How to Get to Grand Tourmalet
Practical guide to getting there and getting around
Welcome to Grand Tourmalet, the largest ski area in the French Pyrenees! Linking the Barèges and La Mongie sides of the mountain beneath the legendary Pic du Midi, it offers spectacular scenery and a choice of easy ways to get here.
Taking the train to Grand Tourmalet is a great way to start your holiday feeling relaxed, while enjoying the scenery as the landscape rises towards the high peaks of the Pyrenees. Your main rail connection is Tarbes train station, served by TGV and Intercités services, although you can also travel via Lourdes train station.
Let the Grand Tourmalet Skibus Take You to the Slopes
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Find the Skibus that runs near you and let it take you all the way up to the mountains!
Driving to Grand Tourmalet is an easy way to explore the beautiful Bigorre valleys at your own pace. The resort is easily accessible from the A64 motorway, with the best exit depending on where you’re staying. Take exit 12 (Tarbes Ouest) for Barèges, via Argelès-Gazost, or exit 14 (Tournay) for La Mongie, via Bagnères-de-Bigorre.
Grand Tourmalet has two separate road access points, which are not connected during the winter as the Tourmalet Pass is closed.
- To get to Barèges: from the A64, take exit 12 (Tarbes Ouest) and follow signs for Lourdes, Argelès-Gazost and Luz-Saint-Sauveur.
- To get to La Mongie: from the A64, take exit 14 (Tournay) or exit 13 (Tarbes Est) and follow signs for Bagnères-de-Bigorre and Campan.
- In La Mongie: there are several free outdoor car parks throughout the resort (P1 to P4), as well as a paid covered car park (Parking du Tremplin) in the heart of the resort.
- In Barèges: you can park in the village or at the large free Tournaboup car park, 4 km above the village and right at the foot of the slopes.
Yes. Under the Mountain Law, from 1 November to 31 March, vehicles must be fitted with 4 winter tyres or carry snow chains or snow socks in the vehicle to access both Barèges and La Mongie.
Throughout the ski season, free shuttles run regularly between the centre of Barèges and Tournaboup, where the slopes begin. So you can leave your car in the village and take the shuttle up to the ski area.
Yes. Dedicated Skibus services operate during the winter, connecting La Mongie with Tarbes and Bagnères-de-Bigorre, and Barèges with Lourdes and Pierrefitte-Nestalas.
The main railway station is Tarbes, served by TGV and Intercités trains. Lourdes is also a convenient option, particularly if you're heading to the Barèges side.
Once you arrive at Tarbes or Lourdes station, you can continue your journey by regular coach services operated by the Occitanie regional transport network. These connections take you directly to the resort towns: Bagnères-de-Bigorre / La Mongie on one side, and Luz-Saint-Sauveur / Barèges on the other.
No. The Col de Tourmalet, which connects Barèges and La Mongie by road, is closed to traffic throughout the winter due to snow. In fact, the road becomes a ski slope!
The two sides of the ski area are connected on skis, thanks to the linked ski area. By road, you'll need to take a detour through the valley, which takes more than an hour and a quarter.