Moving to Lyon: costs process & districts
Lyon guide
Moving to Lyon: between the Rhône, the Saône and Fourvière
Guide
A move to Lyon takes you to France's third-largest city: around 519,000 people live at the confluence of the Rhône and the Saône, and over 1.4 million in the Métropole de Lyon. The old centre lies between the rivers, the residential areas west of the Saône on the hills. Because France is part of the EU, there are no customs formalities for household goods. Everything on long routes from Berlin is under Long-distance moves.
We come from Berlin (Stromstraße 21) and drive around 1,234 km via the A9, A4 and A5 and, in France, via the A36 and A6. By lorry that takes about 18.5 hours including breaks – several days' worth of permitted driving time, so we plan two to three days with an overnight stop or two drivers. We quote the fixed price after the survey; tolls and driver hours are included. Enquiries on 01625978461.
Request a fixed price for your move to Lyon
Survey, fixed price, fixed date
We calculate your move to Lyon by moving volume, floor, access and the roughly 1,234 km from Berlin – not by hourly rate. After the survey or a video appointment we quote a fixed price that is put in writing – whether your new address is in the Croix-Rousse or in Villeurbanne.
Offers available individually, depending on effort, scheduling and the scope of services required.
What we handle when you move to Lyon
Planned from Berlin, arriving in Lyon
We have no branch in Lyon; instead we come by lorry from Berlin-Moabit (Stromstraße 21). That is why we ask about access, floor and stairwell in advance – whether it is a flat in the Croix-Rousse or a house in Villeurbanne. In Lyon you reserve the parking space in front of the new address online via the city's portal at least one week in advance – we coordinate this with the delivery date. We are liable for your belongings under § 451e HGB at €620 per cubic metre, and additional insurance is available. Places with their own pages are listed under Locations.
Packing service
Office move
Senior moves
Furniture transport
Our services at a glance
We quote the fixed price for your move to Lyon after the survey – with packing, transport, parking space reservation and assembly as separate items. The route of around 1,234 km from Berlin-Moabit is included.
Arrival time set
Floor and lift checked
Parking space reservation planned
Planned backwards
Interim storage possible
Settle in, not unpack
Not much to move? Part load!
For smaller moving volumes or single items, a part load to Lyon can be cheaper: your belongings share the load space with other consignments on the same route. In return you need some flexibility on the delivery day – handy if only a few items follow on or a flatshare room is moving.
From
planning to assembly
A move to Lyon raises its own questions: which arrondissement suits you, how does the lorry get into the pedestrian zones with bollards, when is the parking space reserved and which formalities apply to EU citizens in France? This guide presents how the city is structured, explains parking and delivery times and shows how we plan the roughly 1,234 km from Berlin. Further destinations are under Locations.
Planning safely and calmly
Furniture, boxes, carrying routes
Costs, timing and special cases
Frequently asked questions about moving to Lyon
Arrondissements, hills and rivers: Lyon at a glance
Since 1852, Lyon has been divided into nine arrondissements; the number of the arrondissement is the last digit of the postcode (69001 to 69009). The old centre lies on the peninsula between the Rhône and the Saône, the city quarters east of the Rhône on the wide alluvial plain. West of the Saône, the residential areas are on the hills, including Fourvière with its basilica and Roman theatre.
The old town and part of the peninsula have been UNESCO World Heritage since 1998. To the east lies Villeurbanne, with around 164,000 inhabitants the largest suburb. For the move this means: hillside locations, narrow old town lanes and pedestrian zones with bollards need different planning from a new build east of the Rhône. Our home move service adapts to this.
Rail hub, universities and companies in Lyon
Lyon is France's second-largest rail hub, with the stations Part-Dieu and Perrache; the TGV has run to Paris since 1981. The University of Lyon includes, among others, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1 and Université Lumière Lyon 2. Sanofi, Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health and the broadcaster Euronews have important sites here. We do not quote specific rents; they depend heavily on the arrondissement.
As an EU citizen you do not need a residence document in France for the first three months; according to service-public, an EU residence card is not compulsory. In Berlin you deregister within two weeks of moving out if you are not moving into a new home in Germany. If you are arriving at the start of semester, you should plan the parking space reservation early.
What your move really costs
Whether a small flat or a large house – our prices are fairly calculated. For 1 room we start from €369, for 2 rooms from €589, for 3 rooms from €915 and for 4 rooms from €1,309. For houses and villas you always receive an individual quote, as many factors play a part. If you are moving further away, you pay long-distance moves from €3.80/km with us. Use our free survey for a personal quote.
These factors set the price
Besides the volume of your belongings, the distance (from €3.80/km) plays a central role. The floor, lift and a possible parking restriction zone also go into the calculation. Additional services such as furniture assembly and a part load can be booked individually.
Our range of services
We offer you a wide range of services around moving.
- Clearance
- Fast and clean clearance. Clearance
- Furniture transport
- Safe transport of your furniture. Furniture transport
- Home move
- Individually planned for your home. Home move
- Part load
- An affordable solution for smaller quantities. Part load
- Company relocation
- Professional office relocation. Company relocation
- Move with assembly
- We reassemble your furniture. Move with assembly
More routes from Berlin
We plan moves from Berlin (Stromstraße 21) for private and business customers. The locations overview lists places with their own pages, and details on long routes are under long-distance moves. We also plan moves in the opposite direction, to Berlin, with a survey and a fixed price.
Moving to Lyon: reserving a parking space for the removal van with the city
The city of Lyon allows private individuals and companies to reserve a parking space in front of the building or at a loading and unloading point. According to lyon.fr, this is done online via the gevoly.lyon.fr portal; reservation and payment take place at the same time, at least one week before the desired date. The city gives these key details:
- €69 for 1 to 2 days for a parking space 20 metres long,
- for more than 5 days a sliding-scale rate applies, explained by the Service OTEP,
- up to 5 number plates can be given, which may park there free of charge on the reserved day.
Book straight after the date is confirmed, so that the week's lead time does not push back your moving day. Check in advance whether your vehicle can stand on the neighbouring spaces, and bear in mind dimensions, trees and street furniture. Once you receive the order (arrêté), place a copy visibly behind the windscreen to avoid a fine. On the day before, the city sends an email with the link for entering the number plates. According to the city, work with a crane or an aerial work platform is a separate procedure with the Service OTEP.
More on the route and formalities is in our guide to a long-distance move to France.
Lyon: pedestrian zones with bollards, delivery times and paperwork
Lyon closes off parts of the city centre with automatic bollards. According to lyon.fr, the following applies to these controlled pedestrian zones: residents with a registered vehicle may enter around the clock, and delivery vehicles may enter from 6:00 to 11:30. A maximum of 10 km/h is allowed, parking is prohibited, and stops of up to 30 minutes are monitored with a time ticket. According to the city, registration is done via LPA's digital portal, at the Mairie of the arrondissement or in the LPA shop (2, place des Cordeliers, open according to the city Monday to Friday 10 am to 6 pm and Saturday 9 am to 4 pm). The vehicle registration certificate and proof of residence or business are required; permits are valid for one year.
A move into such a zone therefore needs lead time. Give us the address during the survey so that we can plan access, loading time and carrying routes.
On registration obligations, the EU platform “Your Europe” says: EU citizens cannot be required to hold a residence document in the first three months, after which registration may be necessary; France-specific details are not given there. So check the details with the Mairie. Our articles on customs and formalities and on costs and planning are helpful.
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