Les Incontournables
The Artouste Train
Presentation
Take to the skies! Open from 8 May to 5 October 2025
Open on public holidays, Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays in May.
Every day from 1 June to 5 October 2025.
The Artouste Train, an unforgettable experience
Enjoy a unique adventure aboard the little Artouste train in the heart of magnificent landscapes
Want to get up high?
Ready for an open-air tour to discover the heights of the Ossau Valley?
Climb aboard Europe's highest narrow-gauge train for an extraordinary journey! Along the cliffside, travel through the Ossau mountains at an altitude of nearly 2,000 metres and cross spectacular landscapes throughout your excursion.
An ideal outing, whether you're with family, friends, as a couple or even on your own.
The Artouste train is accessible from the village of Laruns, 20 km away, or from the Col du Pourtalet. It travels 10 km at an altitude of 2,000 metres, along the mountainside, for a truly amazing excursion! It offers magnificent landscapes throughout the Soussoueou valley, rich in flora and fauna. The luckiest visitors may even get a glimpse of marmots.
Tickets are on sale at the Ossau Valley Tourist Office.
How to take the Artouste train?
From Laruns, take the road towards Artouste station (about 45 minutes by car).
From the village of Fabrèges, take the Sagette cable car (10 to 15 minutes).
It will take you from an altitude of 1,250 metres to 2,000 metres, where you can admire an exceptional panorama with the Pic du Midi d'Ossau in your line of sight.
Please note: The train time selected at the time of purchase corresponds to the train's departure time.
To arrive on time for the train, we recommend that you arrive 45 minutes before the cable car departs.
At the top of the cable car, board the train and set off on a 55-minute journey along 10 km of track on the mountainside.
Once you arrive at Lac station, it is a 20-minute walk to Lac d'Artouste.
Our tickets
Discovery Ticket Excursion
Cable car + return train journey with a 1 hour 20 minute stop at the site in high season (minimum 3 hours 30 minutes) and a 1 hour 40 minute stop in low season.
The cable car departs from Lake Fabrèges (1,250 m) and takes you to the train station (1,950 m) in 15 minutes.
Train journey: 55 minutes each way.
Stopover: 1 hour 20 minutes or 1 hour 40 minutes depending on the season, including the walk along the trail to Lake Artouste: 30 minutes' walk there and back.
Return journey by cable car: 15 minutes.
High season (5 July to 31 August)
From 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. with trains departing every half hour.
Low season (8 May to 4 July and 1 September to 5 October)
Trains depart every hour:
- 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on weekdays
- 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on weekends
- Adults: €28
- Children aged 4 to 12: €20
- Children under 4: free (proof of age required)
- Family 1 adult + 2 children: €63
- Family 2 adults + 2 children: £88
- From the 3rd child onwards: €16 extra per child
Please note:
We recommend arriving at the car park 45 minutes (low season) or 1 hour (high season) before your train departure time.
Dogs are allowed on a leash at no extra charge.
And to round off the day:
At the top of the cable car, take a walk to the Pic de la Sagette orientation table to enjoy a beautiful view (1.5 hours round trip).
Escapade Ticket Excursion
For hikers who want to spend a day in the mountains or for those who want to extend their stop at Lake Artouste.
Cable car + Return train (Extended stop at Lake Artouste or full day)
The cable car from Lake Fabrèges (1,250 m) takes you to the train station (1,950 m) in 15 minutes.
Train journey: 55 minutes each way.
Return journey by cable car: 15 minutes.
High season (5 July to 31 August)
Train departures at 9 a.m., 10 a.m., 12 p.m., 1 p.m., 2 p.m., 3 p.m. and 4 p.m. / return only at 7.15 p.m. from 5 July to 31 August.
Low season (8 May to 4 July and 1 September to 5 October)
Departures by train at 10 a.m., 12 p.m., 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. / return only at 4:45 p.m. on weekdays and 5:45 p.m. on weekends
- Adults: €34
- Children aged 4 to 12: €30
Camper ticket excursion
For spending a night in the mountains
Gondola lift + Train ticket for the outward journey and return journey the next day or two days later.
Departures possible on all trains.
Return journeys at specific times:
- High season (5 July to 31 August): return journeys on trains at 10.15am or 10.45am
- Low season (8 May to 4 July and 1 September to 5 October): return on the 12:45 train
Prices:
- Adult: €35
- Children aged 4 to 12: €31
Please note: The Arrémoulit refuge is currently undergoing renovation work. It is therefore closed until further notice.
The refuge's water supply is also unavailable.
Excursion Single or return ticket
Cable car + train one way OR return
High season (5 July to 31 August).
From 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. with trains departing every half hour
Low season (8 May to 4 July and 1 September to 5 October).
From 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. with trains departing every hour
- Adults: €24
- Children aged 4 to 12: €14
(Return tickets can only be purchased at Lac station)
The Train and its History
Before 1914, the Compagnie des Chemins de Fer du Midi (Southern Railway Company) developed a programme to build hydroelectric power stations to electrify its Pyrenean railway network.
In 1920, on the site of the Ossau Valley, to facilitate the construction of the Artouste Lake dam, the company laid a construction railway from La Sagette.
For eight years, the Artouste train transported men, equipment, fuel and materials, including the tonnes of cement required.
In 1924, a service cable car was built on the slopes of Pic de la Sagette and a single 50 cm gauge railway track was laid. The railway company used its ten kilometres of narrow gauge track, intended purely for industrial use, to transport men and
equipment to the Lake Artouste dam construction site.
The company was looking for a new source of energy and decided to exploit the hydraulic resources of the Ossau Valley. To transform the power of water into electricity, it was necessary to create water reserves and pipelines connecting the high-altitude lakes to the power stations in the Ossau Valley.
Thousands of men worked for eight years digging underground tunnels and building the dam. Thousands of men worked for eight years digging underground tunnels and building the dam.
Today, Lake Artouste holds 24 million cubic metres of water, and the hydroelectric power stations in the Ossau Valley generate electricity for Engie.
Since 1932, the Artouste site has been open to the public and the little train carries thousands of passengers every summer.
Our advice:
- To help you plan your day, tourist information offices sell tickets at the counter during busy periods. No discounts are available.
- You will be travelling to an altitude of 2,000 metres, where the weather can be changeable, so please bring: a hat, sunglasses, sun cream, closed shoes, warm and waterproof clothing.
- This excursion is not recommended for children under one year old, due to the rapid ascent in the cable car, which covers 800 metres in 10 minutes.
- For young children, remember to give them something to drink during the ascent and descent in the cable car to help their sensitive ears equalise.
- Dogs are welcome free of charge, but must be kept on a lead during the excursion.
- Please respect the National Park regulations at the Artouste Lake site.