The Artouste Train

Presentation

Take to the skies! Open from 18 May to 1 October 2023

Tickets on sale at the Ossau Valley Tourist Office.

Excursion Discovery Ticket

Gondola + Train return with 1h20 stop on site in high season (3h30 minimum) and 1h40 stop in low season.

The cable car departs from Lac de Fabrèges (1250m) and takes you to the train station (1950 m) in 15 minutes.
Train journey: 55 min outward journey and 55 min return journey
Stopping time 1h20 or 1h40 depending on the season, including the walk along the footpath to Lac d'Artouste: 30 min round trip
15-minute cable car descent for the return journey

High season (9 July to 28 August).
From 9am to 5pm with a train departure every half hour

Low Season (18 May to 8 July and 29 August to 1 October).
From 10am to 3pm with a train departure every hour

Adults: €27
Children aged 4 to 12: €19
Family 1 adult + 2 children: €60
Family 2 adults + 2 children: €84
Children aged 3ᵉ and over: €15 extra per child

And, to complete the day:

At the top of the cable car, walk to the Pic de la Sagette orientation table to enjoy a beautiful viewpoint (1h30 AR)

Excursion Escapade Ticket

For hikers wishing to spend a day in the mountains or for those wishing to extend their stopover at Lac d'Artouste
Gondola + Train Return (Extended stopover at Lac d'Artouste or full day)

The cable car from Lac de Fabrèges (1250 m) takes you to the train station (1950 m) in 15 minutes.
Train journey: 55 min outward journey and 55 min return journey
15 min return with cable car
High season (9 July to 28 August)
Departures at 8.30am then every hour with the Trains from 9am to 4pm (except 11am) / return at 7.15pm

Low Season (18 May to 8 July and 29 August to 1ᵉʳ October)
Departures with the Train at 10am, 12pm, 1pm and 2pm / return at 5.45pm

Adults: €33
Children aged 4 to 12: €29

Excursion Camper ticket

To spend a night in the mountains
Gondola lift + Train outward journey and return train the next day or D + 2

Departures possible on all trains.

Returns at specific times:

High season (9 July to 28 August): returns on trains at 10.15 or 10.45 a.m.
Low season (from 18 May to 8 July and from 29 August to 1ᵉʳ October): returns on trains at 11.15am.

Fares :

Adults: €34
Children aged 4 to 12: €30

Excursion One-way ticket

Gondola lift + Train outward OR return

High Season (9 July to 28 August).
From 9am to 5pm with a train departure every half hour

Low Season (18 May to 8 July and 29 August to 1ᵉʳ October).
From 10am to 3pm with a train departure every hour

Adults: €23
Children aged 4 to 12: €13

(Return tickets can only be purchased at Gare du Lac)

The Artouste Train, an unforgettable experience

Would you like to get some height?

Take an open-air tour of the Upper Ossau Valley?
Then take the Artouste train! It's an ideal outing, whether you're with family, friends, 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 covers 10 km at an altitude of 2,000 m, on the side of a mountain - a truly astonishing excursion! The route takes in the breathtaking scenery along the Soussoueou valley, rich in flora and fauna. The lucky ones will be able to get close to marmots.

From the village of Fabrèges, take the Sagette cable car (10 mins).
It takes us from an altitude of 1250 m to 2000 m and offers an exceptional panorama, with the Pic du Midi d'Ossau in the line of sight.
On arrival, we boarded the train and set off on a 55-minute excursion along the 10 km of track on the mountainside.
Once at the Lac station, it's a 20-minute walk to Lac d'Artouste.

The Train and its history

Before 1914, the Compagnie des chemins de fer du Midi designed a programme to build hydroelectric plants to electrify its Pyrenean rail network.
In 1920, to facilitate construction work on the dam at Lac d'Artouste in the Ossau valley, the company laid a construction railway from La Sagette.
For 8 years, the Artouste train carried men, equipment, fuel and materials, in particular the tonnes of cement needed.

Our advice:

To help you get the most out of your day, tourist information offices sell tickets over the counter during busy periods. No reductions can be applied.
You are going into the mountains at an altitude of 2,000 m, and the weather can be changeable, so make sure you bring: a hat, sunglasses, sun protection, closed-toe shoes, warm clothing and a mackintosh.
This excursion is not recommended for children under one year of age, because of the rapid ascent by gondola, 800 m of ascent in 10 minutes.
For young children, remember to give them something to drink on the way up and down the gondola to soothe their sensitive ears.
Dogs are welcome free of charge, but must be kept on a lead during the excursion.
Please respect the National Park regulations on the Lac d'Artouste site.