Minibus Hire Across France

Lyon airport minibus pickups, by way of the TGV station

At Lyon-Saint Exupéry, group pickups happen at the railway station rather than outside the terminals. It sounds odd, but the station is a two-minute walk away and it makes for a calm start.

Meet at the Gare TGV

Your minibus or coach will be waiting in the Parking Minute Gare TGV, a short-stay car park at the railway station that group vehicles share with private motorists. Entry is charged from the first minute, so the driver aims to arrive with you rather than long before.

From Terminals 1 and 2 the station is about two minutes on foot over the connecting footbridge. Allow a little longer with trolleys and toddlers, and gather at the terminal exit first so nobody drifts off.

Executive Sprinter van, side view
Executive Sprinter van, side view

Height barriers and vehicle size

Lyon's car parks have height limits: 2.60 m at the terminal drop-off car park, 2.50 m in P2 and as low as 1.90 m in P0. A coach, and some taller minibuses, will not fit under them, which is one more reason group vehicles use the station. Cars with driver use the airport's PRO car park, kept for pre-booked services.

The terminals

  • Gare de Lyon-Saint-Exupéry TGV (railway station linked to the terminals)
  • Terminal 2
  • Terminal 1

Handy to know at Aéroport Lyon-Saint Exupéry

  • Coaches and minibuses entering a French low-emission zone (ZFE-m) need a Crit'Air sticker; check the current Lyon rules before travel.
  • Height limits: Parking Minute Terminaux 2.60 m; car parks P0 1.90 m, P2 2.50 m, P3 2.10 m, P4 and P5 2.60 m.
  • The public drop-off zones (Parkings Minute) are at the foot of Terminal 1 and at the TGV station; the first 10 minutes are free, they are for private individuals only, and a penalty applies after more than 5 entries in 24 hours.
  • The TGV station Gare de Lyon-Saint-Exupéry is about 2 minutes on foot from Terminals 1 and 2 by the connecting footbridge; Rhônexpress also stops there.
  • Rhônexpress tram-train links the airport with Lyon Part-Dieu Villette in under 30 minutes, also stopping at Vaulx-en-Velin La Soie and Meyzieu Z.I.; it runs every 15 minutes in the daytime and every 30 minutes early morning and late evening.

Driving into Lyon

From the airport to Place Bellecour is roughly 30 km, around 35 minutes in light traffic, mostly on the A43 and the A432, which is tolled in parts.

Lyon's low-emission zone applies around the clock, and its official site groups coaches with heavy vehicles: those rated Crit'Air 3, 4, 5 or unclassified are barred, and every vehicle in the zone must show a sticker. The zone stands for now and lawmakers may change it, so confirm the sticker before travel.

Staying on the Presqu'île? Tourist coaches are still allowed into its limited-traffic zone; in the afternoon and overnight, from 13:00 until 06:00, the driver calls through on the bollard intercom.

Straight out to the vineyards or the Alps

Many groups landing at Lyon are bound elsewhere: a wedding in the Beaujolais, a weekend in Pérouges, a week by Lake Annecy or a chalet near Chamonix. Give us the final address and the minibus heads there without crossing the city. From 1 November to 31 March, mountain communes such as Annecy and Chamonix require winter tyres or chains.

Your questions, answered

Can the driver meet us at the terminal door?

The public drop-off zones at the terminals are for private individuals. Group vehicles work from the station car park, so meet your driver there or agree a spot inside the terminal when you book.

Is the Rhônexpress an alternative?

The Rhônexpress tram-train gets to Lyon Part-Dieu Villette in less than half an hour and leaves every quarter of an hour during the day. Fine for a couple with small bags; a family with a pushchair and several cases, or a team with kit, will find the minibus easier.

How long can the vehicle stay at the station car park?

The limit is four hours, but the airport recommends keeping stops below ten minutes, and the cost varies with the type of vehicle.

More places to explore

Other vehicles with a driver