Lyon-Saint Exupéry Airport

Ski-Areas > Lyon-Saint Exupéry Airport

Lyon-Saint Exupéry (formerly Lyon Satolas) is a mid-sized international airport with all the services you would expect including car-hire. The regional government has tried to develop the airport as a transport hub with the building of an expensive but underused high speed train (TGV) terminal in the shape of a giant concrete swan. Some have suggested a white elephant would have been more appropriate. There are connections to Paris (2-hours) and Marseilles (1h30). However the station is less useful to skiers. There are direct trains to Grenoble with onward bus connection to the local ski resorts but the trip to Moutiers for the Tarentaise and Vanoise resorts requires a number of changes of train and is a logistical nightmare.

Bus Links

More practical is Altibus which serves the following destinations: Aix les Bains SNCF (for Haute-Savoie resorts), Moutiers Gare Routier and SNCF, Bourg St Maurice Gare Routier and SNCF, Bourg d’Oisans Gare Routier, Chambéry Gare Routier and SNCF, La Plagne, l’alpe d’Huez, Autrans, Courchevel, Chamrousse, La Grave, la Clusaz, la Rosiere, La Tania, la Grand Bornand, Les Arcs, Le Praz, les Deux Alpes, les Menuires, Méribel-Mottaret, Sainte Foy en Tarentaise, Serre Chevalier, Tignes, Val d’Isère, Valmorel, Val Thorens, Villard de Lans. It is advisable to book. Transfers can also be arranged through the UK Tour Operators that use Lyon however due to its distance from the ski resorts they usually finish their transfers by the early afternoon.

Speed Cameras

There are speed cameras in the long road tunnel to the south of Chambéry on the autoroute (90km/h) and in the road tunnel as you leave Moutiers (80 km/h limit). There are mobile speed traps on the autoroute to the Oisans ski resorts and fixed speed cameras (90km/h) on the Grenoble ring road. There is a speed camera entering Lyon. There is a speed camera just before Geneva direction Chamonix.

Supermarkets

There is a major commercial center at Lyon St Priest with an Auchan superstore on the south side of the autoroute and a Decathlon sports store on the north side. Most large French shops are open until 20h00 with hypermarkets generally open until 21h30.

Destinations and Carriers

Regular UK Flights

• British Airways
  • Birmingham
  • London Heathrow
  • Manchester
• EasyJet http://www.easyjet.com
  • London-Stansted

The airport is used by charter operators and package holiday companies during the winter although with the development of Chambéry and Grenoble St Geoirs airports this traffic has dropped off somewhat. The charter terminal is a large, windy tent which is unpopular with guests.

Nearest Ski Resorts and Areas

Savoie

• Meribel-Mottaret 185km (2h15)
• Sainte Foy en Tarentaise 200 km (2h30)
• la Plagne 185 km (2h05)
• les Arcs 200km (2h30)
• Val d'Isère 220 Km (3h30 by bus)

Haute-Savoie

• Chamonix Mont Blanc 220 km (2h30) - via Geneva A40/A42
• Les Contamines Montjoie 175km (1h45)
• Morzine 210km (2h20)

Hautes-Alpes

• la Grave 170km (2h00)

Isère

• Chamrousse 130km (1h40)
• Le-Sappey 105km (1h15)
• l'Alpe d'Huez 155km (2h00)
• les Deux Alpes 160km (2h00)
• Saint-Pierre de Chartreuse 120km (1h30)

Further Information

Airport Code: LYS

• http://www.lyon.aeroport.com/
• Map

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