From Milan, parish pilgrimages are almost always trips of several days. A coach pilgrimage to Lourdes, to Medjugorje or to Loreto raises the same three questions that the organiser needs to settle before collecting payments: how many hours the driver can drive, where to stop overnight along the way and what the shrine asks of arriving groups.
Since September 2025 we have worked from an operating base in Lainate, on the edge of Milan, with our own vehicles, all Euro 6. From there we handle bus and coach hire in Milan for every type of service; here we focus on long religious trips, where a badly written programme is paid for in hours of waiting or in days that are too tiring for older pilgrims.
Driving hours and breaks: the limit that shapes the programme
The first constraint is not distance but the driver’s working hours. The European regulation on driving and rest times states that daily driving must not exceed 9 hours, extendable to 10 no more than twice a week, and that after 4 and a half hours of driving there must be a break of at least 45 minutes, which can be split into two parts. The rules are summarised in the EUR-Lex factsheet on driving and rest periods.
This means a trip to Lourdes or Medjugorje has to be built in stages, with the breaks set in the programme rather than decided on the road. For the longest legs we arrange driving shifts within the legal limits: if your programme requires it, we state it in the quote. The rules on how many hours a coach driver can drive, including rest periods, determine the length of each stage.
Compulsory breaks are also an advantage for the group. A 45-minute stop at a motorway service area is the right moment for a packed lunch or a time of prayer, and the parish priest can plan it that way from the start.
Lourdes by coach: registering with the Sanctuary and coach parking
The Sanctuary of Lourdes asks groups to register before arrival, so that it can allocate times for Masses, processions and prayer spaces. Registration is free, with a voluntary donation requested for the services, and from the 2026 season it goes through an online platform, as the Sanctuary’s page on organising a pilgrimage explains. For the coach, the times the sanctuary gives you become our driver’s timetable.
In Lourdes the town council directs tour coaches to the Arrouza car park, on avenue Monseigneur Rodhain, with 80 spaces reserved for coaches. The coach drops the group at the hotel and then moves to the parking area; during the stay the group walks between hotel and sanctuary, and the vehicle is used for any excursion and for the return journey.
The journey to the Pyrenees crosses southern France and, with a single driver, normally includes one overnight stop on the way out and one on the way back. The driver’s overnight accommodation is shown separately in the quote, as are tolls.
Medjugorje: travelling outside the European Union
Medjugorje is in Bosnia and Herzegovina, outside the European Union: at the border, every passenger’s documents are checked. Before closing registrations, the organiser must check on Viaggiare Sicuri, the Italian Foreign Ministry’s travel advice website, which documents are needed and tell every pilgrim, because one identity card that is not valid for foreign travel stops the whole coach at the border.
For the religious side, the official website of the Medjugorje parish publishes instructions for pilgrims and for the priests accompanying groups, and the Mir information centre coordinates meetings and the daily programme. Once you arrive, the coach is mainly used for getting to the places of pilgrimage and for any excursions in the area.
Loreto: the nearest destination, even for a weekend
Compared with Lourdes and Medjugorje, Loreto is the choice for a short pilgrimage of two or three days. The journey runs down the Adriatic coast and lends itself to an intermediate stop. In Loreto the town council has set up a paid checkpoint for tour coaches, with a first-day fee that includes parking: put it in the group’s budget, because it is not part of our quote.
The sanctuary has a welcome office that handles guided visits to the Holy House, restaurant bookings for groups and accommodation. It is worth contacting it before fixing the coach times.
The coach for a trip of several days
For a long pilgrimage the most suitable vehicle is a 54-56 seat Gran Turismo coach. In the models in our fleet, depending on the vehicle, you will find reclining seats, individual air conditioning, USB sockets, a minibar, a coffee machine and an underfloor luggage hold for a week’s worth of suitcases. Each Gran Turismo coach model has its own equipment: our fleet includes the Irisbus Magelys Pro, Irisbus New Domino and Mercedes Tourismo.
With smaller groups of 25-30 people, a 36-seat midi coach reduces the overall cost. On a long trip, though, it is worth leaving a few seats free: over many days on the road, the extra space makes a difference. If this is the first multi-day trip you are organising, start from our checklist for a group coach trip.
How to request a quote for a pilgrimage from Milan
To prepare the written quote, tell us:
- departure and return dates and the place of departure;
- the shrine, intermediate stops and hotels, if already chosen;
- the number of pilgrims and the amount of luggage;
- the celebration times confirmed by the shrine;
- any excursions planned during the stay.
The quote includes the driver, fuel, passenger insurance and maintenance; tolls, the driver’s overnight accommodation and any extra routes are shown separately. For a day of service, coach hire prices in Milan vary with the vehicle, from minibus to Gran Turismo.
Lourdes and Medjugorje are also international coach trips, with documents and rules to check before departure.
If the parish would rather start with a day out, to the lakes or to Bergamo, it can choose from our coach day trips from Milan for groups.
For a trip of several days with hotels to book, get in touch 2-3 months in advance. From central Italy we run pilgrimages by coach from Rome to Assisi, San Giovanni Rotondo and Cascia.
Phone: +39 06 4882027. Email: info@toddebus.it (subject line: “Milan”, for example “Milan, Lourdes pilgrimage”) so your message reaches the contact person at our Lainate base.
Frequently asked questions
How many days does a coach pilgrimage to Lourdes from Milan take?
It depends on how many days you want to spend at the shrine and how many stops you make along the way. The journey has to be split into stages to respect the driver’s driving limits, with at least one overnight stop on the way out and one on the way back if there is only one driver.
Do you need a passport to travel to Medjugorje by coach?
Bosnia and Herzegovina is not part of the European Union and documents are checked at the border. Which documents are valid is stated on Viaggiare Sicuri, the Italian Foreign Ministry’s travel advice website: check it before closing registrations and ask every pilgrim to check their document’s expiry date.
Who pays for the driver’s hotel?
On trips of several days, the driver’s overnight accommodation is a separate item in the quote. When you book the group’s hotel, ask for a room for the driver in the same place too: it makes the morning timings simpler.
Does the coach stay available to the group during the stay in Lourdes?
Yes, if the programme includes it, and we agree this in the quote. During the stay the vehicle is used for the planned excursions, within the driver’s rest periods, which need to be taken into account when scheduling outings.
Can pilgrims board in several towns along the way?
Yes, if the stops are listed in the quote. Each extra pick-up lengthens the first day of travel, so it is best to limit it to two or three points along the route.
