tribi

Hello everyone

I would like to get some information from those of you that have driven from San Sebastian Spain to Lourdes France. I would like to stay overnight somewhere around the area of Lourdes or if you have a better suggestion of what to see around that area after we are done visiting the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes and going back to Spain the following afternoon. I am looking to stay at a nice Hostel or Bed and Breakfast not very expensive but somewhere clean and comfortable since I will be going with my elderly parents. If anyone has suggestions please share them with me.

thanks

tribi

anyone please

zeppole

Everything in that area is beautiful EXCEPT Lourdes, which you will certainly want to flee at the earliest possible moment. (Sorry. It's true.)

Take a look at the Logis de France website

http://www.logis-de-france.fr/uk/index.htm

Pau will certainly have a lot of accommodations, but rural locations, where hotels also serve dinner, might be just the ticket for your folks, and you'll have easy parking. Check in the vicinity of Oloron-Ste Marie.

Someplace like this

http://www.relais-aspois.com/

You can find an english description of that inn on the Logis website.

zeppole

Here:

http://en.toprural.com/logis-de-fran...r-ds-25655.htm

tribi

Thank you zepppole I will look into those websites.

flanneruk

You need to decide first what you want to see and do in Lourdes.

It's a bit over 3 hours to San Sebastian by the motorway at the foot of the valley. If attending the evening processions (daily timetable at http://www.lourdes-france.org/upload...rair-h_en2.pdf), you might find getting back in the dark to Oloron tricky: I wouldn't want to take the direct mountain route in the dark, and the roundabout route via Pau is over an hour.

Lourdes itself has just about the highest concentration of cheapish hotels in the world: there are virtually no chain places, and its millions of pilgrims almost all stay in elderly, cheap 2* glorified B&Bs.

The town's forever attracting silly slurs from anti-religious bigots. In fact, the sanctuary area (the fenced-off 50 acres or so that contains the basilicas, the main shrines and the processional way) is almost shocking in the density of hope, the absence of tat and the overwhelming numbers of volunteers who've travelled from all over the world just to help other people. You certainly shouldn't assume you'll want to get away from it as possible.

You might think, though, about one logistical problem. The area round the sanctuary's not very friendly for car parking. There are parking spaces quite close to the sanctuary, but they required coins when we were there last (a LOT for a four-hour stay), finding coins nearby wasn't easy and finding empty spaces needed a fair amount of rat-like cunning and perseverance. There are big car free parks a goodish way away (lists and links to maps at http://www.lourdes-infotourisme.com/...cces/route.asp), but you might want to think about how convenient they might be for some elderly people.

The town is most geared to the relatively fit and those so unwell they absolutely can't walk: you might need to email the tourist office or the Sanctuaries management (the two websites mentioned above) to check on borrowing wheelchairs if one of the parents is just plain old not so nimble these days.

Dukey

Flanner has described things pretty accurately IMO. When we last visited we used the large underground carpark near the center of the village since parking on the street was pretty much impossible. BE PREPARED to use a facility such as this since the streets are congested with both vehicle and foot traffic.

There are some hotels very close to the entrance to the large fenced off area which contains the actual grotto, the upper church and crypt church, etc. Unless you want to visit the upper (original) church you can probably get away with not having to deal with too many steps.

The grotto area itself is DOWNHILL from about everything else so once you get DOWN there it means a walk back UP...not terribly steep but uphill nonetheless.

The general area around the town is rather attractive scenery-wise as it is in the foothills.

You may wish to try to get there early in the day before things get too busy and crowded.

zeppole

There is nothing bigoted about not enjoying being in a town where extremely sick people are being pushed through the streets on gurneys and wheelchairs, IV poles and all. The exploitation of illness and desperation in Lourdes is right out there in the open, and quite shocking and sad. That people are encouraged to respect this is no more appealing.

When I travel, I'm not only interested in beauty. I'm always interested in the local modern culture as well. But Lourdes ranks high on my list of the most disgusting places I've ever seen -- not because I can't look at illness or injury, but because seeing other people trying to profit from it, monetarily or emotionally, was just as depressing, if not more so.

zeppole

I should mention I only drove through the town on my way to another destination. Not only is the hospital architecture of the town ugly, but seeing sick person after sick person being wheeled on beds to the grotto, and then the stores with religious souvenir crap crowding the sidewalks, I couldn't wait to not have it in my face anymore. This is really exploitation of people, not their hopes, but their fears.

Carlux

Well, I'm another person who hates Lourdes, and I don't think it's because I'm anti-religious. I was raised a Catholic, and feel that most of Lourdes consist of the most UN-religious atmosphere I've ever come across. I'd much rather sit in a quiet Romanesque church with the sun streaming in than anywhere in Lourdes.

Dukey

You know, Carlux and Zeppole, I can completely appreciate your feelings about Lourdes..however those "feelings" IN NO WAY WHATSOEVER served to help the OP who was seeking advice about the place, how to get around, places to stay, etc.

OK, so neither of you like the place..we GET it, OK?

tribi

Thank you all for your honest opinion.

tribi

Can someone also give me suggestions and ideas about the Pyrenees where would be a nice area to stay overnight.


thanks

iberiantraveler

The only problem with Lourdes is that it is hot and humid in the summer. I thought I would die when we where there in July several years ago, but we did manage to make it up the hill to a nice, air-conditioned, Moroccan restaurant where we took shelter and had an excellent lunch while we slowly recovered.

As far as a place to stay in the Pyrénées, I can suggest something in or around Pau. It's close, but not too close.

There is also the Chateau de Meracq (www.chateau-meracq.com/). For something a little more reasonable there is the Hotel Le Miramont, Orincles or the Hotel Au Primerose, Argelès Gazost.