Cauterets is conveniently situated near to Pau airport and is also within easy reach of Toulouse, Carsassone and Biarritz airports. All four of these are served by either Ryanair or Easyjet from several UK airports and then it is just a case of hiring a car, taking a taxi or travelling by public train or bus service to reach Cauterets. If flying in to Pau the best transfer option is a taxi at a cost of around €120 for up to six people and the 50 mile journey takes around an hour and a quarter. It is possible to keep the cost down from Toulouse airport (120 miles away) by making use of the public transport services. The shuttle bus from the airport will drop you at the station where you can take a one hour train ride to Lourdes followed by a one hour bus ride from Lourdes to Cauterets.
- Pau to Cauterets 93km, transfer time around 1.25hrs
- Toulouse to Cauterets 206km, transfer time just over 2hrs
- Carcassone to Cauterets 286km, transfer time around 2.75hrs
- Biarritz to Cauterets 198km, transfer time just over 2hrs
A more eco friend way to travel is to take the train from Paris (via Eurostar from London) to Lourdes where you can pick up the aforementioned bus service. The total journey from the UK should take about 9 hours. Self-driving is an option but you should prepare for at least an 11 hour drive from Calais. It is worth investigating the longer overnight ferry crossings to more southerly ports such as St Malo to cut the driving time by a couple of hours. Carry a warning triangle, spare light bulbs, flash light and a first aid box. And don’t forget the snow chains!
