Lyon
Internship in Lyon

Internship in Lyon — France's quietly powerful second city

Lyon is France's second economic centre, the European capital of biotech, the birthplace of cinema and the gastronomy capital of the world — all in a UNESCO-listed city you can cross on foot in 30 minutes.

Why intern in Lyon

Lyon hosts Sanofi Pasteur, BioMérieux and Boehringer's European R&D — the largest biotech cluster outside Boston. The city is also home to Ubisoft, Bluely and a fast-growing fintech scene. Rent is 40% cheaper than Paris and your commute averages 18 minutes.

Sectors hiring interns in Lyon

Biotech & pharma

Sanofi Pasteur, BioMérieux, Boehringer Ingelheim — vaccine and diagnostics R&D.

Gaming & tech

Ubisoft Lyon (Assassin's Creed), Arkane Studios, EM-Lyon Tech.

Gastronomy & hospitality

Paul Bocuse Institute, 20+ Michelin-starred restaurants, bouchons.

Banking & insurance

Crédit Agricole, BPCE, April Group — fintech and insurance HQs.

Industry & engineering

Renault Trucks, SEB, Arkema, Veolia — heavy industry and energy.

Life as an intern in Lyon

  • 01Live in Croix-Rousse, Vieux Lyon or Confluence — historic, riverside and well-connected.
  • 02TCL pass: métro, tram, funicular and Vélo'v bikes for €34/month under 26.
  • 03Eat in a bouchon for €18 — quenelles, salade lyonnaise and a glass of Côtes-du-Rhône.
  • 04Two hours from the Alps for weekend skiing, two hours from Provence by TGV.
Lyon
Internship in Lyon
Lyon
#1 cluster in Europe
Biotech ranking
"Half the cost of Paris and the same quality of companies. Lyon is the smart move."
— Marco, biotech intern at Sanofi

Practical info

Population
520k (1.7M metro)
Monthly rent (room)
€420 – €600
Lunch menu
€11 – €15
Airport
Lyon-Saint Exupéry
Best for
Biotech, gaming, food, banking
Erasmus+ in Lyon

All our Erasmus+ services in Lyon

We support students, VET learners, teachers and institutions across the full Erasmus+ offer in Lyon: individual internships, KA121 and KA122 group mobilities, job shadowing for education staff, Higher Education (HEI) programmes and full-service packages including accommodation, insurance, transfers and French courses in Lyon.

Are you a school, CFA, university or Erasmus+ accredited organisation? We design and coordinate your mobility project in Lyon end-to-end — host company sourcing, learning agreements, group accommodation, cultural programme and OLS / Beneficiary Module reporting.

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