A visit to Lourdes during end of December 2004

Lourdes is in the Pyrenees mountains so yes, it will be cold. The weather can change dramatically at that time of year so it’s hard to advise you. The roads are generally kept clear unless it’s the middle of a blizzard. A blizzard would be pretty unusual but it does happen.

Are you planning to rent a car or do you want to take the train?

We usually drive and it’s a bit easier to get around rural areas with a car. You can rent from AutoEurope at http://www.europebycar.com. We lease from Peugeot, but I’ve heard very good things about AutoEurope. If you’re staying for more than 17 days, you might consider leasing a car. It’s less expensive.

If you want to take the train, the French National Railway web site is http://www.sncf.com and you can get schedules and prices from them.

The French Tourist Office is at http://www.francetourism.com/ and they have links to all kinds of information.

The Lourdes information web site is http://www.lourdes-visitfrance.travel/ and there is a small button at the top right with a British flag. Click and you will have the site in English. (There are several language choices.)

If you are not comfortable driving in France during winter weather, you might consider a tour leaving from Paris.

May I also suggest clicking on the blue and red France.com at the top of this page. When you get to the opening page of France.com, scroll down to "France directory" and find Midi Pyrenees. Click on that and you will find loads of information on the Lourdes area. There is a section on Lourdes hotels that may also help you.

I hope you enjoy your trip. We were there with our daughter during July and it was a wonderful experience. I was amazed at the dedication of the volunteers who work there. There is no charge for any of the Lourdes services. It’s all done by very caring volunteers. The area is absolutely beautiful, especially the river Pau flowing through the town. I’m sure it will be even more dramatic in the mountains with snow on the peaks!

Hello SalB,

Thank you very much for the quick response.

I will definitely go thru the sites you mentioned. We will be coming from the middle east into Charles De Gaulle and would love to take the train to Lourdes. Have been informed by friends that it is an overnight journey from Paris to Lourdes, so would prefer taking the train ride as I have never experienced a long train ride in France.

During your visit to Lourdes, where did you stay, was your stay comfortable, can you recommend the hotel where you stayed? I hope I am not asking for too much? How many days do u recommend that we stay at Lourdes? I am a Roman Catholic and would like to know if there are special services throughout the day and the minimum stay required.

Thank you once again.

Hi, Antz. We were actually staying near Perpignan for a couple weeks with our daughter in tow. We did an overnight trip to Lourdes. We actually stayed at a Campanile in Lourdes. It’s kind of the Motel 6 of France. They are real motels, near freeways or highways and have restaurants attached with a good breakfast buffet and decent evening meals. They don’t have any particular French ambiance and I wouldn’t recommend them except as a brief and handy overnighter. There are many more charming places much closer to the shrine and I think you would enjoy that much more. Check the France.com web site on Midi-Pyrenees for the hotels and I think you’ll find something more pleasant.

We only spent a day there but left deciding to go back. Wished we had spent more time. You get a pretty brief overview in one day. It is a fascinating place and deserves a bit more time. The area is incredibly beautiful. We could easily spend a week in the area and at least two days at Lourdes if you want to attend some of the services. Whatever you do, be sure to attend the evening candlelight service. Even if you freeze to death, it is worth it. I hope they have it in December.

Do visit the Lourdes web site and they will give you service times and let you know what is available when you will be there. Take a little bottle because you can fill it with the Lourdes water for free. If you don’t have one, you can buy one, but an old Evian water bottle would be fine! When you get home, transfer it to smaller bottles. They are great gifts for Catholic friends. (Don’t tell them it was free!)

I hope you enjoy your visit.

Oops, sorry. There is no minimum stay required. You can wander in and out at will. If you want to go through any of the healing services, there may be times constraints. I think you will find that at the web site.

Hello SalB,

Thanks a lot for the added information and the little tips. Have made a note of all of them. Hope we make it, just worried about the weather, what it will be like during December/January.

All the best to you and good luck.

It varies wildly. In (I think) 1999 they had the great "tempest" that took out thousands of trees all over France with some of the lowest temperatures recorded. That was on or near Christmas Day. We still saw the effects of the downed trees at Versailles last November.

It was very unusual though and chances are, it won’t happen to you. The earlier you go in December, the better your chances of good weather. We were in Paris last November in the middle of the month and it was a little chilly, but we had only one day of rain and found the temperatures cool but agreeable. (We’re from southern California and used to triple digit temps so 60s is chilly to us.)

Here is a weather web site. Check the weather regularly before you go to get an idea of what is happening. It’s no guarantee, but it does help planning. http://www.wunderground.com/global/stations/07621.html (This is Tarbes and is the closest weather station to Lourdes.)

The Pyrenees have many ski areas, so expect snow in the mountains. Lourdes is in a river valley so may not get snow. If you take the train, you don’t have to worry about driving . . . just enjoy the view.

Quite frankly, if you are taking the train, I wouldn’t worry about weather. Plan on temps in the 50s (Fahrenheit) and be prepared to take off layers if it’s warmer or add layers if it’s colder. Layers solve most weather problems. Take an umbrella and be sure you have two pairs of shoes in case one pair gets very wet. If there is a major cold spell and you don’t have enough layers, there are plenty of stores. Just buy another jacket!! Since you won’t need it in the Middle East, you might donate it to the Lourdes Foundation when you leave. That way someone else might benefit from it too. Just a thought!

HI
It is very Pleasant and lucky to be in Lourdes.It is only 6 Hours Train journey from Paris. If you want to go by Flight, Toulouse is the nearest Airport. One hour bus journey from Toulouse to Lourdes. It is a hilly place.Lots of Cheap hotels @ 50-60 Euros are available. Daily continous services are there. Dont miss the curing bath.Night 9PM Candle procession is unfogetful holy event.Minimum two days required.You should be very fortunate and blessed to be there. I visited Loudes last April 2008 from Abudhabi.For more information contact the Parish priest St.Josephs church,Abudhabi UAE
Arul,Abudhabi