Bordeaux Tourism - Travel to Bordeaux
Capital of Aquitaine, France, Bordeaux is mostly known for its various wines, which are considered among the best in the world. However, it is also a very nice place to visit... for other reasons. The city itself is one of the 5 biggest cities in France, gathering about 660,000 people, counting the surroundings. It is a very lively place, with a lot of students (Bordeaux Campus is the biggest in France) and larget foreigners' communities.
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Districts in Bordeaux
Bordeaux is a huge city, with many things to see. The main districts are briefly presented here. The districts are presented here by distance to the railway station.
- Les Quais -- for a nice walk on the shores of the Garonne, a ride on a ferry boat, a stunning view over the bridges of Bordeaux, or spending good time in the city's night clubs !
- La Victoire -- Historical monuments meet student life and bars.
- The Pedestrian Center -- If you plan on shopping, or are looking for cultural activities, Bordeaux has a lot to share - and it starts right here.
- Gambetta Square -- the rich districts of Bordeaux start north - this part of the town is nicknamed "Little Paris". There are also a lot of things to visit.
- Quinconces Square -- A lot of things to see in this area close to the river.
- Meriadeck -- The administrative center of Bordeaux, with one of the biggest libraries in France.
Understand Bordeaux Tourism
Bordeaux is considered as a very tolerant place, no one there will bother you about your political beliefs, religion, or sexual orientation. The cultural, artistic, and musical local scenes are very active.
People from Bordeaux sometimes feel, for some reason, jealous of people from Paris - Bordeaux has this nickname of "Little Paris", so if you go around and meet locals, you will find sometimes heated arguments (who said "flame wars?") on that topic.
Geography in Bordeaux
Bordeaux is a huge and flat city, surrounding the end of a river, the Garonne, which merges a dozen kilometers below the city with another river to form the Gironde, the biggest estuary of the country.
The city center is located west and south of the river. To the east are the few and only hills of Bordeaux, delimitating the beginning of an industrial zone and suburbs. A good, although not extensively used, means of transportation is the bicycle: with a total 17 km of bike tracks, Bordeaux is among the best performers in France.
There are no skyscrapers in Bordeaux, just a few tall buildings, which explains it is very extended in space. The center of the town is mostly made of nice-looking stone mansions, which are probably the reason of the city nickname "Little Paris".
Modern buildings can be found west (administrative center) and south (university) of the city.
Get into Bordeaux
Travel to Bordeaux By Plane
Merignac's airport is located west of the city, with domestic as well as international flights. There are several flights a day to and from Paris.
A bus runs every 40 minutes to the town center, and makes several stops in the city.
Travel to Bordeaux By Train
The train station is located in the town center. Several trains per day (around one every two hours) go north (to Paris, Angoulème, Poitiers), south (to Toulouse, Marseille, up to Nice), and east (to Périgueux and Clermont-Ferrand).
Buses and taxis leave from in front of the station.
Travel to Bordeaux By car
You can reach Bordeaux by car from north (taking the A10 highway or N10), south (taking the A63 highway), and east. A beltway goes around the city.
If possible, avoid driving between 8-10 AM and 4-7 PM, as the beltway is usually overcrowded.
Travel to Bordeaux By Bus
The bus station is located just in front of the train station, in the center of the town. Eurolines provide bus service to the city.
Get around in Bordeaux
Bordeaux is quite a big city, however most of the interesting attractions are in the town center. It is not recommend anyone to use a car to get around, as it is always a hassle to park it (and car parks are expensive) and there are often traffic jams in the small, old streets of the city.
If you can, use your feet and walk. As most of the town center is a pedestrian area', this is a good idea anyway. If you like sports, you can rent roller-skates or a bike (see below). Else you can make your way in town using the various bus lines. A small ferry boat permits to go from the western shore of the river to the eastern shore, and vice-versa.
Currently, two tramway lines are on the work, and should be finished around by the end of 2004. The bus network will then be reorganized, and as there are a lot of roadworks anyway, the bus courses change often.
Bike and rollerblade rental
It is possible to rent roller-skates at a small sport-shop called "Pierre Qui Roule", situated on the western side of Place Gambetta, north of the pedestrian area.
Buses
The bus network is organized around three main places, where it is possible to take buses to almost every destination in the city :
- La Gare Saint-Jean (railway station, bus lines going to town center, university, and north of town),
- La Place de la Victoire (bus lines going to town center, to the railway station, to the University, north and south-west of town - the CGFTE main agency is located close to that place, on a street called "Cours de la Somme"),
- La Place Gambetta (bus lines going to la Victoire, the railway station, west, north-west, north of town, another CGFTE agency nearby).
Tickets can be purchased on the bus, however that's expensive and you cannot change buses with the ticket you get. The best thing is to buy tickets either to the CGFTE agencies (Gare Saint-Jean or Gambetta), to almost any buralist, or at the tourism offices (there's one at the Gare Saint-Jean).
A 10-course ticket will cost 8.60 euros. Each course comprises up to 4 bus changes within one hour. You have also the possibility to buy tickets that will enable you to access freely the bus network for one to six days - those tickets cost from 3.75 up to 11.80 euros. Students and elderly persons can buy tickets at a reduced price.
One peculiarity of Bordeaux buses is that you can get in the bus using whatever bus door you want - use the automatic machines to perforate your ticket, thus validating your course. Don't try to cheat - fines are high.
Avoid the buses on peak hours (8-10 AM, 4-7 PM), as the town center is usually totally jammed (and cars often block bus tracks), and buses overcrowded.
Ferry boat
Le Bus du Fleuve, as it is called, links the western part of the city and the eastern part of the city by a small cruise on the river. It is managed by the CGFTE, and thus you can get in the boat using a standard bus ticket.
The bus goes from the Southern part of Quai Richelieu, and to the Place Aristide Briand, very close to the Aquitaine Bridge (one of the must-see in Bordeaux).
Electric bus and tramway
A new tramway serves the town, crossing the Garonne by the Pont de Pierre.
The electric bus, called la navette du centre-ville, is the only public transportation on pedestrian roads. There are no bus stops for this one: to board an eletric bus, wave your hand to the driver - he will stop the bus and let you on. When you want to go out, just tell the driver.
All the maps, fares and times are on the CGFTE Web site (in French).
See Bordeaux
Each district (listed above) has a lot of things to offer:
- North of Les Quais, over the river, the Aquitaine Bridge is an architectural achievement unique in France.
- Do not miss the Victory Arch (Roman architecture), at the center of La Victoire.
- Rest for a while in the wide Public Garden, north of Gambetta square.
- And of course checkout the statues and the Girondins memorial on the Quinconces square.
Do Bordeaux
There are a lot of things to see here in Bordeaux, but also a lot of things to do by yourself !
- Have a walk in the Sainte-Catherine street in the Pedestrian Center.
- Consider crossing the bridges or taking the ferry boat over the river (see Les Quais).
- If you're interested in that kind of activities, you can go night-clubbing or bar-storming in Les Quais or La Victoire.
Sports
Football (soccer) is a very popular sport in Bordeaux, as the F.C. Girondins, the football club, is one of the best in France (avoid talking football in the city, it's another sensitive subject).
If you are a sport-lover, Bordeaux is a very nice city for practicing roller-skating (or roller-blading) and other "skating sports".
Learn
In Bordeaux, you can learn about pretty everything you want - to learn a bit about French culture, consider visiting cinemas such as L'Utopia or going to the city library in Meriadeck.
If you're interested in wine, don't hesitate to visit wine resellers north of Gambetta or Les Quinconces.
The University, located a few kilometers south of town offers a wide variety of courses, from science to humanities, from beginner classes to high-level research. The laboratories are among the best in France. It should be possible to take French courses there in the summer, with Erasmus students.
Buy
Bordeaux has made its wealth out of trade, and the local economic system relies much on shops and trading halls. The Pedestrian Center is basically full of shops of all kinds, from clothes to art, craftworks, food and wine... If you're looking for luxury items, try to go to Gambetta square and in the surroundings.
Bordeaux is the capital of wine, so buying some wine can be a good idea... Local pastries, such as "cannelés", are worth buying too, if you're close to the end of your trip (buy them just before you go, they should be good for two days after you buy them).
If you're into clothing fashion, you will find several shops to buy very nice and trendy clothes (and they are less expensive than in Paris).
And if culture interests you, don't hesitate to buy some local music - Bordeaux groups are really cool ! There are also a lot of artists who sell stunning artworks.
Eat - Travel to Bordeaux
As mentioned before, Bordeaux is known for its wine, and has also a lot of local pastries that you cannot find elsewhere in France (if not in the world). The canneleés are only the most known example of such a pastry.
Gastronomy has a very important place in the city, which is full of restaurants of all kinds. French restaurants provide dishes from almost every part of the country, and there are a lot of Asian, African or Arabian restaurants.
Drink
Bordeaux is lively during the day, and is still lively during the night. If you're looking for a bar, whether to hang out with friends or to enjoy a retransmission of a local football match, head for La Victoire, as most of the pubs and bars of the town are here. Virtually, all the shops in the surroundings of this area are bars, and you'll be likely to find one suiting your needs.
If you prefer dancing or clubbing, most of the night-clubs are on the Quais, close to the train station. From rock to disco, dance to techno, you also have a lot of choice.
One piece of advice regarding as well bars and clubs : the entrance is free (most of the time), but do not get there drunk. The crew won't let you in (and anyway drinks inside are not so expensive...).
Sleep - Bordeaux Tourism
Most tourists hotels are close to the railway station (that is, close to the Quais). There are some luxury hotels close to Gambetta square and Quinconces square, which are really nice (and really expensive).
Bordeaux has a recently-built youth hostel, close to the railway station, which can be worth a visit for a few nights - remember to book in advance.
Contact
Bordeaux is covered by the three major telecommunication operators in France : France Telecom (Orange), Bouygues, and SFR. If you have a GSM cellphone with an international subscription, you should be able to give calls from anywhere in the city. It is also possible to find phone cabins, but some have been removed recently due to their decreased usage.
As for Internet access, there are a few cybercafes in the pedestrian center, which are not expensive (from 2 to 4 euros per hour).
Stay safe - Bordeaux Tourism
Bordeaux is not a city known for insecurity, and if you respect some simple rules, you shouldn't have any problems.
- Beware of pickpockets, mostly in crowded buses and in the pedestrian streets. Do not leave any luggage out of view - it might disappear. If you're taking the bus with a backpack, it's better putting it at your feet instead of keeping it on your back.
- Do not go clubbing / in bars alone at night. If you have a meeting with friends, meet outside the bar / club - anyway it's easier to get inside when you're a pack.
- As another general rule, do not accept drinks offered by people you don't know well - some people might try to drug you and abuse you afterwards. This is a serious advice, as there were several cases reported. Take drinks directly at the counter or from the waiter.
Get out
There are a lot of interesting things to see close to Bordeaux. To the west, there is the Médoc region, where most of the Bordeaux wine is produced, with wine producers mansions, some of which are very old and well-known worldwide. A lot of wine producers organize visits of their installations, with tastings of their products.
Even more to the west, you will end up at the Atlantic ocean - there are a lot of very nice-looking little towns close to the sea. The Ourtins' Lake, the biggest non-salted water lake in France, is located there. In summer, it's a paradise to go swimming or biking in the pine-tree woods of that area.
South of this area, you will get to the very touristic city of Arcachon, which can be worth a visit too.
To reach those places, you can use either the regional railways (TER) or inter-city bus lines (which often go where trains do not).
There are a lot of bike paths that leave Bordeaux and go west in the Médoc ; the ocean is at around 60 kilometers and can be reached quite easily by bike.
External Links for Bordeaux Tourism
- SNCF (French railway company)
