I plan on being in the Bordeaux region for about four days. My questions are:
1) Is it worth staying two days in St. Emilion or should I just do a day trip? Are there wineries walkable from the town of St. Emilion?
2) If we stay in Bordeaux town the whole time, are there affordable wine tours that we can take? I've looked at some of the guided tours online and they've been around 450 EUR for a private tour. Can't we just join a tour that goes with several people by bus?
3) If driving is the better options, which are the best ones to go to that will allow for tours? I'd rather not do this because as the driver, I won't be drinking much wine so I would rather take the train/bus/tour/walk, etc.
I plan on staying two days in Bordeaux town but maybe its best to stay there all four days and do day trips from there? Also, we fly out of Carcassonne and planned on two days there. Is that enough/too much?
Thanks,
Jeff
Two days is more than enough in Carcassonne. Half a day is enough to see "La Cité -- the old walled town. A couple of hours to see the newer part of the city is sufficient.
I would think half a day is enough in St Emilion too -- it's not very big. I don't think the wineries are walkable, though there might be tours offered locally.Try the town's tourist office. Each vineyard has land around it obviously, so walking from one to the other would not be easy. And I don't think all of them are open to the public.
Hi,
I really shouldn't be telling this to you (we operate a private guide service throughout France www.aguideinfrance.com</a>) but the best way to do a wine tour around the Bordeaux region is to contact the Bordeaux office of Tourism. They have plenty of tours available at very good rates and can accommodate small and large groups. For one-off tours such as yours we will often arrange for a guide through the office de tourisme. It saves both our clients and ourselves money.
Hate to say it but Bordeaux ain't a happening place. However, it is close to the Dordogne (east) and La Cote d'Argent (best beach in France to the west and south). If you can get out to one of those two places, Dordogne for the history and beauty and the coast for the beach and the Landes forest, you'll have a much better appreciation for Bordeaux.
Try to avoid driving in Bordeaux. We avoid it when we can even though we know the city fairly well (went to university there). Use the tram or buses to get around. If you're looking for accommodations outside of Bordeaux, use the Hotels & Gites Directory and deal directly with the owners of the various establishments. You'll save money.
Hope this helps,
Valerie
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