Buses to and from Limoges Airport (LIG)

Limoges is one of the smaller airports in France, with under 400,000 passengers per annum. Nonetheless, the airport that was established in 1972, has since then provided an important gateway to the Limousin region of the country. It is also an international airport, with a number of flights to the United Kingdom. The airport is found approximately 6km from Limoges, and about 20km from Saint-Junien, another important city in the Haute-Vienne department. Unfortunately, the Limoges buses are scarce, and practically non-existent during most months of the year. Buses are a popular way to travel from many France airports, but from Limoges, the options are limited.

Bus services at the airport are not well mentioned on the official airport website, and therefore do not seem to be a part of the airports operations, however, there are a few options for passengers who prefer to travel by bus. Passengers, who are arriving during the months of June, July, August or September, the busier time of the airport, may find a bus that runs to the bus station in Limoges. The apparent dates of the bus service are from 15 June to 30 September. The bus will depart from outside the arrivals area, from nearby the exit of the terminal building. The bus fares are also very inexpensive, only costing a few Euros at most.

If a bus is available at your time of arrival at Limoges, it will be the most cost efficient way to travel into the city, as the only other option is by taxi. The Allo Artisans Limoges Taxis are the main taxi operators found at the airport, and offer transport to the city for between 20 and 25 Euros. Many passengers consider this as quite an expensive fee for such a short journey. Additional charges for luggage, extra passengers and airport surcharges may also apply, and buses are therefore very cheap when compared to a taxi. There are also no direct rail connections at Limoges Airport.

The second option is the public bus service No.16, which apparently runs nearby the airport, and is the only other option during the non-summer months. The bus can be taken from Place de Winston Churchill in Limoges, and then travels to the stop named ‘Eglise’, just opposite a church and cemetery. This journey takes approximately twenty minutes. The only drawback is that the stop is still about 3 miles from the airport, and passengers will have to walk the rest of the way, which will take about an hour on foot. It is however a lovely walk, if you don’t have too much luggage to carry, as it is through country areas with little traffic. The last stretch to the airport is the only part that is on a main road, but there are wide concrete verges so you will not need to walk in the street. The Line 16 bus is available approximately every 90 minutes, throughout the week. This bus can also be taken in the alternative direction, but in the city centre, another bus will be needed for travelling to the Gare Benedictins, which is the main railway station of the city.

Although Limoges Airport buses are scarce, passengers who would like to travel in the city by bus will find a number of options, and can also use various bus services to reach other nearby regions. The RDTHV Bus Company offers services from Place de Charentes, Limoges, and is an inter-city bus service in the department of Haute-Vienne. The network of their services consists of 28 departmental lines, and they operate 171 buses, and four coaches, which have room for between 36 and 63 people. The urban network of Limoges is referred to as the TCL, and the TER buses handle further destinations. Passengers can purchase bus tickets from the bus driver, or from their store in Haute-Vienna. There are also tickets available at certain merchant stores in the city. Some of the destinations served by the RDTHV Bus Company include Aixe-sur-Vienna (Line 23), Jourgnac (Line 26), Maisons-sur-Tardoire (Line 03), Cussac (Line 02), Full-Neuvic (Line 09), Dournazac (Line 15) and Saint-Junien (Line 1160). Further details can be found online at http://www.rdthv.com.

Alternative bus options are available from Voyages Villessot, which is a company that operates regular services between Limoges and St-Yrieix-la-Perche and Les Cars, as well as between Limoges and Ladignac-le-Long. Details of their services can be found online at http://www.voyages-villessot.fr. The Transports Moreau offers regular services between Magnac and Limoges, and between Limoges and Bellac, while Voyages Lavalade has bus routes between Bellac and St-Junien, Limoges and Le Dorat, St-Jouvent and Bellac and Le Dorat and Bellac. Their website is available at http://transport-autocar-car-tourisme.voyageslavalade.fr.

Many passengers hope to find more Limoges buses available in the future, travelling to areas such as Poitiers, Brive-la-Gaillarde and Guéret.