Villeurbanne along the line
- Split timetable / commuter → near Part-Dieu
Coliving next to your campus
Two houses in Lyon 8 and Bron, minutes from the main campuses by tram.