Travel days and assistance needs should be allowed for separately. Tarbes-Lourdes-Pyrénées airport is about 10 km away, Toulouse about 2 hours, and the direct TGV from Paris takes about 4.5 to 5 hours. Rushing between ceremonies can undermine the very rest and attention the visit was meant to provide.
Lourdes · YOUR QUESTION, ANSWERED
How many days should I spend in Lourdes?
Two or three full days is a useful starting point for the Grotto, worship, the Water Gesture, and time without a fixed activity. That is enough to attend both daily processions (about 5:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. in season) and one International Mass, held Wednesdays and Sundays in season. A longer stay can suit someone accompanying a sick pilgrim or seeking a retreat rhythm.
Related questions, answered
How close should I stay to the Lourdes sanctuary?
Stay within 500 m of the sanctuary gates, ideally on the Boulevard de la Grotte, Avenue Bernadette Soubirous, or the streets around St. Joseph's Gate, so that the 9:00 p.m. torchlight procession, early Masses at the Grotto, and the baths are reachable on foot without the hill climb to the upper town. Lourdes station is about 1.5 km above the Grotto, and hotels near it mean a steep walk back after the procession. Most hotels within the lower town are within 10 minutes of the Grotto; for pilgrims using a wheelchair or voiture, the hotels on the flat ground along the Gave river are best.
Sources & further readingSanctuary of Lourdes: official site
Official sources cover institutional information. Suggested pacing and itinerary choices are planning guidance. Check current arrangements for your travel dates.