Coming by car
Prepare your route
The following routes are recommended. Follow them, be careful on the road and see you soon in Loudes!
Arriving from Toulouse or Tarbes
Lourdes is only 180 km away from Toulouse. The highway A64 direction Lourdes will lead you to the interchange 12, at the exit Tarbes-Ouest. From there, the National road 21 will take you to Lourdes. If you have enough time, you can already start your visit by going to Bartrès, a little peaceful village where Saint Bernadette used to keep her nanny's sheep. To go to Bartrès, drive through Adé.
Arriving from Bordeaux or Pau
Take the new highway A65 connecting Bordeaux to Pau, then the highway A64 from Pau to Soumoulou (interchange 11). Your travel will then last a little less than 3 hours. If you are impatient to arrive in Lourdes, take the National road 117 from Soumoulou to Lourdes. If you have more time, take the touristic road, from where you will see the Betharram Sanctuaries and caves.
Where to park in Lourdes?
Once in Loudes, you will need to find a parking place. Many parking lots are available. Spot them on the map.
Free parking
You have many possibilities to park for free in Lourdes. To go to the sanctuaries, the easier way is to park in the boulevard de la Grotte, near the Boulevard du Lapacca. A litte 1-kilometer walk will bring you directly to the entrance of the sanctuaries' domain. Along the road, you can have a coffee or eat something at the 20 et café [FR].
In the city, you can also park at Place Capdevielle. Please note that the parking lot can sometimes not be accessed because of special events such as the Lourdes's city celebration or the bikers' pilgrimage, for example.
Paying parking lots
The main and sheltered parking lot of Lourdes is located at Place Peyramale, under the Tourist Information Centre. It is located nearby the castle and the parish church. For more information, please contact Vinci Park Services at: +33 5 62 42 13 74.
Another possibility would be to park at the Lourdes Market (or halles), or at the place du Champ Commun. Please check the market opening hours: the market usually takes place every morning as well as on Thursday and Saturday afternoons.
All around the Sanctuaries, you will also be able to park on the Avenue Peyramale or Avenue Paradis, or on the Boulevard Rémi Sempé. Please note that these are paid parkings on Sundays as well as on public holiday.
Practical information
The roads of Lourdes connecting the city centre to the sanctuaries have one particularity: the driving direction changes every 2 weeks. Be careful before driving in one of them.