Cruise Frog guide
Cruises from Lyon, France
Lyon, where the Rhône and Saône meet, is the starting point for Rhône and Burgundy cruises.
Things to do in Lyon, France
- Vieux LyonRenaissance lanes and the hidden passageways called traboules.
- Fourvière BasilicaOn the hill above the old town, with views over the city.
- Les Halles Paul BocuseLyon's covered food market, for cheese, charcuterie and pralines.
- A bouchonTraditional Lyonnais cooking in a small family restaurant.
When to go
- Jan: low season
- Feb: low season
- Mar: low season
- Apr: shoulder season
- May: high season
- Jun: high season
- Jul: high season
- Aug: high season
- Sep: high season
- Oct: high season
- Nov: shoulder season
- Dec: low season
The season runs from spring to autumn.
Flying in and getting to the ship
Easy transferLyon's river moorings are about 25 km from Lyon-Saint Exupéry, 30 minutes by taxi or the Rhônexpress tram to Part-Dieu. River lines usually include or sell a transfer from the airport to the ship; book it with the cruise, since river moorings can change with water levels.
Rental cars: Not needed for the cruise; useful for the Beaujolais.
The airport for Lyon, France is Lyon–Saint-Exupéry Airport (LYS), with 2 lounges to wait in before you board.
Lyon–Saint-Exupéry Airport (LYS) on Lounge FrogShips sailing from Lyon, France
4.0 ★AmaWaterwaysAmaKristina2017 · 152 guests · RhôneAmaKristina entered service in 2017 with connecting and triple-occupancy rooms meant for families and other multigenerational groups, and in 2020 she became the first river…
3.8 ★Riviera TravelLord Byron2013 · 140 guests · RhôneLord Byron is a 110-metre Riviera Travel ship with 74 cabins for about 140 guests and a crew of 36, dated 2013 by Riviera and 2012 by German Wikipedia, which makes her the oldest…3.8 ★Tauckms Lumière2026 · 130 guests · Rhônems Lumière is a 135-meter riverboat that joined Tauck in spring 2026 for its Rhône program. She takes no more than 130 guests, with 22 Tauck Suites of 300 square feet on the…
3.8 ★Scenic Luxury Cruises & ToursScenic Sapphire2008 · 2,721 GT · 147 guests · RhôneScenic Sapphire, from 2008, is the oldest ship in Scenic's river fleet and one of its first own-built Space-Ships, now assigned to France. She and Scenic Diamond carry fewer…
3.7 ★Avalon WaterwaysAvalon Poetry II2014 · 128 guests · Rhône · SeineAvalon Poetry II is a 110-meter Suite Ship from 2014 carrying 128 guests and carries most of Avalon Waterways' Burgundy and Provence departures. Her core itinerary is the…3.7 ★Emerald CruisesEmerald Liberté2017 · 130 guests · RhôneEmerald Liberté is Emerald's ship for southern France, a 110-metre Star-Ship built in 2017 that sails the Rhône and Saône. Shorter than the Central Europe ships, she has 66…
3.7 ★Viking River CruisesViking Buri2014 · 3,138 GT · 190 guests · RhôneViking Buri is a 190-guest Viking Longship, one of the 135-meter sister ships that make up most of Viking's European river fleet, and it entered service in 2014. The name honors…
3.7 ★Viking River CruisesViking Delling2014 · 3,138 GT · 190 guests · RhôneViking Delling is a four-deck Viking Longship for 190 guests that joined the fleet in 2014. Delling, its namesake, is the shining god of dawn and the father of Day in Norse…
3.7 ★Viking River CruisesViking Heimdal2014 · 3,138 GT · 190 guests · RhôneViking Heimdal, a 190-guest Longship that joined the fleet in 2014, belongs to the large class of sister ships Viking introduced in 2012. Heimdal, the namesake, is the…
3.7 ★Viking River CruisesViking Hermod2014 · 3,138 GT · 190 guests · RhôneOne of Viking's near-identical 135-meter Longships, Viking Hermod carries 190 guests and has sailed since 2014. Hermod, the namesake, is a son of Odin and Frigg and the fast…
3.7 ★Viking River CruisesViking Lofn2015 · 3,138 GT · 190 guests · RhôneViking Lofn is a 190-guest Viking Longship, one of the 135-meter sister ships that make up most of Viking's European river fleet, and it entered service in 2015. Lofn, the…
3.5 ★A-ROSA River CruisesA-ROSA Luna2005 · 174 guests · RhôneA-ROSA Luna is a river cruise ship on the Rhône and Saône in southern France, carrying up to 174 guests in 86 outside cabins. Neptun Werft in Warnemünde built her and her sister…
3.5 ★A-ROSA River CruisesA-ROSA Stella2005 · 174 guests · RhôneA-ROSA Stella is a river cruise ship for up to 174 guests in 86 outside cabins, sailing the Rhône and Saône from Lyon. She and her sister A-ROSA Luna were built by Neptun Werft…Ships that call at Lyon, France
Ships based elsewhere whose Rhône sailings regularly stop here. Calls vary by sailing, so check the itinerary.
Quick answers
Which cruise ships sail from Lyon, France?
On Cruise Frog, 13 ships sail from Lyon, France: AmaKristina (AmaWaterways), Lord Byron (Riviera Travel), ms Lumière (Tauck), Scenic Sapphire (Scenic Luxury Cruises & Tours), Avalon Poetry II (Avalon Waterways), Emerald Liberté (Emerald Cruises), Viking Buri (Viking River Cruises), Viking Delling (Viking River Cruises), Viking Heimdal (Viking River Cruises), Viking Hermod (Viking River Cruises) and 3 more.
Which cruise lines sail from Lyon, France?
AmaWaterways, Riviera Travel, Tauck, Scenic Luxury Cruises & Tours, Avalon Waterways, Emerald Cruises, Viking River Cruises and A-ROSA River Cruises sail from Lyon, France.
What is the best-rated ship sailing from Lyon, France?
AmaKristina (AmaWaterways), at 4.0 out of 5 in Cruise Frog's editorial ratings.
Which airport do you fly into for a cruise from Lyon, France?
Lyon–Saint-Exupéry Airport (LYS). Lounge Frog lists 2 open lounges there for the wait before boarding.
Related news about Lyon, France
Nothing about Lyon, France yet. The latest cruise news:
- We aged every ship at 10 big cruise lines. Holland America and Carnival have the oldest fleets
Cruise Frog's ship data shows how old each big line's fleet really is. Virgin's ships average about three years. Holland America's average 18.
Cruise lines
- Seabourn is going back to Egypt after more than five years, with a night in Alexandria for the pyramids
Seabourn's 2029 summer program has 166 sailings. It returns to Egypt, adds a new Gulf of Bothnia trip and brings Seabourn Encore back to Alaska.
Itineraries
- Carnival's new FunPacks run $25 to $99 a day, and drink and Wi-Fi prices go dynamic Dec. 1
Carnival bundled drinks, Wi-Fi, dining and shore trips into four FunPacks, on sale until Oct. 30. From Dec. 1, drink and Wi-Fi prices change by sailing.
Cruise lines
- Queen Mary 2's 500th crossing will leave from Liverpool, a first for Cunard since 2015
Cunard opened 93 voyages for October 2028 to May 2029. The headline act is Queen Mary 2's 500th Transatlantic Crossing, with a rare Liverpool departure.
Itineraries