Bordeaux: Getting there & around

Orientation

The city of Bordeaux lies around 100km (62mi) from the Atlantic, at the lowest bridging point on the Garonne River. The city centre sits between Place Gambetta and the Garonne, which ranges from 350 (1100ft) to 500m (1600ft) wide and is usually a muddy brown as it flows either towards the sea or inland, depending on the tides. From Place Gambetta, Place de Tourny is 500m (1600ft) northeast, and the tourist office is 400m (1300ft) to the east.

The train station, Gare St-Jean, is in a seedy area about 3km (nearly 2mi) southeast of the city centre. Cours de la Marne stretches from the train station to Place de la Victoire, which is linked to Place de la Comédie by Rue Ste-Catherine.

Bordeaux' wine-growing region stretches for 1000 sq km (390 sq mi) around the city, and is divided into 57 appellations (unique production areas), with around 500 chateaux, or vineyards. The key areas of attraction are the Médoc, a large wine-growing area which lies northwest of Bordeaux along the western shore of the Gironde Estuary; and the village and vineyards of St-Émilion, slightly to the east of Bordeaux. The seaside resort of Arcachon is southwest of Bordeaux, located just under the Médoc on the Bassin d'Arcachon.

Bordeaux airport is in Mérignac, 10km (6mi) west of the city centre. Jet'Bus links the train station and Place Gambetta with the airport at regular intervals from early to late. The trip takes around 45 minutes; much more if there are traffic jams.

Getting There

• bus

  Buses to places all over the Gironde (and nearby départements ) leave from the Halte Routière (bus terminal; Allées de Chartres), in the northeast corner of Esplanade des Quinconces. Citram Aquitaine (tel: 05 56 43 68 43) runs most buses to destinations in the Gironde and has an information kiosk at the Halte Routière. The offices of other carriers are located opposite the train station.

• car

  There are inexpensive local rental companies located close to the train station, while the big boys have offices in the train station building, all the way to the left as you exit.

• train

  Bordeaux is one of France's most important rail transit points. The station, Gare St-Jean, is about 3km (1.8mi) from the city centre at the southern terminus of Cours de la Marne. Keep a watchful eye on your bags here. Destinations include Paris' Gare Montparnasse, Bayonne, Nantes, Poitiers, La Rochelle and Toulouse.

• plane

  Bordeaux airport (tel: 05 56 34 50 50; www.bordeaux.aeroport.fr) is in Mérignac, 10km (6mi) west of the city centre and handles both domestic and international services.

  The train station and Place Gambetta are linked with the airport by Jet'Bus (tel: 05 56 34 50 50). The service operates every 35 mins, (45 mins on weekends) from 05:30 until 21:30 . The last departure from the airport is at 22:45 . The trip takes around 45 minutes; much more if there are traffic jams.

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Getting Around

• bus

  Bordeaux's urban buses are run by CGFTE (Allo Bus; tel: 05 57 57 88 88). The company has Espace Bus information/ticket offices at the train station (4 Rue Georges Bonnac). The train station is linked with the city centre by buses 7 and 8; line 1 runs along the waterfront from the train station north to Le Croiseur Colbert and beyond. The Bordeaux Découverte card, available at the tourist office, allows unlimited travel for a number of days. Night buses operate on nights when big shows and sporting events take place at the Grand Théâtre, Palais des Sports and Théâtre Femina. On weekends, night buses run on line S11, between Place de la Victoire and the nightclub zone on Quai de la Paludate.

• car

  Parking in the city centre is pricey and hard to find. Places to look for free spaces include the side streets north of the Musée d'Art Contemporain and west of the Jardin Public. Many hotels provide parking for a set price per night. There are large parking lots to the north of esplanade des Quinconces and opposite place de la Bourse.

• tram

  Line A of Bordeaux's three-line tramway system starts at the Mériadeck shopping centre to the west of the city centre and continues east along Cours d'Alsace et Lorraine before crossing the river and continuing to Buttiniere, then branching to serve Floirac Dravemont to the southeast and La Gardette to the northeast. Line B starts at the Pessac Centre in the city's southwest, heading for Claveau in the north, while Line C links Begles Teerres Neuves and Les Aubiers via Gare St-Jean. Trams run every 10 minutes between 05:00 and 01:00 . Purchase a ticket from the machine at your tram stop and stamp it on board. Découverte cards are also valid on the trams. The next stage of extensions to the network is expected to be completed in 2008.

• taxi

  Taxis are available by phone-booking.

• bicycle

  There are 24hr rental companies able to set you up with bicycles and go-ped motorised scooters.

• Disabled Travellers

  Like the rest of France, Bordeaux is not especially well-equipped for handicapés (people with disabilities): kerb ramps are few and far between; older public facilities and budget hotels often lack lifts; cobblestone streets are a nightmare to navigate by wheelchair. But travellers with disabilities who would like to visit the city can overcome these difficulties. The French government's national Tourisme et Handicap rating is given to sites, restaurants and hotels that meet strict requirements and standards; different symbols indicate whether establishments have access for people with physical, mental, hearing and/or seeing disabilities. Places marked Accessible normes handicapés subscribe to certain access standards, but the rating is not officially verified.

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