Lyon Grandes Écoles Fair 2026: where to stay

Every November, the Cité Internationale in Lyon hosts L'Etudiant's Grandes Écoles Fair, a one-day event designed for sixth-formers, undergraduates and parents who want to make sense of France's selective higher-education routes. Stands run by business schools, engineering grandes écoles, classes préparatoires and specialist institutes let visitors talk directly with lecturers and current students about programmes, admissions and career outcomes. The fair is held under the high patronage of the French Ministries of National Education and of Higher Education and Research, with AGERA as partner. Across the day, journalists from L'Etudiant and orientation specialists lead talks and workshops covering Parcoursup, apprenticeships, prépa classes and parallel-admission pathways. Travelling from outside Lyon? The venue on quai Charles de Gaulle sits next to the Parc de la Tête d'Or and is well connected to the city centre, so staying at a hotel near the Centre de Congrès means you can walk to the doors and still explore Lyon in the same trip. Entry is free but registration is mandatory: every invitation is personal and can be extended to accompanying guests. The exhibitor list and interactive floor plan go live a few weeks ahead, so book your accommodation and plan your route early.