Next 7 departures
- SatOct 3
ClearNo significant weather expected. Temperatures 11–17°C along the way.
Along the way
Checkpoint · arrival Weather · temperature Zurich7 AM CEST Fog11°C Bern8:15 AM CEST Cloudy12°C Lausanne9:15 AM CEST Fog15°C Geneva9:45 AM CEST Fog16°C A40 south of Oyonnax10:15 AM CEST Partly sunny16°C Lyon11:15 AM CEST Cloudy17°C - SunOct 4
ClearNo significant weather expected. Temperatures 11–20°C along the way.
Along the way
Checkpoint · arrival Weather · temperature Zurich7 AM CEST Fog11°C Bern8:15 AM CEST Partly sunny13°C Lausanne9:15 AM CEST Partly sunny17°C Geneva9:45 AM CEST Fog17°C A40 south of Oyonnax10:15 AM CEST Cloudy16°C Lyon11:15 AM CEST Partly sunny20°C - MonOct 5
ClearNo significant weather expected. Temperatures 12–19°C along the way.
Along the way
Checkpoint · arrival Weather · temperature Zurich7 AM CEST Fog13°C Bern8:15 AM CEST Cloudy12°C Lausanne9:15 AM CEST Cloudy16°C Geneva9:45 AM CEST Cloudy16°C A40 south of Oyonnax10:15 AM CEST Partly sunny18°C Lyon11:15 AM CEST Partly sunny19°C - TueOct 6
ClearNo significant weather expected. Temperatures 10–18°C along the way.
Along the way
Checkpoint · arrival Weather · temperature Zurich7 AM CEST Sunny10°C Bern8:15 AM CEST Mostly sunny10°C Lausanne9:15 AM CEST Mostly sunny16°C Geneva9:45 AM CEST Partly sunny15°C A40 south of Oyonnax10:15 AM CEST Sunny14°C Lyon11:15 AM CEST Mostly sunny18°C - WedOct 7
ClearNo significant weather expected. Temperatures 9–19°C along the way.
Along the way
Checkpoint · arrival Weather · temperature Zurich7 AM CEST Mostly sunny9°C Bern8:15 AM CEST Sunny10°C Lausanne9:15 AM CEST Cloudy16°C Geneva9:45 AM CEST Cloudy15°C A40 south of Oyonnax10:15 AM CEST Cloudy15°C Lyon11:15 AM CEST Sunny19°C - ThuOct 8
CautionHeavy rain near Bern around 8:15 AM CEST. Also at 1 other checkpoint.
Along the way
Checkpoint · arrival Weather · temperature Zurich7 AM CEST Heavy rain12°C Bern8:15 AM CEST Heavy rain13°C Lausanne9:15 AM CEST Heavy rain15°C Geneva9:45 AM CEST Heavy rain14°C A40 south of Oyonnax10:15 AM CEST Heavy rain11°C Lyon11:15 AM CEST Rain16°C - FriOct 9
ClearNo significant weather expected. Temperatures 6–11°C along the way.
Along the way
Checkpoint · arrival Weather · temperature Zurich7 AM CEST Cloudy6°C Bern8:15 AM CEST Partly sunny7°C Lausanne9:15 AM CEST Partly sunny9°C Geneva9:45 AM CEST Mostly sunny9°C A40 south of Oyonnax10:15 AM CEST Cloudy7°C Lyon11:15 AM CEST Cloudy11°C
The worst conditions expected at any checkpoint, timed to when you would reach it driving without stops. Levels use Road Travel’s driving-risk scale.
The route, stop by stop
Checkpoints in order, with driving time from Zurich (no stops) and elevation. The forecast above is timed to these.
- Zurich, SwitzerlandStart 415 melevation
- Bern, SwitzerlandKm 121 · 1 h 12 min 537 melevation
- Lausanne, SwitzerlandKm 220 · 2 h 8 min 498 melevation
- Geneva, SwitzerlandKm 277 · 2 h 38 min 403 melevation
- A40 south of Oyonnax, FranceKm 333 · 3 h 10 min 692 melevation
- Lyon, FranceKm 426 · 4 h 8 min 174 melevation
Typical weather by month
Average daily highs and lows, and days with 2.5 cm (an inch) or more of snow, at Zurich, A40 south of Oyonnax and Lyon.
| Month | Zurich Zurich (Fluntern) station · 555 m | A40 south of Oyonnax Geneva Airport station · 420 m | Lyon Lyon–Saint-Exupéry Airport station · 235 m |
|---|---|---|---|
| High / low °C | High / low °C | High / low °C | |
| Jan | 3° / -1° | 5° / -1° | 7° / 1° |
| Feb | 5° / -1° | 7° / -1° | 8° / 1° |
| Mar | 10° / 2° | 12° / 2° | 13° / 4° |
| Apr | 15° / 5° | 16° / 5° | 17° / 7° |
| May | 19° / 9° | 20° / 9° | 21° / 11° |
| Jun | 22° / 13° | 24° / 13° | 25° / 15° |
| Jul | 24° / 14° | 27° / 15° | 28° / 17° |
| Aug | 24° / 14° | 26° / 14° | 27° / 16° |
| Sep | 19° / 11° | 21° / 11° | 23° / 13° |
| Oct | 14° / 7° | 16° / 7° | 17° / 10° |
| Nov | 8° / 3° | 9° / 3° | 11° / 5° |
| Dec | 4° / 0° | 6° / 0° | 7° / 2° |
1991–2020 averages computed from NOAA NCEI daily station records (GHCN-Daily): ZUERICH FLUNTERN, SZ (SZ000003700, 555 m); GENEVE COINTRIN, SZ (SZ000008440, 420 m); LYON ST EXUPERY, FR (FR069029001, 235 m). Snow days are days with at least 2.5 cm (1 inch) of new snow. “—” means the station does not publish that normal.
Road conditions
Closures and chain rules change by the hour, so we link to the official reports for Switzerland and France rather than repeat them.
- Switzerland · FEDROSwiss Federal Roads Office
- France · Bison FutéBison Futé traffic
Check the official forecast from MeteoSwiss and Météo-France and each road report before you leave.
Get alerts timed to where you’ll be when you get there
Road Travel plans the drive from Zurich to Lyon with the forecast at every stretch for the hour you’ll reach it, then warns you about weather ahead while you drive.
Questions about this drive
How long is the drive from Zurich to Lyon?
426 km (265 miles), about 4 hours of driving without stops, by way of A1 and A40. Fuel, food and rest stops add to that.
What is the highest point on the drive?
A40 south of Oyonnax, at 692 m (2,270 ft). It comes at km 333, about 3 h 10 min of driving after you leave Zurich.
How cold is A40 south of Oyonnax in January?
The nearest long-term NOAA station, Geneva Airport (420 m), averages a high of 5°C and a low of -1°C in January (1991–2020 averages).
How cold is Lyon in January?
The nearest long-term NOAA station, Lyon–Saint-Exupéry Airport (235 m), averages a high of 7°C and a low of 1°C in January (1991–2020 averages).