They can prepare in a practical manner, like packing, ensuring they have everything they need to travel etc. They can prepare spiritually too, by praying or spending some time with others they may be travelling with to pray together.
An airport is located close to Lourdes for international visitors, but people come by all modes of transport.
Yes, people are allowed to smoke in Lourdes.
Easter is the big annual HCPT pilgrimage to Lourdes.
It is mainly Catholics, but anyone can go and many people who are not Catholic go to Lourdes too.
they help people with problems
There is an airport near Lourdes, so many people fly to it and are then brought to Lourdes by bus. People also go other ways, depending on where they are coming from. They could drive, or go by bus or train. So there are many ways of getting to Lourdes.
As with any place that attracts millions of visitors, there is a lot of commercialism in Lourdes. People do want to buy souvenirs from Lourdes and other practical items and local people need to make a living, so the commercialism serves a function. The most important features of Lourdes is within the area known as the Domain, where the churches and the grotto are and it is free of commercialism. The commercialism does not stop people going to Lourdes. Some people may not like it, but even for them, it does not stop them doing what they have come to Lourdes to do as part of their pilgrimages.
All kinds of people go to Lourdes, beginning with the desperately ill. Many, many people over the years have found healing at Lourdes, as promised by Our Blessed Lady. Many of them haven't even been religious when they went to Lourdes, some of them were just desperate enough to try anything, but they mostly come back from Lourdes profoundly changed. God always heals people at Lourdes, not necessarily physically, but healing is always found. Some people are just pilgrims or devout servants of the Blessed Virgin. Many just come to pray.
Outside of all of the things associated with the pilgrimages, there are many other things in and around of Lourdes. The town is at the foot of the Pyrenees mountains and they are a great attraction. People go skiing in them in winter. Gavarnie is a beautiful place near Lourdes. The river that flows through Lourdes is the river Gave, and it rises in Gavarnie. Many people visit Gavarnie. There is also the Lake of Lourdes that people visit, which is close to the town. There is a golf course close to Lourdes and also a rugby stadium.
Ill people go to Lourdes or if people have disabilities e.g. if someone was blind they would go to Lourdes to get their eyesyght back. Not everyone can get cured by going to Lourdes. Mainly the Roman Catholics but Methodists, Anglicans, Baptists and Presbyterians do too. Anybody is allowed to go but it is a place of pilgrimage so mostly religious people visit there
There is an airport near Lourdes which people fly to. See the link below:
anyone and not a general group of people
The Basilica of Lourdes Lourdes Castle Lourdes Spring