Lyon Airport (LYS) Transfers
Lyon-Saint Exupéry Airport sits at Colombier-Saugnieu, 25 km east of Lyon, and handled 10.7 million passengers in 2025. Verified carriers quote per vehicle to Val Thorens, Courchevel, Alpe d'Huez, Les Deux Alpes and the city, before you fly.
IATA Code
LYS
East of Lyon
25 km
All flights
Terminal 1
Free drop-off
10 min
East of Lyon
Opened to passengers
Passengers in 2025
Terminal in use since April 2026
Every flight now uses Terminal 1. The TGV station, the tram to Lyon and the bus station are a few minutes' walk from it, and the pickup rules depend on who is driving.
Terminal Pickup Information
Terminal 1 arrivals on level 0, the drop-off bays outside, and the car park the airport keeps for pre-booked drivers.
Arrivals hall
Terminal 1, level 0
Meeting point
On the arrivals level with a name board, or at the car
One terminal
Terminal 2 has been closed since 1 April 2026, so every flight lands at Terminal 1
Your carrier confirms the exact point in the booking chat
Drop-off bays
T1A, T1B and the TGV station
10 minutes free
Then €2.20 up to 11 minutes and €0.60 for every minute beyond
Private cars only
The airport's parking rules reserve the bays for private individuals
More than 5 visits in 24 hours costs a flat €80
PRO car park and waiting zones
For drivers, and for whoever collects you
PRO car park
Reserved for pre-booked taxis and chauffeur-driven vehicles, beside P0 and P1, four hours at most
Free waiting zones
At the north and south entrances, one hour at most, driver stays with the car
The tram to Lyon leaves from level -1 of the TGV station
Drop-off and short-stay tariff, 2026
The airport's own figures. 10 minutes covers a car that pulls in as you walk out, and nothing more. P0 and P1 take vehicles up to 1.90 m high, so a high-roof minibus parks elsewhere.
A note for anyone collecting you
Friends and family can wait free at the airport entrance for up to an hour, driver in the car, and come to the bay when you are at the kerb. Anyone who wants to come inside can book the airport's companion rate 24 hours ahead: €6 for 2 hours or €9 for 4 hours in P2, P3 or P4.
Flight Monitoring
Your carrier monitors your flight for delays. Share your flight number when booking and your driver adjusts the pickup time to your actual landing. With one terminal in use, there is no second arrivals hall to check.
Popular Routes from Lyon Airport
Compare verified carriers to the Three Valleys, the Oisans, the Tarentaise and the city.
The Three Valleys and the Oisans, both directions
Val Thorens
LYS Airport → Three Valleys
From
€340
Val Thorens to the airport
Val Thorens → LYS Airport
From
€340
Courchevel
LYS Airport → Three Valleys
From
€375
Courchevel to the airport
Courchevel → LYS Airport
From
€375
Alpe d'Huez
LYS Airport → Oisans
From
€335
Alpe d'Huez to the airport
Alpe d'Huez → LYS Airport
From
€335
Les Deux Alpes
LYS Airport → Oisans
From
€370
Les Deux Alpes to the airport
Les Deux Alpes → LYS Airport
From
€370
The rest of the Tarentaise
Lyon, the valley cities and Mont Blanc
About Lyon Airport
Colombier-Saugnieu, one terminal, a TGV station, and which airport is nearest to which resort
Your driver loads the bags at Terminal 1 and joins the A432, which passes the airport. From there the A43 runs east to Chambéry and the Tarentaise, and the A48 turns south to Grenoble and the Oisans. Lyon-Saint Exupéry Airport, IATA code LYS, handled 10.7 million passengers in 2025 and has direct long-haul flights to Montréal and Dubai. Our France transfers page covers the rest of the country.
Colombier-Saugnieu, not Lyon
The airport is 25 km east of the city.
The airport itself allows 30 to 40 minutes by car to the centre, traffic permitting. In free flow Part-Dieu station is about 26 km and 30 minutes from the terminal, and Place Bellecour about 28 km and 35 minutes. It opened in 1975 as Lyon Satolas and has carried its present name since 2000.
One terminal since April 2026
Every flight now uses Terminal 1.
Terminal 2 closed to the public on 1 April 2026 for works, and the airport gives no reopening date. Its drop-off closed with it. Arrivals are on level 0 of Terminal 1, the bus station is on the same level, and the hire-car offices are a ride away on the PR3 shuttle bus.
The tram and the TGV station
Both are a few minutes' walk from the terminal.
The Rhônexpress tram leaves from level -1 of the TGV station and reaches Lyon Part-Dieu in 29 minutes, with metro line B at the far end. A single is €16.30 online and €17.40 at the machine, buying on board adds €4, and children under 12 ride free. Trams run every 15 minutes in the daytime and every 30 minutes early and late; the first leaves the airport at 05:00 and the last at midnight.
For one traveller bound for Part-Dieu, the tram is the right buy, and we are not going to pretend otherwise. The arithmetic turns with the party: four adults pay €65.20 online, about what the airport estimates for a daytime taxi to Part-Dieu.
Upstairs, TGV and Ouigo trains link 30 cities in France and Italy to the airport every day, Paris, Grenoble, Chambéry, Annecy, Marseille, Turin and Milan among them. There is no ticket counter, only kiosks. The catch is where the rails stop: none of the four resorts below has a railway, so a train ends in a valley town and a bus or a car covers the climb.
Airport Facts
Which airport for which resort
Lyon is not the nearest airport to any of the four.
Chambéry is nearer to Val Thorens and Courchevel, and Grenoble is nearer to Alpe d'Huez and Les Deux Alpes. The table puts four airports side by side, every figure a free-flow drive from the terminal.
- Val Thorens
- Lyon (LYS)199 km, 2h 30min
- Grenoble (GNB)2h 25min
- Chambéry (CMF)1h 40min
- Geneva (GVA)2h 30min
- Nearest, margin over LyonChambéry, by about 50 min
- Courchevel
- Lyon (LYS)186 km, 2h 20min
- Grenoble (GNB)2h 15min
- Chambéry (CMF)1h 30min
- Geneva (GVA)2h 20min
- Nearest, margin over LyonChambéry, by about 50 min
- Alpe d'Huez
- Lyon (LYS)153 km, 2h 10min
- Grenoble (GNB)1h 40min
- Chambéry (CMF)2h
- Geneva (GVA)2h 50min
- Nearest, margin over LyonGrenoble, by about 30 min
- Les Deux Alpes
- Lyon (LYS)162 km, 2h 15min
- Grenoble (GNB)1h 45min
- Chambéry (CMF)2h 05min
- Geneva (GVA)2h 55min
- Nearest, margin over LyonGrenoble, by about 30 min
- Val d'Isère
- Lyon (LYS)221 km, 3h
- Grenoble (GNB)2h 55min
- Chambéry (CMF)2h 15min
- Geneva (GVA)3h 05min
- Nearest, margin over LyonChambéry, by about 45 min
- Chamonix
- Lyon (LYS)216 km, 2h 30min
- Grenoble (GNB)2h 30min
- Chambéry (CMF)1h 45min
- Geneva (GVA)1h 15min
- Nearest, margin over LyonGeneva, by about 1h 15min
Read the table by where your flight can land, not by the shortest row. Chambéry wins three of the six rows and Grenoble two, yet Grenoble handled 261,000 passengers in 2025 and Chambéry 191,000, against Lyon's 10.7 million.
Grenoble's home page lists eleven destinations, eight of them in Great Britain. Chambéry's traffic is scheduled flights to the UK and ski charters, and in winter its reception hours vary on Saturdays with the flight schedule. If your flight goes to either, take it.
Lyon is where the rest of the timetable lands: about 40 times Grenoble's traffic, direct flights from Montréal and Dubai, a TGV station beside the terminal, and motorway for most of the drive. Against Geneva the picture splits. The two airports are level for Val Thorens and Courchevel, Lyon is about 40 minutes nearer to Alpe d'Huez and Les Deux Alpes, and Geneva wins Chamonix by more than an hour. Our French Alps ski transfers guide compares the gateways, and the nearest-airport table lists every resort.
Pick the flight first, then the airport.
East to the Three Valleys
Val Thorens and Courchevel share the road as far as Moûtiers.
That trunk is about 162 km and 1h 50 in free flow: the A43 to Chambéry, the A430 to Albertville, then the N90 expressway up the Tarentaise, with €19.50 in tolls each way for a car. From Moûtiers the two roads part and climb, and the whole drive from the airport is about 2h 30 to Val Thorens and about 2h 20 to Courchevel. Our Lyon Airport to Val Thorens and Lyon Airport to Courchevel pages cover each climb.
The N90 is the pinch: about 25,000 vehicles a day between Albertville and Moûtiers, and up to 70,000 on some winter Saturdays.
South to the Oisans
Alpe d'Huez and Les Deux Alpes share the road to Le Bourg-d'Oisans.
About 90 km of motorway takes the car to Grenoble on the A43 and the A48, for €13.70 in tolls each way, and about 42 km of ordinary road follows up the Romanche valley. Alpe d'Huez is about 2h 10 from the airport in free flow and Les Deux Alpes about 2h 15. Scheduled coaches are thin on this side: the airport's shuttle table lists one to each resort, on Saturdays only. Our Lyon Airport to Alpe d'Huez and Lyon Airport to Les Deux Alpes pages cover the last climbs.
The winter rule and the Saturdays
From 1 November to 31 March the car needs winter tyres or chains.
The rule covers the whole of Savoie and, in the Isère, a list of communes that includes Huez and Les Deux Alpes, so it applies on the road to all four resorts. A hire car needs checking for it. With a transfer, the vehicle and its equipment are the carrier's to supply.
The winter-break Saturdays of 2027 are 6, 13, 20 and 27 February and 6 March, and the Christmas holidays run from 19 December 2026 to 4 January 2027. Those are the busy changeover days.
Land on a February Saturday with a family and ski bags bound for Val Thorens, and the car booked before you fly is the answer.
After the last tram
The last tram leaves the airport at midnight.
Taxis wait outside Terminal 1 and the TGV station around the clock, at the night rate from 19:00 to 07:00 and all day on Sundays and public holidays: about €90 to Part-Dieu instead of €67. A private transfer booked before you fly waits for your actual landing, whatever the hour.
How Much Does a Lyon Airport Transfer Cost?
Carriers quote per vehicle, for your flight, your party and your luggage.
It depends on four things, and every carrier on TransferBnB prices them into one quote per vehicle before you fly:
- The vehicle. A saloon for two, an MPV or a minivan for a family or a group, so nobody is split across two cars.
- The party and the bags. Ski and board bags need a longer boot or a roof box, so put them in the request.
- The distance. From the 26 km run to Part-Dieu to the 199 km drive to Val Thorens; the route cards above carry each drive.
- The date. Carriers quote for the day you travel, so give the flight date and number in the request.
The one published benchmark out of Lyon Airport is the airport's own table of indicative taxi fares, per vehicle. By day it gives about €67 to Part-Dieu and €361 to Val Thorens. The night rate runs from 19:00 to 07:00 and all day on Sundays and public holidays, and it lifts Val Thorens to €516, which is €155 more.
Motorway tolls are €19.50 each way for a car to Moûtiers and €13.70 to Grenoble, so ask whether a quote includes them. Where published fares back a figure, the route card shows it as a from-price per vehicle; every other run is quoted by the carriers on request.
Get a QuoteTransport Options Compared
Every way out of Lyon Airport, side by side.
- Private transfer
- Journey timeAbout 2h 10 to 2h 30 to the four resorts, 30 min to Part-Dieu, in free flow
- PriceQuote per vehicle before you fly
- Door to doorYes
- Where it endsYour door
- Best forFamilies, ski bags, any resort, any day
- Rhônexpress tram
- Journey time29 min to Lyon Part-Dieu
- Price€16.30 per adult online, €17.40 at the machine
- Door to doorNo
- Where it endsLyon Part-Dieu station
- Best forOne traveller, light luggage, a hotel near Part-Dieu
- TGV and Ouigo from the airport station
- Journey timeVaries by train
- PriceSet by the train
- Door to doorNo
- Where it endsA city station: Grenoble, Chambéry, Annecy, Paris and others
- Best forAn onward city, not a resort
- Scheduled ski coaches
- Journey timeSet by each operator's timetable, with stops on the way
- PriceSet by each operator
- Door to doorNo
- Where it endsThe resort bus station
- Best forOne skier whose flight fits the coach
- Taxi from the rank
- Journey timeThe same roads as a transfer
- PriceAirport estimates: about €67 to Part-Dieu and €361 to Val Thorens by day, more at night and on Sundays
- Door to doorYes
- Where it endsYour door
- Best forThe short run into Lyon
- Hire car
- Journey timeThe same roads, plus the PR3 shuttle to the hire offices
- PriceNo rate published
- Door to doorYes
- Where it endsWherever you can park
- Best forA week of touring, once the winter equipment is checked
| Option | Journey Time | Price | Door to door | Where it ends | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Private transfer | About 2h 10 to 2h 30 to the four resorts, 30 min to Part-Dieu, in free flow | Quote per vehicle before you fly | Yes | Your door | Families, ski bags, any resort, any day |
| Rhônexpress tram | 29 min to Lyon Part-Dieu | €16.30 per adult online, €17.40 at the machine | No | Lyon Part-Dieu station | One traveller, light luggage, a hotel near Part-Dieu |
| TGV and Ouigo from the airport station | Varies by train | Set by the train | No | A city station: Grenoble, Chambéry, Annecy, Paris and others | An onward city, not a resort |
| Scheduled ski coaches | Set by each operator's timetable, with stops on the way | Set by each operator | No | The resort bus station | One skier whose flight fits the coach |
| Taxi from the rank | The same roads as a transfer | Airport estimates: about €67 to Part-Dieu and €361 to Val Thorens by day, more at night and on Sundays | Yes | Your door | The short run into Lyon |
| Hire car | The same roads, plus the PR3 shuttle to the hire offices | No rate published | Yes | Wherever you can park | A week of touring, once the winter equipment is checked |
Read the last two columns: only the transfer, the taxi and the hire car end at your door.
Every public option from Terminal 1 ends at a station or a stop: Part-Dieu, a city railway station or a resort bus station. A private transfer starts at the arrivals level and ends at the door, for the whole party and its skis in one vehicle.
Why Book Your Lyon Airport Transfer with TransferBnB
A carrier who knows the airport's parking rules, whatever day the flight lands.
The pickup, sorted
The drop-off bays are for private cars. The airport keeps a PRO car park beside P0 and P1 for pre-booked drivers.
Verified carriers
Every carrier is verified by TransferBnB before it can quote on your trip.
Quote before you fly
The airport's taxi estimate to Val Thorens rises from €361 to €516 at night and on Sundays. Carriers here quote per vehicle before you land.
The winter rule, covered
From 1 November to 31 March the roads to all four resorts require winter tyres or chains. Name the resort in your request.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where does my transfer driver meet me at Lyon Airport?
Which terminal do flights use at Lyon Airport in 2026?
How long can a car stop at the drop-off at Lyon Airport?
How much is the Rhônexpress from Lyon Airport to Part-Dieu in 2026?
Is there a train from Lyon Airport to the ski resorts?
How long is the drive from Lyon Airport to Val Thorens and Courchevel?
How long is the transfer from Lyon Airport to Alpe d'Huez and Les Deux Alpes?
Which airport is closest to Val Thorens, Courchevel, Alpe d'Huez and Les Deux Alpes?
How much is a taxi from Lyon Airport to the ski resorts?
How far is Lyon Airport from Lyon city centre?
Do I need winter tyres or snow chains between Lyon Airport and the ski resorts?
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