How To Reach Bordeaux

The city of Bordeaux is located on the river Garonne in southwest France and serves as the capital of the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region – the largest administrative region of France. Bordeaux has mostly made a name for itself in the world with its fabulous vineyards and for essentially being the Mecca for wine lovers. But it is a lesser-known fact that almost half of the city’s area has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site that features some brilliant architectural masterpieces in the form of historical monuments.

Add to that a couple of picturesque gardens, great places to eat delicious food and some of the world’s best wines to pair it with, and you’ve got yourself a perfect French holiday. Moreover, with easy routes to reach Bordeaux through different means of transportation, there’s no reason to postpone your trip to Bordeaux any further than you already have. Here is a compilation of some of the most expedited ways to reach Bordeaux.

The Bordeaux-Mérignac Airport is the regional airport of Bordeaux and is located to the west of the city. While it operates predominantly domestic flights, a number of international flights connect Bordeaux to some busy European destinations like Paris, Madrid, Amsterdam and London. Travellers flying in from India will not be able to fly directly to Bordeaux and are required to book connecting flights, which usually involve just one stopover.  

From the airport, travellers have access to an express bus that runs every 45 minutes to the city centre. Public buses are also available at cheaper rates to reach your respective destination. A shared-ride shuttle service called Hello Shuttle is available on the basis of prior bookings; the shuttle offers services where you can reach the address of your choice directly from the airport.

The Gare Saint-Jean is the main train station of Bordeaux, which is situated roughly 4 km from the city centre. The SCNF train network and the TGV intercity rail service connect Bordeaux to the rest of France; it is a great way to travel for people coming in from places like Paris, Toulouse, Nice, Marseille etc. Travellers are assured of a comfortable rail journey coupled with beautiful countryside views. Tourists on a multi-city tour often choose to fly into the Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris and cover the rest of their journey to Bordeaux via train. From the train station, buses, taxis and trams are available to take you to your respective destination in Bordeaux.

Road routes to reach Bordeaux are the A10 highway if coming in from the north, and the A63 highway for those travelling in from the south. The morning peak hours are between 8-10 am and the evening peak hours are 4-7 pm. Travellers will find long-distance buses and pre-booked taxi services easily available from a number of locations, which make reaching Bordeaux via road easy and convenient.

Locals will often tell you that the best way to explore Bordeaux and all its hidden treasures is on foot. While Bordeaux is a relatively big city, most of its main attractions are situated within the town centre, which is largely a pedestrian area. Tourists can choose between a variety of local transportation like buses, trams and even ferries, which link the eastern and western parts of Bordeaux. An alternative to public transportation is going down the lane of bicycles – quite literally. Bordeaux is packed with bike lanes that make it super convenient for individuals to get around the city via cycles. Locals use it as one of the commonest means of transportation, and tourists can choose from a number of bike-sharing programs in Bordeaux where you simply deposit a small fee and borrow a bike for a given period of time.