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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