Originally a sleepy market town on the road to the spas of the Pyrenees, Lourdes has grown into the largest Marian pilgrimage centre in the world. The town has two sections: the international portion by the river, consisting of the spiritual area containing the Grotto and churches (known as the Domaine or the Sanctuaries), and the “French” portion, centered around the Marketplace & Hotel de Ville.
Access
There are several trains and buses connecting Lourdes to other French cities. It is also easily accessed by car, and close to the border with Spain.
- By car
Lourdes is about 9 hours from Paris via Toulouse and the A64. Lourdes is easily accessed by car, although the narrow streets around the holy sites can become quite congested at weekends and holy days. Roads from the South-West of France and from Spain are also good.
- By train
Lourdes train station is just a few hundred metres from the town centre, and offers easy access and clear signs to the Domaine area(look for signs indicating “La Grotte” and “Massabielle”). For information on trains to and from Lourdes, visit the SNCF website.
Several trains travel to Lourdes, including TGV service from Paris (six hours) and many trains to and from Pau, Bayonne/Biarritz, and Toulouse. The small SNCF station offers minimal services, but there are free toilets, a small coffee/pastry counter, vending machines, and an adjacent cafe and quick service restaurant (service can be rather surly, even for France). Accessibility is excellent due to the large number of infirm and disabled pilgrims who visit Lourdes and many trains passing through Lourdes offer special services for the disabled.
Night trains from Tours and Paris are available; however, these can be quite uncomfortable as they feature standard, non-reclining seats rather than berths or beds, and lights remain on throughout the trip. Lourdes is a stop rather than the terminus, so know what time you are supposed to arrive and listen for the announcement for Lourdes (there will probably be many others going to Lourdes, especially the elderly or infirm, so you can watch rather than try to decipher the often-unintelligible PA announcements).
- By bus
The majority of bus arrivals into Lourdes are charters, run by specific travel agencies for organised Pilgrim groups.
- By plane
The nearest airport is Tarbes-Lourdes, approximately twenty minutes’ drive from the town itself. Air France operate a daily scheduled service from Paris, while a large number of charter flights from all over Europe use the airport also. For further information, see the airport’s official site.
Other airports that can be used to access Lourdes are Pau, which is approximately 40 minutes’ drive away, with potential for train connections, and Toulouse-Blagnac, two hours away by train. From the UK and Ireland, Ryanair fly to Biarritz, around two hours by road from Lourdes, with train access available also.
- By minivan
If you arrive in Toulouse there is also the possibility of a transfer by minivan. Ophorus also organises day tours departing from Toulouse towards the holy city of Lourdes with a guided tour included.
Transportation
On foot
Lourdes is a pedestrian friendly city with several pedestrian only streets and it is very easy to get around the town centre. It really is worth walking and exploring. The town is also used to disabled visitors, help is also readily available.
By car
Lourdes has a complicated one-way street system around town and, because many streets are pedestrian only, it can be confusing and time-consuming getting around town. There are many places to park on the outskirts of the city (especially off the rue de Pau) and walking to the grotto is easy so, if possible, park and walk is the easiest way to get around.
Activties and Sightseeing
Visit the sacred sites, including the Grotto where St Bernadette saw Mary. Attend mass (dozens on offer in almost every language in the world) somewhere in or around the holy sites. Visit one of the many Bernadette attractions (several museums, her former home, etc.) and best of all: watch the astonishing numbers of pilgrims from all over the world. The Underground Basilica of St. Pius X, a church constructed entirely underground, is especially interesting architecturally.
Especially interesting is the International Mass, held in six languages (English, French, Italian, Spanish, German, and Dutch) simultaneously in the Underground Basilica of St. Pius X Sunday mornings. Arrive early to get a seat. One wonderful experience is to arrive about 1 1/2 hours early to be part of the choir (open to anyone who arrives early to rehearse). You get to sing with people of all 6 languages and have a excellent view of the Mass.
Don’t miss the nightly candlelight procession (buy your candle beforehand from one of the souvenir shops) in front of the Basilica and around the main square, with singing, prayer and a rosary said in many languages (alternating half-decades in English, French, Italian, etc.). The procession of the sick to the Underground Basilica each afternoon is particularly moving, as well. Other religious activities available include confession (available in French, English, Spanish, Italian, German, Dutch), adoration, stations of the cross (in the underground basilica), candle lighting near the Grotto, and rosary in front of the Grotto each afternoon (in French) and at other times/places in other languages.
If you have a car, spend a day in the wonderful Pyrenees. Roadtrips to Pont d’Espagne, Gavarnie or de Col de Tourmalet offer breathtaking mountain scenery and lots of opportunities for hiking. There is a historic chateau on a hill visible from the town, as well.
Shopping
Lourdes has an enormous amount of shops selling all sorts of kitsch and (tacky) religious souvenirs like statuettes of saints, rosaries, candles, containers for storing the water from the source near the Grotto, mugs and fridge magnets. If items like these are your thing, the large Palais du Rosaire offers an enormous selection and will wrap items for you to take home.
Many shops will close for 1 1/2 – 2 hours around lunch; be prepared to be shooed out of the store or hurried along with your purchases if you are shopping around
12:30pm.
Shops often have flags or signs outside indicating the languages (besides the obvious French, usually English, Spanish, and Italian, although sometimes German and Dutch) spoken there.
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Restaurants
Good food is available in Lourdes, although you do have to look for it. The dining options are broken into 4 broad categories:
1. Cafés
All the Cafés around the town provide reasonable inexpensive food, concentrating on the standard snacks of pizzas, croques monsieur & madame and sandwiches. Many also offer larger meals, with duck, steaks and chicken regularly on the menu. For good food close to St Joseph’s Gate, try the Café au Roi Albert, on the Pont Vieux, the Little Flower Café on the Rue de la Reine Astrid or the New Orleans Café on Rue Sainte-Marie.
2. Hotel Restaurants
Many of the hotels around the town have restaurants available to non-residents, both on a fixed-menu and a la carte basis. Enquire at the Reception desk or view the menu boards outside the hotel. Meal times in most hotels are fixed, as the majority of guests stay on a full-board basis, with lunch at midday and dinner at 7pm.
3. Local Restaurants
There are not many local restaurants in the tourist area of Lourdes, but there are some in the town itself. The closest ones to the Domaine are:
Pizza da Marco – on the Rue de la Grotte, at the top of the hill. A standard Italian pizzeria, with good food but erratic service, especially when busy.
Restaurant Alexandra – on the Rue de Fort, off the Rue de la Grotte. This small family-run restaurant specialises in local delicacies, and has an intimate atmosphere.
Brasserie de la Grotte – on the the Rue de la Grotte, part of the four-star Hotel de la Grotte. A good brasserie with a pleasant atmosphere, dishes are excellent, but expensive.
4. Restaurants outside the town
If you have transport, it’s worth your while travelling outside the town itself to eat, as several restaurants in the locality are excellent.
In the small village of Bartrès, there are two recommended restaurants, the Restaurant Au Bon Accueil and La Petite Bergère. Both are family-run and specialise in good food from the local region. This sleepy village is a ten-minute drive from Lourdes and also has associations with St Bernadette.
Nightlife
The famous water, of course (free!). Bring your own bottles, or buy one of the thousands containers or jerrycans (or one of the tasteful plastic bottles in the shape of a Mary statuette) available at almost every shop in town.
Lodging
Lourdes offers dozens, if not hundreds of hotels in and around Lourdes. There is a special youth village on the left side of the Gave river offering accommodation and facilities to young people.
See the listing of the Hotels in Lourdes
Because of the large supply, accommodations can be found for extremely cheap, with double rooms in hotels rivaling hostel prices
- Accor hotels in Lourdes. The hotels Novotel, Mercure, Ibis, Formule 1 and Etaphotel in Lourdes.
- Twilightblue hotels in Lourdes
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