Different places, different contexts
Lourdes is closely associated with St. Bernadette, who reported 18 apparitions between February 11 and July 16, 1858, and with care for the sick; its feast on February 11 is the World Day of the Sick. Fátima centers on the three shepherd children, the six apparitions of May 13 to October 13, 1917, and an invitation to prayer and peace. Guadalupe, with the tilma image from December 1531, carries a particular place in the Catholic life of the Americas and draws several million pilgrims each December 12. Learn the shrine's own account before choosing.
Keep worship central
A Marian pilgrimage can include Mass, confession, the Rosary, and personal prayer. Each major shrine has a daily rhythm to build around: the 9:00 p.m. torchlight procession at Lourdes in season, the daily Rosary at Fátima's Chapel of the Apparitions, and Masses throughout the day at Guadalupe from about 6:00 a.m. The trip should explain how devotion relates to the wider life of the Church. Extraordinary claims and promises of healing are not a substitute for a coherent spiritual program.
Combine shrines carefully
A multi-shrine route introduces transfers and changes of base. Fátima and Lourdes are roughly 900 km apart by road (9–10 hours of driving), with no direct train; air connections usually route through Lisbon or Porto. A combined 9–10 day Fátima and Lourdes pilgrimage from the U.S. commonly costs $4,000–$6,000 per person sharing. Visiting fewer places with more time can better serve the intention than completing a large geographical circuit.