Lourdes Tarbes Airport Arrivals (LDE)

Lourdes is one of the French airports which provide an important gateway to the wonderful mountains of the country, which are famous for their superb ski resorts and other popular winter events. It lies at the foot of the Pyrenees Mountains, and although a smaller airport of France, it handles over 400,000 passengers per year, many of which are international visitors. The airport is found halfway between the two cities of Lourdes and Tarbes, which are both popular for their wide variety of attractions, especially in terms of religion. The Lourdes arrivals hall is well organised and equipped for its passengers, and flights are offered to the airport from several local and international destinations. Arriving passengers have a few options for transport as well.

Lourdes Airport is located approximately 9km, or 6 miles south-southwest of Tarbes, and approximately 10km to the north of Lourdes. The airport serves these two cities, as well as a number of other towns in the Hautes-Pyrenees department of the country. It is found in the small town of Ossun, and therefore can be referred to as the Tarbes Ossun Airport, or as the Tarbes Lourdes Pyrenees Airport, and has the official airport code of LDE. The airport is particularly nearby the smaller areas of Juillan, Louey and Lanne, and the larger areas of Pontacq, Bagnères-de-Bigorre and Lannemezan. On a larger scale, the airport can be described as east of the coastal resorts of Bayonne and Biarritz, to the west of Montpellier, Beziers, Narbonne, Carcassonne and Toulouse, and to the south of Bordeaux, Agen and Bergerac. Toulouse and Bayonne are about 150km from the airport, a ninety minute drive, and Pau is about 40km away, about a twenty-five drive.

The airport is well connected for its arriving passengers to the nearby towns and cities, as well as to the railway stations of Lourdes and Tarbes, the ski resorts and other major cities in the region. Arriving passengers will find the bus stop just outside of the airport, from where the local bus No. 2 is available for transport to many of the nearby towns, and to the train stations of Lourdes and Tarbes, from where the country’s excellent railway services are available. High-speed TGV trains travel to Paris on a daily basis, and long-distance trains go to Pau, Bayonne, Hendaye and Toulouse. TER trains are available, as well as night trains. In the winter, ski shuttles take passengers to the resorts in the area, and throughout the year, coach services may be available to travel longer distances. Outside of the arrival area, there is a taxi rank, from where taxis are almost always available. Taxis can take travellers to all nearby areas, but will be more expensive than the bus services.

Within the arrival area there are also car hire companies available, such as Hertz, Avis, Auto Europa, National and Europcar. They are all internationally recognised companies, offering competitive car rental rates and high quality vehicles for hire. From these companies, passengers can arrange the rental of child seats or satellite navigation systems, take the option of a one way hire or organise hand control equipment for disabled drivers. The road network surrounding Lourdes Airport is very good, and in a rented car all the nearby towns and cities can easily be reached. The main road of the airport is the N21 leading to both Lourdes and Tarbes, and it is also linked to the A64, for access to Pau, Orthez, Bayonne and Biarritz, and to Toulouse and other areas further east, such as Carcassonne, Narbonne and Montpellier. All the major attractions of the area are best travelled by car as well.

The terminal building is 15,000 square meters, and the arrival area is on the ground floor, while boarding procedures take place from the upper level. The airport has a restaurant and two bars, as well as airport shops and a duty-free store. Business passengers can benefit from a number of facilities, for example, meeting rooms, welcome services and a VIP lounge. The concierge service includes everything from dry-cleaning to the offering of flower bouquets and limousine hires. Catering and various items of equipment can be arranged for meetings and other functions. There are also general and tourist information desks, ATMs, WiFi services and a mailbox. The terminal has various facilities to ensure the comfort of persons with reduced mobility challenges, for example, suitable toilet facilities, ramps and lifts and lowered desks and payphones. Assistance can be organised with your airline company prior to your departure flight to Lourdes Airport.

The airline companies present at the airport include Air France (operated by Brit Air), TNT Airways, Jetairfly, Ryanair, Thomas Cook Airlines Belgium and Meridiana Fly, and some of their destinations include Brussels, Paris, Bergamo, London-Stansted and Rome-Fiumicino. There are also many charter airline companies with flights to and from Lourdes. The airport’s passengers are mostly international.

Arriving passengers can choose from a wide variety of hotels in the nearby cities, especially in Lourdes, as it is the second largest town in France in regards to the number of hotels available. The city is famous for its spirituality, and around 6 million people have gathered here each year since the vision of the Virgin Mary appeared to Bernadette Soubirous in 1858.

Live Lourdes arrival flights can be viewed on various online websites, including on the airport’s official site.