Lourdes travel guide

Lourdes is a large town in the French Pyrenees. It is a global centre of Marian pilgrimage, receiving hundreds of thousands of visitors each year. Catholics believe that the Virgin Mary, the Mother of God, appeared 18 times at the Grotto to a young girl, St Bernadette Soubirous.

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.

Lourdes is about 9 h 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. On your satnav, make sur that you put the silent s with no apostrophe or you may end up in a village far away (there are several of them). Many foreigners make mistakes to the amusement of the other villages.

[edit] By train

Lourdes train station is just Authent... John Brown Jersey 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 [1].

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, nflcard... 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. However, travel in first class allows for a T4 compartment (2 bunkbeds). 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).

[edit] By coach

Coach arrivals from the UK and Ireland into Lourdes are charters, run by specific travel agencies for organised Pilgrim groups.

The main organisation is ACROSS who travel weekly by special coaches designed for the purpose. These special coaches are fitted out with hoists, special hospital beds and can take several wheelchairs. Medical care is available for the duration of the trip provided full disclosure is given to Across in advance of the trip. Costs are fully inclusive on a full board basis. Importantly for disabled the Insurance is also included in the cost. Trips for disabled to other destinations can also be arranged. ACROSS is a registered charity.

[edit] By plane

The [url=http://www.cowboysnflofficialauthentic.com/authentic-ben-gardner-jersey.htm... Gardner Womens Jersey nearest airport is Tarbes Lourdes [2], 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. During the summer season, Ryanair operates flights to Tarbes Lourdes from London (Stansted) and Milan. Bus number 2 operated by Maligne

Other airports that can be used to access Lourdes are:

Pau [4]. CityJet, an Air France subsidiary offers three return flights a week between London City Airport and Pau, three return flights from Dublin (one direct and two via London City), and two return flights a week via Amsterdam. Pau airport is approximately 40 minutes' drive away from Lourdes, with potential for train connections.

Toulouse Blagnac airport [5] is a bigger airport that is two hours away by train.

Biarritz airport [6] is accessible from Lourdes by train and has flights from the UK and Ireland by Ryanair.

[edit] By minivan

If you arrive in Toulouse there is also the possibility of a transfer by minivan. Ophorus [7] also organises day tours departing from Toulouse towards the holy city of Lourdes with a guided tour included.

Another possibility is the shuttle TOURSUD [8], which can take up to 7 passengers from Toulouse to Lourdes (or Lourdes >Toulouse). Look at the website to find out all the excursions organised by the driver guide Arnaud (in English, Spanish, French).

[edit] Get around

[edit] On foot

Lourdes is a pedestrian friendly city with several pedestrian only streets and it is very easy [url=http://www.cowboysnflofficialauthentic.com/authentic-ben-gardner-jersey.htm... 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.

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.