I'm going on a trip to BORDEAUX on 2023
Beyond being one of the France's best known cities, what really makes visitors fall in love is the quality of life and that “charme” so French that this city emerges, located south-west of the neighboring country.
Its size and the many leisure options it offers, make it Perfect for 2 to 5 day getaways. A city, Bordeaux, which after a long period of reconstruction and innovation, has managed to preserve its historical heritage with the demands of having a modern city, adapted to all types of citizens.
So, in 2007 its historic center was declared Patrimony of Humanity for Unesco, which, without a doubt, makes it a must-see place. In addition, the proximity to rural populations where Vineyards They are protagonists, increase the desire of tourists to visit it.
Ideal for traveling as a couple or family, Bordeaux always has something to visit, an event to enjoy or a typical dish of French cuisine to taste. In short, a city open to visitors, where you can immerse yourself in the French culture of yesterday and today.
What are you going to find in this article?
To enjoy the city and its surroundings, nothing like spending one or several nights in some of the multiple hosting options that exist in Bordeaux. A big city, in which we recommend that you accommodation in the following areas, for two main reasons: the fullfilment of security requirements of them and the proximity or easy access to them, which is appreciated when you visit a city.
Always full of life, always with very varied leisure options, the main advantage of staying in the historic center of Bordeaux is that you will be able to enjoy your Cultural Patrimony at all times and live it, both day and night.
An very lively area, both day and night, from which you can easily move to other points of interest in the city or its surroundings.
Also, in the street of Sainte Catherine you will find the main clothing stores, including the most prestigious brands, such as Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Channel or Tommy Hilfiger. In the same way there are numerous restaurants, cafes and French patisseries. Of course, it is also the best area for nightlife.
As you may have already deduced, the historic center is the site ideal to stay in Bordeaux if it is about being close to the historical places that you want to visit. In addition, at the transport level it is very well connected with the rest of the districts with tram and bus.
One of the most famous neighborhoods of the city, in part, for the particular aesthetics of many of its homes, former XNUMXth-century mansions, which give the area a stately air, very pleasant transit and with a lot of nightlife at night, because it is an area with many restaurants and bars; many of them, with terraces by the river.
They give way to daytime activity, where merchants, especially fashion, meet in the streets of the neighborhood.
Chartons has multitude of options to reach the helmet Historic, two tram lines and several bus. It can also be reached on foot, through avenues or small streets that are worth discovering. Although the best walk is the one that walks parallel to the Garonne River, full of playgrounds, gardens and restaurants.
In short I have seen what the neighborhood offers and considering that you can get to the historic center in a matter of minutes by tram, or included walking, is an option to take into account to sleep in Bordeaux.
Located to the south of the city, next to the Garonne river and a short distance from the historic center, the neighborhood owes its name to its historic train station, from which you can access different points in the region or the rest of France.
The surroundings of the station are old, but it is a quiet neighborhood under reconstruction. In this area there are different hotels and lower priced apartments than in the rest of the city. If you look at its position on the map, it may seem a bit out of the way, but it isn't.
An quiet, in which you can visit different monuments of interest, such as the Church of the Sainte-Croix, in Romanesque style.
Staying in Bordeaux in this area has advantages because in the surroundings of the station you can find hotels of lower categories that will allow you save on accommodation. It should be noted that it is very well connected with the rest of the city both by bus and by tram.
Located across the river, in front of the historic center of Bordeaux, it is a quiet neighborhood, but with multiple leisure options and hospitality, both for the elderly as for children, highlighting, among others, the proximity of the Botanical Garden, the charm of Stalingrad Square or the Darwin Center, an indoor park, ideal for children to enjoy at any time of the year.
In Bastide, being on the other side of the river Garonne, the accommodation is cheaper. It is connected to a tram line that goes directly to the historic center. In this area is the Botanical Garden and being a newly created neighborhood is full of restaurants and modern premises.
The location of the neighborhood, just across the river where the historic center is, its atmosphere, and everything it offers to the visitor make this neighborhood One of our favorite alternatives to stay in Bordeaux.
A neighborhood that gets its name from the basilica of the same name and from which there are very nice views to the rest of the city of Bordeaux.
Located at south of the historic center, which can be accessed without difficulty, without leaving Sain Michel we find places the Capucins Market, which gives you a very pleasant life during the day, in addition to a wide range of restaurants with cuisine from around the world and a very safe night environment and youthful.
Area it's safe, more fun than the historic center, and there is offer of cheap accommodation. If you are young or you like dynamic and multicultural areas this may be your ideal option to sleep in Bordeaux.
Depending on the days you extend your stay you can extend this offer, but if you have little time and do not want to miss anything, these are the top 5 of places What you have to visit:
One of the better options to enjoy different experiences in any city in the world, it is to do it with the help of a local guide, who is not limited only to teach you what you could only discover, but to see the city from a different point of view. This is something that gets the Free Tours of Civitatis, among which we highlight the following for the city of Bordeaux:
A free activity (at the end of the tour, attendees can give the tip they want to the guide, if they consider it appropriate) and that is done at night. The same part from the central square of Fernand Lafargue and from there are different routes around the Bordeaux capital, knowing some of the most terrifying and mysterious stories, for example, follow in the footsteps of the werewolf. The tour ends, again, in the center of Bordeaux, on Ausone Street.
Because Bordeaux is synonymous with wine land, we could not fail to recommend this free tour, which takes place in the historic neighborhood of Chartrons, next to the Garonne river and which in the XNUMXth century was nerve center of the wine industry in the city. The tour ends with the recommendation of visits to bars where you can drink wine from the region and quality. Ideal for lovers of good wine.
If something characterizes the city of Bordeaux is that it is a place very well connected with other parts of France and the rest of Europe, especially if you arrive from Spain. In this sense, if you want to forget about the car, the best option is the plane.
The airport is at 10 kilometers to the west of the Bordeaux capital, in the town of Mérignac. With more than 110 departure destinations and with capacity to serve more than 3 million passengers a year, accessing Bordeaux from it is really simple, in fact the easiest thing is to do it by bus:
You also have the option of get by train to Bordeaux, without a doubt, one of the most comfortable from Spain, especially if you arrive from the cities located further north or near the border. The famous Saint Jean station It is located 10 minutes from the historic center, in the neighborhood of the same name, next to the Garonne River. From there you can access any point of the city or the surrounding area, either by the urban bus or the tram.
If there is something we really like about Bordeaux, it is a perfect city to walk, so you don't miss a single detail of the many that you can find wandering through its streets.
However, tiredness or lack of time to visit all the monuments and important leisure places in the city, take you to take public transport. In this regard, Bordeaux has a wide line of public buses and a tram service. The latter is perfect for touring the different points of the city, without having to rent a car or spend a lot of money.
Finally, we cannot fail to mention that if you are one of the people who like travel around the city and its surroundings by bicycle, the rental system of this medium is very comfortable and, in addition, you can take the bicycle on the train, on the tram and on some urban buses.
By the way, every first Sunday of the month It is forbidden to circulate through the center, It is only allowed to go on foot, bicycle or tram.
If you are thinking of spending a few days in Bordeaux and its surroundings, give a thought to the credit card Bordeaux Métropole City Pass. A card that adapts to your stay, because you can take it for 24, 48 or 72 hours and access different museums for free, have reduced prices on public transport or other leisure options offered by the city.
You fancy bathe in the Costa de la Plata? Both at north as south of Bordeaux You will find lakes very close to the beach. Here begins the mouth of the Garonne River; If you have imagination and adventurous spirit there are numerous excursions and tours at your fingertips.
Speaking of beaches, the most famous is that of Archacon, where is the highest dune in Europe, Pyla, with its 114 meters high.