About Lyon Saint Exupery Airport
Lyon-Saint Exupery Airport which was formerly known as Lyon Satolas Airport, is the international airport of Lyon, the third largest city in France. It lies in Colombier-Saugnieu, southeast of Lyon city center and the airport was inaugurated by President Valery Giscard d'Estaing on 12 April 1975. Originally named as Lyon Satolas Airport, the airport was renamed in honor of Lyonnais aviation pioneer and writer Antoine de Saint-Exupery on the centenary of his birth. At Lyon-Saint Exupery Airport there are three terminals and two runways that are aligned in north-south direction and the airport is visited by more than 500 thousand passengers each year.
Getting to the City Center from Lyon Saint Exupery Airport
When your plane has landed at the Lyon-Saint Exupéry Airport, which is about 20 kilometers of Lyon city center, there are many transportation alternatives that you can use to go to the center of the city. Tramway is one of the fastest and most comfortable transportation alternatives that are commonly preferred by the passengers wanting to travel to the city center from the airport. Other alternatives that visitors can use to get to the city center are buses, taxis, car rental, shuttle services and bicycles. At the airport you can also take advantage of the environmental-friendly electric cars to arrive at the city center. From Lyon-Saint Exupéry Airport you can travel to 24 different points of France and Italy by train. Some of the places you can travel with trains include Aix en Provence, Avignon, Grenoble, Marne-la-Vallée, Marseille, Milan, Miramas, Modane, Montpellier, Paris and Valence. From the airport you can reach the train station in just 5 minutes and continue your journey by train. There is also a wireless internet connection if you need to use the internet at the train station. You can get to the city center from the airport within 30 minutes by using tramway which has regular services during the day. As tramway is extremely fast, there is no risk of being caught in traffic jam compared to alternatives such as taxi and car rental. You can buy your ticket from the ticket vending machines found at the stations or you can save time by purchasing your tickets online in advance. Another transportation vehicle that takes passengers to the city center and other regions from the airport in an economical way is shuttle bus. By getting on a shuttle bus you can go to Bordeaux, Annecy, Grenoble, Clermont-Ferrand, Voiron, Domancy and Saint-Etienne. Shuttle buses connect the airport to 22 different cities. Bus ticket prices vary according to the city you are traveling to, but they can be considered affordable in general. If you wish, you can rent a car after arriving at the city by bus. At Lyon-Saint Exupéry Airport, there are electric cars for those who need an environmental-friendly and fast transportation vehicle. You can drive wherever you want in Lyon city center within 20-25 minutes with electric cars provided by Bluely. There are many stations in the city center for electric cars that you can benefit from whenever you want at the airport. In this way you can easily leave your electric car, which you have rented from the airport, in the city center. If you plan to stay longer in the city, you can become a member of the system by choosing from different memberships, such as weekly or monthly, and you can travel more economically. Lyon-Saint Exupéry Airport also has regular shuttle services to nearby ski resorts for those who come to the city for skiing. With Altibus services you can travel to ski resorts from December to spring months. OUIBUS, another company that offers service in this area, carry its passengers to places such as Saint-Gervais, Praz-sur-Arly and Les Contamines, Chamonix and Les Houches between Mondays and Saturdays. The ski resort services, with its large and comfortable seats, have additional features designed for the handicapped. You can make reservation by getting contact with the ski center shuttle services by calling 0 825 825 536 or you can choose to make your reservation online. If you have a private vehicle that you can use in the city, you can easily travel with your own car from the airport to the city center. After a 30-minute drive from the airport, you can be in the city center. Your travel will also last 1 hour to Macon, 2 hours to Dijon, 30 minutes to Givors, 55 minutes to Saint Etienne, 1 hour and 15 minutes to Annecy and Valence. From the airport you can reach Montélimar in 1 hour 40 minutes, Avignon in 2 hours 15 minutes, Villefranche in 40 minutes and Bourg en Bresse in 55 minutes. If you are planning to travel by private car from the airport to the nearby cities, make sure you have a map or navigation support before taking the road. In this way, you can travel easily by reducing the risk of getting lost. Taxis usually carry passengers with predetermined fixed fares to the certain areas of the city from the airport. With taxis waiting in front of the terminal almost at every hour of the day you can travel to Lyon city center by paying 50-55 Euro in the daytime and 60-65 Euro in the late hours. You can travel to Givors for 60-100 Euro, Annecy for 170-280 Euro, Macon for 115-180 Euro and Valence for 160-260 Euro. The night tariff is applied between 07:00 pm and 07:00 am. You can easily find a taxi at the exit of Terminal 1 and 2. You can pay by cash or credit card. Thanks to the specially designed bicycle trails, you can arrive at different centers from Lyon-Saint Exupéry Airport without any difficulty. You can have an extremely pleasant journey thanks to the bicycle trails surrounded by green areas where you can have a picnic. Near the airport terminal, there are areas where you can park and lock your bicycle. You may also prefer getting to Lyon city center or other districts by renting a car if you want a more comfortable travel. The offices of companies that provide car rental services at the airport are usually open from 07:00 am until midnight. From the terminal you can come to the area where car rental companies are located with free shuttle services. At the airport there are a large number of car rental companies such as AVIS, Budget, National, Alamo, Enterprise, Europcar, Thrifty, Hertz and Sixt. If you want to make a reservation in advance, you can get in contact with one of the car rental companies by phone or via internet. If you are not travelling alone, you can benefit from the private services available at the airport. One of the most important advantages of private services is that you can get off anywhere you want in the city center. You can get on your vehicle without waiting at the airport by booking in advance in order to benefit from the private services. If you want to get on the private service vehicles that depart from the airport parking area, be sure to make a reservation before you arrive at the airport.Train
Tramway
Shuttle Buses
Electric Cars
Ski Shuttle Services
Private Vehicle
Taxi
Bicycle
Car Rental
Private Services
Getting to Lyon Saint Exupery Airport from the City Center
You can get to the Lyon-Saint Exupéry Airport in about 25-30 minutes when you take the road from the city center of Lyon. You can directly arrive at the airport by using tramway system which is one of the fastest and most comfortable transportation vehicles commonly preferred by the passengers wanting to travel to the airport from the city center, or you can use other alternatives such as buses, taxis, trains and bicycles. Lyon is also surrounded by wonderful centers for travelers interested in skiing. From these places you can get to the airport terminal by benefitting from the services arranged for going to the airport. The cost of reaching the airport from the city center by taxi is not very high, but if you have to travel from a place not very close to the city, this fare may significantly increase.
Train
By train you can reach the airport directly from many cities such as Aix en Provence, Avignon, Modane, Montpellier, Grenoble, Marne-la-Vallée, Milan, Miramas, Marseille, Paris and Valence. The train can be considered as a fast and affordable vehicle for passengers coming from other cities. You can buy the tickets you need to get on the train from train stations. When you arrive at the airport by train, you can reach the terminal from the station by walking for a few minutes.
Tramway
If you want to travel from Lyon city center to the airport without suffering traffic jam, you can get on one of trams that take passengers to the airport from the city center with its regular services. It is possible to travel from the center to the airport by tramway every day of the week. You can arrive at the airport from the city center in maximum 30 minutes by tramway, and you can buy your ticket from one of the ticket vending machines found in each station.
Electric Cars
In Lyon city center, there are many stations where you can rent electric cars. You can rent your car by visiting one of these stations and you can travel to the airport with these environmental-friendly electric cars. When you arrive at Lyon-Saint Exupéry Airport with the car you have rented from the city center, you can return your car at the car delivery station located near the terminal.
Shuttle Buses
Shuttle buses offer economical, comfortable and fast travel opportunity for passengers from the center of Lyon and many different cities in the region. By moving from the Voiron, Annecy, Domancy, Grenoble and Saint-Etienne, you can directly arrive at the airport terminal by shuttle buses. By taking a taxi on your location, you can easily get to the departure points of the shuttle buses moving from the city center.
Taxi
Taxis are generally good alternatives for the transportation from the city center of Lyon to the airport. They are not too expensive. However, if you will travel to the airport from a different city, the amount you need to pay may increase. For this reason, if you are coming from places like Givors, Anecy and Macon, you can get in contact with the taxi driver to find out the average fare you are required to pay and then according to your budget you can decide whether to use a taxi or not.
Ski Shuttle Services
There are many ski resorts around Lyon-Saint Exupéry Airport. You can evaluate the option of arriving at the airport with a vehicle that can be considered partly cheaper. By taking one of shuttles that carry the passengers within the framework of the service offered by these resorts, you can easily get to the airport. Ski shuttle services are generally available during the winter season, but you can contact the companies offering shuttle service for the transportation to the airport in the spring and summer months.
Car Rental
Many different companies such as Enterprise, Hertz, AVIS, National and Alamo offer service for passengers who want to rent a car in the city. Once you have rented your car, you can follow the airport directions continuing along the road and you can arrive at the airport within 30 minutes. If you are traveling from a different city or town, you should consider the traffic and take the road a bit earlier in order not to miss your flight. If you have rented your car in the city center, you can contact the company in advance to get information about whether you can deliver the car at the airport, and in this way you can head for your plane after delivering the car at the specified point.
Bicycle
In Lyon, which is one of the bicycle friendly cities of Europe, you have a chance to come to the airport with a bicycle without having any trouble. By following bicycle trails, you can easily arrive at the airport. Furthermore, when you have arrived at the airport, you can easily leave your bicycle in parking areas.
Private Services
There is also an opportunity to arrive at Lyon-Saint Exupéry Airport with comfortable vehicles of private services carrying at least 2 and more passengers. Another feature of the services carrying their passengers to the airport by picking them up from certain points is that they are shared cars. Compared with other alternatives, with this method you can come to the airport in a much more affordable and comfortable way.
Limousine Rental
You can rent a limousine to travel to the airport with a more luxurious and comfortable vehicle in Lyon. You can rent a limousine in the city by choosing among a large number of different limousine rental companies and you can be at the airport in a very short time. The limousines take you to the entrance of Lyon-Saint Exupéry Airport by picking you up from your location. If you are staying in a hotel in the city, you can get help from your hotel about renting a limousine.
Airport Information
Lyon-Saint Exupéry Airport offers an extremely pleasant and comfortable atmosphere for its passengers with its large duty-free areas, shops, restaurants and cafes. At the airport you can find ATMs that you can use for your transactions, help desks, waiting rooms and many more. Payot Bookstore is one of the stores where you can take a glance at many books in English and French while you are waiting for your flight at the airport. In AELIA DUTY FREE, you can find many local and foreign product options and buy many things such as chocolate, souvenirs and perfumes. Another alternative for shopping is FNAC, which offers video games and a variety of audio and video products. If you want to buy cosmetics before leaving the airport, you can visit L'Occitane. You can visit Danael store if you want to take a glance at the watch alternatives while you are walking around at the airport. In case you need to spend the night near the airport, it is very easy to get in contact with one of the hotels nearby. If you want to eat or drink something at Lyon–Saint Exupéry Airport, you can visit Millie's Cookies, Alto Café, Brioche Dorée, NHube or Pizza Hut. In addition to all these places, you can also visit Starbucks Coffee, Bar 2.21, Atelier des 2 Rives, OL Brasserie, O'picnic, Premium Bar, Kyriad Restaurant, Café LUG and Le Bar. At the airport train station, you can get snacks from Bread & Co. At the airport there are also private passenger lounges which offer high speed internet, free foods and comfortable seats. Dzhari Lounge, Europe Lounge, Hegoa Lounge, Les Ecrins Lounge and Solano Lounge are among the passenger lounges that you can benefit from.
