Hi, We wanted to visit Lourdes, France on the first week of July. Lisbon will be our home base and we plan to fly from Lisbon to Lourdes instead of taking the train as it might be a little shorter time.I just did a quick check and flights from Lisbon to Lourdes seems to cost more than $500 per person. I thought I read about flying to Toulouse and then taking the train. Has anyone tried this? Thanks.
Posted by
London, United Kingdom
4684 posts
Train links between Portugal and other countries are very poor so it is best to fly. Ryanair and TAP both fly from Portugal to Toulouse (these are budget airlines so be very sure you understand baggage restrictions and rules re what boarding passes are acceptable). There are frequent bus services between the airport and the main railway station in Toulouse.
Train times from Toulouse to Lourdes are variable - from one and a half hours to over three depending on what time you arrive at Toulouse. You can book cheap tickets in advance but I would pay full price on arrival as advance fare tickets can only be used on a specific train, and you will have to pay full fare if the flight is delayed and you miss it. Alternatively you can spend the night in Toulouse and book a cheap advance ticket for the morning train the following day.
Posted by
OP
san Francisco
733 posts
Thanks a lot Philip. Another 2 options we are thinking of is to fly to Paris and spend 2 days there and take train to Lourdes or to fly to Madrid (2 days there) then to Lourdes. This is to add another city to visit.