The short version
- TGVs from Paris Montparnasse reach Lourdes in 4 hours 49 minutes at the fastest, 6 trains a day, most of them direct. A night train from Paris Austerlitz arrives early in the morning, with fares from €50.
- The Sanctuary is open from 6:00 to 1:00. The torchlight procession leaves at 21:00 every evening until November 1, 2026, and anyone can join.
- The château fort and its Pyrenean museum cost €8. From October to March they are closed on Monday, and they close from January 4 to 31, 2027.
- The Pic du Jer funicular takes about 10 minutes to the top, €14.50 return, every day until November 1, 2026.
- The bus to Gavarnie ended for the year on September 27 and starts again on June 4, 2027. Until then you need a car.
- The Pont d’Espagne gondola and chairlift are closed for the season; the site is open to walkers.
What to see
Start at the Sanctuary, built around the Grotto of Massabielle, where Bernadette Soubirous saw the apparitions in 1858. Visit the grotto, the basilicas and the fountains; half a day covers the essentials. Come back at 21:00 for the torchlight procession, when pilgrims carry candles in front of the lit Rosary Basilica.
Walk up to the château fort on its rock, 10 to 15 minutes from the station. The Musée pyrénéen inside, founded in 1921, covers Pyrenean life, mountaineering and art, and its garden has models of valley houses and a view over the town, the Sanctuary and the mountains.
Ride the Pic du Jer funicular 438 meters up in about 10 minutes for the panorama table and the summit cross. The caves at the top, billed as the highest in France, cost €5 extra.
Go up to the Cirque de Gavarnie, a glacial bowl with rock walls about 1,500 meters high and one of the highest waterfalls in Europe, part of a UNESCO World Heritage site. Walk the classic path from the village to the Hôtellerie du Cirque. In winter you go on snowshoes.
Above Cauterets, the Pont d’Espagne is a site of waterfalls at about 1,500 meters in the Pyrenees National Park. With the lifts closed, Lac de Gaube is about an hour and a half uphill on foot by the GR10.
Getting there and around
TGVs leave from Paris Montparnasse; most are direct, and the rest change once. The night train leaves from Paris Austerlitz.
Volotea flies from Paris Orly to Tarbes-Lourdes-Pyrénées airport, about 15 minutes from Lourdes. A €3 shuttle meets the Ryanair and Volotea flights and runs to the center.
In Lourdes you walk: the Sanctuary, the château and the covered market are all within walking distance of each other and of the station.
For the mountains, regional bus 965 runs to Cauterets all year, about an hour, €2, with 6 departures on weekdays and 4 on weekends. The Pont d’Espagne is 15 minutes beyond Cauterets by car or shuttle.
If you drive, the Cauterets road requires winter tires or chains from November 1 to March 31.
When to go
The pilgrimage season runs from spring to November 1, with the torchlight procession every evening. On December 8, Lourdes celebrates the Feast of the Immaculate Conception.
Summer is the season for the mountains: the Gavarnie bus runs from June 4 to August 31, 2027, and the Pont d’Espagne lifts from mid-May to late September.
It rains often, most in November, April and May. July averages a high of about 25°C, and January about 10°C.
In winter, the procession stops, the château closes on Mondays and from January 4 to 31, and Gavarnie is reached only by car.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you get from Paris to Lourdes?
Take the TGV from Paris Montparnasse, 4 hours 49 minutes at the fastest, mostly direct. Or take the night train from Paris Austerlitz, or fly with Volotea from Orly to Tarbes-Lourdes and take the €3 shuttle.
What time is the torchlight procession in Lourdes?
At 21:00 every evening from April 5 to November 1, 2026. It is free and open to everyone. The 2027 season dates have not been published.
Can you get to Gavarnie without a car?
Only in summer. Bus 968 leaves Lourdes station at 9:30 and reaches Gavarnie in about an hour and a half, for €2, from June 4 to August 31, 2027. The rest of the year you need a car.
What should I eat in Lourdes?
Order garbure, the thick cabbage and bean soup, and ham or pork from the Bigorre black pig. Try gâteau à la broche, a cake roasted on a spit, with a Madiran red or a Jurançon white. The covered market is open every morning, busiest on Thursday and Saturday.
Is there a tour I can add on the way?
Yes. The TGV to Lourdes goes through Bordeaux, so stop for a day. Our Bordeaux wine tour meets in the center of Bordeaux for Saint-Émilion and three classified-growth châteaux, eight guests at most, daily except Monday from April to October.
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