Pilgrimage

• October 20: Mass at St. Peter’s Basilica. Explore Vatican Museums
and Sistine Chapel.

If your trip is this year, October 20th is a Sunday. With the exception of shortened hours/free entry the last Sunday of most months, the museums are closed on Sundays.

• October 26: Explore Notre-Dame Cathedral

As well, if your trip is this year, the interior of cathedral will still be closed for repairs in October.

The train route from Lourdes to Zaragoza which works for you is via Toulouse and Narbonne- departs 0629 arrives at Zaragoza at 1422- the third train is a through train from Narbonne (France) to Zaragoza (a Marseilles to Madrid train).

That leaves a few hours to visit the Basilica of Our Lady of the Pillar, then the evening for the old town.

Neither via Canfranc or Hendaye works to give any time in the City.

The previous version where you went from Lourdes to Italy then back to Zaragoza then Portugal flowed a lot more smoothly.

The previous version where you went from Lourdes to Italy then back to Zaragoza then Portugal flowed a lot more smoothly.

I am considering taking out Zaragoza entirely. Asides Our Lady of the Pillar, are there other places I can visit and since the purpose of the trip is a pilgrimage, it seems like an overkill now.

I think I’ll stick to Lourdes/Fatima/Assisi/Padua/Rome. If there’s sometime thereafter, I can visit Madrid or Barcelona from Rome before returning to Paris.

Thoughts????

If your trip is this year, October 20th is a Sunday. With the exception of shortened hours/free entry the last Sunday of most months, the museum are closed on Sundays.

Yes my trip is on Sunday, I will make changes so I can visit the museum another time.
It’s sad I can’t visit the Notre Dame Cathedral. Maybe some other time

Personally, as this is a Pilgrimage I think it would be a shame to remove Zaragoza- the 2nd most important pilgrimage centre in Spain. We now have a train which works to get you there.

In fact you could even tweak this by a day to add the hugely important pilgrimage centre of Santiago de Compostela. On 16 October take the 0800 direct 3 hour train ride to Santiago de Compostela. That is faster than a flight on Iberia or Ryanair city centre to city centre.

Then on 17 October the 0611 train to Tomar or Lisbon (for Fatima) via Vigo and Porto- arriving Lisbon at 1352.

I've tried hard to find a flight for that journey but can't.

That would push the whole of Italy out by one day. I assume there is daily mass at St Peter's Basilica in Rome- if so that would allow you to visit the Sistine Chapel and the Vatican Museums and attend mass on 21 October.

EDIT- Mass is celebrated at 7, 8.30, 9, 10, 11 and 12 noon, also 5pm and 6pm, with Adoration in the Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament daily from 9am to 6.45pm). I imagine the 7am Mass, before the Basilica opens for the day, will be particularly special.

Ideally you would leave Paris now on 28 October (a day late). But if not you would have to defer the Louvre until your later trip for Notre Dame- which reopens a few short weeks after your visit

As the flight to Lagos does not leave Paris until 1515, if you still have to fly back on 27 October, then you would have a few hours on 27 October to explore the Latin quarter.

This is your pilgrimage, not mine, but to me personally having gone all that way that would be my choice.

I'm (very high Church) Protestant but Santiago is as relevant to me (not least being a Parishioner of a Church dedicated to St James the Great) as it is to a Roman Catholic.

@isn31c, thank you for your updates. Really appreciate the support and insights.

In fact you could even tweak this by a day to add the hugely important pilgrimage centre of Santiago de Compostela. On 16 October take the 0800 direct 3 hour train ride to Santiago de Compostela. That is faster than a flight on Iberia or Ryanair city centre to city centre. Then on 17 October the 0611 train to Tomar or Lisbon (for Fatima) via Vigo and Porto- arriving Lisbon at 1352.

I would definitely consider taking the trip to visit this and clears up the day in France since the Notre-Dame Cathedral is closed for repairs

...your later trip for Notre Dame- which reopens a few short weeks
after your visit

Interesting subject, that one. I'm seeing a re-opening date of Dec. 8th on various websites but no firm date on the cathedral's own website that I've been able to find. Did I overlook it? This letter (https://dioceseparis.fr/lettre-pastorale-de-mgr-laurent-61892.html) from the Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Paris does mention that Dec. 8th date but also that there are various ceremonies scheduled for the first days. Notre Dame's website states that, "The reopening event will be detailed in the fall of 2024." and...

"15 million annual visitors are expected, presenting a real challenge to welcome pilgrims and visitors. A digital device for booking free access slots to the cathedral will be set up as soon as it reopens, even if entry will remain possible without reservation. During the first six months, until Pentecost 2025, access will be reserved for individual visitors and faithful, with groups only being able to enter after this period. New mediation devices will be developed with particular attention to accessibility, including a new signage device, a "visiting companion" mobile application, editions, guides and catalogs, as well as nearly 500 volunteers to welcome visitors."

https://www.notredamedeparis.fr/notre-dame-vers-la-reouverture/

Anyway, I'm sure Lumen and others would appreciate any firm details helpful for planning upcoming pilgrimages/visits. I'm interested too if only because of following the impressive progress for the past 5 years! Luman, however your plans end up, I hope you have a peaceful and joyous spiritual journey along with the physical one!

Having announced a date for the re-opening of Notre Dame (and having not apparently not updated it to anything else in the intervening 6 months) I am sure that everyone is doing their absolute utmost to meet that date.

8 December was apparently chosen specifically for it's significance as the Feast of the Immaculate Conception (apparently not translated to 9 December in France, in deference to it being the Second Sunday of Advent, as it would be in the UK under the rules of Ritual Notes) so it would be a pretty big decision to now defer it.

I am sure our French colleagues on the forum, with their on the spot knowledge, will update in due course if there is any change and with detailed visiting arrangements. Good for them in only allowing individual and pilgrim visits in the opening months, and not groups.

You missed Santiago de Compostela!!!

Regarding the re-opening date of the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, 8 December 2024 was confirmed on the Cathedral's facebook page on 30 August (post timed at 11.30am), when the 100 day countdown was started.

Ticketing arrangements will be advised in due course.

Two thoughts about logistics - It might be nice to stay in convents in Italy, had you considered it? (some book directly, others have used monasteries.com). https://www.monasteries.com/

And hopefully you're booking some of these tickets in advanced, for example in Rome -
• October 19: Fly to Rome. Visit the Colosseum, Roman Forum, and Palatine Hill. I seem to recall there's a combo ticket, should be lots on the Forum about how to book it.
• October 20: Mass at St. Peter’s Basilica. Explore Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel.
• October 21: Visit major Basilicas and Catacombs in Rome - This is a matter of timing, check on basilicas opening hours, catacombs are mostly outside downtown, perhaps a tour?

Lumen,
In 1998 we stayed in a convent in Rome. It was comfortable, clean, plain, with a simple breakfast. Located near the Spanish steps, so convenient. It did have a curfew of 9 or 10 o'clock, however, so the late evening Roman dinners were out for us. In 1998 we weren't concerned about WiFi, so if you need it, or a TV, etc., you might want to inquire about that. They price was very cheap for Rome. We were with our young adult children so needed two rooms, and it was quite a money-saver. We paid for parking in a garage about a block away.
Best of luck!