Lourdes

Get in

There are several trains and buses connecting Lourdes to other French cities. It is also easily accessible by car, and close to the border with Spain.

Get around

Due to the small area of the town, most destinations can be reached on foot. Some buses do seasonal runs between the train station and some of the biggest or furthest hotels.

See

thumb|300px|The Massabielle grotto While tourists who come here will usually look for ways to immerse in the religiosity, those that need some time out can certainly seek the rich history of the town.

Do

Many of the activities in the city are only available from April to October, though visitors are of course welcomed all year round.

Don't miss the nightly candlelight procession (buy your candle beforehand from one of the souvenir shops or at the sanctuary) in front of the Basilica and around the main square, with singing, prayer and a rosary recitation in multiple languages. 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, 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.

Buy

Lourdes has an enormous number of shops selling all sorts of kitsch and 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. Rue de la Grotte is perhaps the most crowded street in Lourdes as that is where most of Lourdes' stores and restaurants are located.

Many shops will close for 1½ – 2 hours around lunch; be prepared to be shooed out of the store or hurried along with your purchases if you are shopping around 12:30. On Sundays, a few shops and supermarkets should remain open, though maybe with reduced hours and staffing, to take a chance on foot traffic to or from the churches.

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.

Drink

While there are not a whole lot of bars in the city, it is worth noting that despite being an overwhelmingly Catholic city, the religion itself doesn't necessarily prohibit alcohol - even Jesus turns water into wine during a wedding and monasteries worldwide still brew their own beer! What is frowned upon (and sinful), however, is excessive drinking to the point of being disturbing to everyone else.

Bistros usually offer a wine bar while brasseries would usually offer a full lineup. The famous water that gushes out from the springs are of course free. People would usually drink it for healing and spiritual purposes. 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.

Sleep

With both backpacker and suitcase styles, the town offers multiple hotel options that fit almost any budget most of the year. Because of the large supply, extremely cheap accommodation can be found, with double rooms in hotels comparable to hostel prices (for example, €40 for a double room). However, prices can soar during the summer and especially around Christmas and Easter, religious events and the Tour de France.

There is a special youth village on the left side of the Gave River offering accommodation and facilities to young people. There are campsites in or around Lourdes, and these can also be relatively inexpensive.

Stay safe

Being a pious city doesn't mean that there's no crime. Use common sense and street smarts. Pickpockets may be common especially on streets with plenty of pedestrians. Do not leave your stuff unattended.

As many attractions may involve queuing, allow extra time and be patient.

Connect

The code area for Lourdes is 562 with 5 being the code for southwest France. Telephone numbers for the region are usually written as 33 5 62 (the phone number) using two digits after every space.

All of the major French telecom companies are supported within the city proper; coverage may be spotty if you are on the rural area of the Pyrenees. However, if you need to call the emergency number (112), by law your call should go through regardless of the telecom company. If you use an international SIM, check your telecom company to see if it has roaming partnerships with France. Alternatively, use a short term SIM card if you will be here for a while.

The same operator should also provide fast 4G LTE connection for Internet. WiFi (pronounced Wee-Fee, not Wai-Fai) is usually provided by your hotel and at some restaurants (usually indicated with the @ symbol), but hardly ever at churches; however the point being there for most is to pray, immerse in the liturgical events or talk to fellow pilgrims.

Go next

Saint-Pé-de-Bigorre Pau Parc National des Pyrénées