BAGNÈRES-DE-BIGORRE, nearly equidistant from Tarbes and Lourdes, is yet another Pyrenean spa town trying with mixed success to refurbish its somewhat faded image, but not a place to make a special stop.It's served by frequent SNCF buses from Tarbes, which call at the disused gare SNCF on avenue de Belgique, 400m north of the town centre. The tourist office is at 3 allée Tournefort (daily: July & Aug Mon–Sat 9am–12.30pm & 2–7pm, Sun 9am–noon & 2–6pm; Sept–Oct Mon–Sat 9am–12.15pm & 2–5.30pm; tel 05.62.95.50.71), close to the leafy allées des Coustous, the main drag, lined with pavement sidewalk cafés. Hotels facing the spa tend to be overpriced, though the best of the budget options is Les Petites Vosges at 17 bd Carnot near the casino (tel 05.62.95.28.31; under €30), unchanged since World War II, but with showers in the pricier rooms. Otherwise, the quietest area is just north of the halles, itself 200m northwest of the tourist office, on rue de l'Horloge, where you'll find the old-fashioned Hôtel l'Horloge at no. 3bis (tel 05.62.91.00.20; €30–40; closed Dec–Feb), and the similar Hôtel de Nice at no. 17 (tel 05.62.95.04.65; under €30; closed Nov–April). Restaurants aren't Bagnères' strong point: try Le Bigourdan (closed Mon) at 14 rue Victor-Hugo, corner rue de l'Horloge, with a great variety of menus (from €8, available lunch only), or next door at no. 12, the Crêperie d' l'Horloge for a range of plats du jour for under €10, plus of course crêpes to eat in or take away.
Pages in section ‘Bagnères’: Skiing and hiking around Barèges, Vallée de Campan.
Alternate spellings:: France, Bagnères, Bagnères, Bagneres
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