Grenoble Airport Arrivals (GNB)

Grenoble Airport is found within the commune of Saint-Etienne-de-Saint-Geoirs, and in the Isère department of France. This small France airport is therefore known as the Grenoble-Saint-Geoirs Airport, or as the Grenoble-Isère Airport, and is allocated the official airport code of GNB. Although not a large airport, it has all the facilities which can be expected for the comfort of departing and arriving passengers, and its operations are considered as efficient. From the arrival areas, there are various forms of public transport available as well.

Grenoble lies to the west of Beaucroissant, Rives and Voiron, and to the east of Le Péage-de-Roussillon. It is also south of Bourgoin-Jallieu, and north of Chatte and Saint-Marcellin. Grenoble is about 45km, or 28 miles south-east of the airport, and Lyon lies to the north-west, about 85km, or 53 miles away. Grenoble is also a popular arrival point for passengers travelling to Chambery, Annecy, Geneva (in Switzerland), Valence, Avignon and Bourg-en-Bresse. These cities are all within a two hour drive from the airport. The airport of Grenoble is ideally located within the middle of the Rhône-Alpes, the second-largest region of France, and is an important gateway to the French Alps, where many skiing competitions have taken place. The airport was actually built to support the 1968 Rhône-Alps Olympic Games. This region of the country receives million of tourists every year, and many are coming to visit the almost two hundred ski resorts found nearby Grenoble. There are also several large lakes in the vicinity which are enjoyed by outdoor enthusiasts, and a range of historical attractions within the cities.  The airport provides a very convenient arrival point for access to all these attractions and many more.

The scheduled flights at Grenoble Airport arrive from various destinations, and are handled by the airline companies of Aurigny Air Services, Easyjet, Norwegian Air Shuttle, Ryanair and Transavia. Since that many of these are budget airline carriers, Grenoble is considered as a low-cost airport. Passengers can fly to this airport from the three smaller London airports (Gatwick, Stansted and Luton), Liverpool, Edinburgh, Bristol, Birmingham, Dublin, Rotterdam and Guernsey, an island off the western coast of France. Flights from many charter airline companies arrive at the airport as well, and they include Aer Lingus, Monarch Airlines, Flybe, Atlantic Airways, Moskovia Airlines, Thomson Airways, Thomas Cook Airlines, Jettime and Scandinavian Airlines. Seasonal charter flights arrive from UK destinations (London, Manchester and Birmingham), Copenhagen, Moscow-Domodedovo, Gothenburg, Oslo, Stockholm Arlanda and Tel Aviv-Ben Gurion.

Passengers will arrive at one of two arrival halls within the single terminal building, and will find various facilities all within easy walking distance of one another. There is a multi-store available, and a restaurant if you have time for a bite to eat. Cash machines are located nearby the arrival area, however, there is no full-service bank or currency exchange service at the airport. Business passengers who need to work or entertain colleagues can organise one of the airport’s meeting rooms in the terminal, with catering and equipment if necessary. Other facilities at Grenoble Airport include a post box, public toilets and public telephones. There may also be internet connections available for a few Euro. The services of Grenoble Airport are found in a ‘new’ terminal building, which was completed in 2002, and it has a capacity for over a million passengers per annum. Its facilities are therefore modern, and most consider its operations to be efficient, and its staff members friendly.

Once passengers have collected their luggage from the baggage reclaim area, and passed through customs if necessary, they can leave the airport by bus or taxi, or return to their own vehicle in the parking lot. Parking payment machines are found nearby the baggage reclaim area, and the bus stops and taxi ranks are just outside the terminal building. Buses leave the airport after each arrival flight for the Grenoble bus station, and at least one service per day travels to the Lyon Part Dieu railway station. Taxis can take passengers to all nearby destinations, and are convenient, as they will take you to the doorstep of your residence, place of business or hotel. However, if you have booked accommodation in a Grenoble hotel, find out if they offer a free shuttle service to and from the airport.

Alternatively, car hire companies are found in a building just across from the passenger terminal, and offer a wide range of vehicles for hire, at competitive rental rates. The car rental companies on site include Hertz, Europcar, National, Avis, Alamo, Easycar and Auto Europa. In a rented car is one of the best ways to explore all areas of this exciting region, as roads lead to all the towns and cities of the area, and to the major ski resorts (those within an hour’s drive of the airport include Alpe d’Huez, Autrans, Chamrousse, Gresse en Vercors, Lans en Vercors, Le Pleynet and Prapoutel). The D119 from the airport leads to the A48, for access to Grenoble, and to the A43, which leads to Lyon and Chambery. In order to hire a car, the primary renter will need to be at least 21 years of age, with a valid drivers license issued more than a year before the rental date and should hold a major credit card in his/her name.

Live Grenoble arrival schedules can be viewed on many online websites, or further information is available from the information desks.