Lourdes is one of the most famous Catholic pilgrimage sites in Europe. Millions of visitors and pilgrims flock to the city every year to visit its shrines. The city is located in the foothills of the Pyrenees and is therefore a well-located base for heading into the mountains to attractions such as Pic du Midi de Bigorre, the Pyrenees National Park and the Cirque de Gavarnie.

There is a direct night train from Paris to Lourdes. The city is one of the stops on the night train line between Paris and Tarbes.