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Bordeaux

Travel Guide > Europe > France > Aquitaine > Bordeaux

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Quick Facts

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Coordinates
  • Latitude: 44.837368
  • Longitude: -0.576144

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Introduction

5-Place des douanes

5-Place des douanes

© All Rights Reserved Mistrale

Bordeaux is one of the most famous cities in all of France. Located on the west Atlantic coast this city is marvelous. With only a quarter of a million people in the city and around 1.2 million in the metropolitan area this city is not overwhelming. With a charming old town and a long history no one ever complains about Bordeaux. The main attraction in the city is its famous wine. The area has been making wine since the 8th century that is too good for a king!

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Neighbourhoods

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Sights and Activities

Wine

Bordeaux winery

Bordeaux winery

© All Rights Reserved woods

The main industry and activity in Bordeaux is wine. With over 117,000 hectares of vineyards, 57 appellations, 9,000 wine-producing châteaux, 13,000 grape growers and 400 traders make for annual sales of over 14.5 billion euros and plenty to drink. This all results in over 700 million bottles a year, which range from some very cheap wine to some of the most expensive in the world. The five first growth châteaux are:

Old Town

Bordeaux is home to one of the largest 18th century architectural urban areas in all of Europe. Because of its amazing buildings and level of preservation it has been added to the UNESCO World Heritage List.

  • Grand Théâtre was built in 1780 this theatre is truly beautiful.
  • Cathédrale Saint-André de Bordeaux(Bordeaux Cathedral) was consecrated by Pope Urban II in 1096. This church has been of importance in Bordeaux for a long time.
  • Église Sainte-Croix(Church of the Holy Cross) is an amazing Romanesque abbey.
  • Basilica of Saint-Seurin is the oldest church in Bordeaux built in the 6th century.

Museums

  • Musée des Beaux Arts
  • Musée d'Aquitaine
  • Musée des Arts Décoratifs
  • Musée D'Histoire Naturelle
  • CAPC
  • Musée National des Doines
  • Vinorama
  • Musée Goupil
  • Cap Sciences is a great science musuem.
  • Centre Jean Moulin.

Other Sights and Activities

  • Rue Sainte-Catherine is a wonderful pedestrian only shopping street that is 1.2 km long filled with great shops, restaurants and cafes. This is the longest shopping street in Europe and the shops become more expensive the further on walks towards Place de La Comedie.
  • Cours de l'Intendance is where the most high end and exclusive boutiques and shops are located.

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Events and Festivals

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Weather

From June to September is summer, with temperatures around 25 degrees on average, but sometimes as high as 38 degrees. Nights are pleasantly warm and can be chilly sometimes. Winters are mild, around 10 degrees Celsius during the day but nights can be as cold as -15 degrees sometimes. Winters have more rain than summers but precipitation is possible in all months.

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Getting There

By Plane

Aéroport de Bordeaux - Mérignac (Bordeaux - Mérignac Airport) (BOD) is the major airport near the city. It has connections to most major European cities and some north African cities.

By Train

The main train station (Gare Saint Jean) is located about 4km from the center of town. Several trains per day (around one every two hours) go north (to Paris, about 3,5 hours) , Angoulème, Poitiers), south (to Toulouse, Marseille, Montpellier (about 4 to 5 hours), up to Nice, and east to Périgueux and Clermont-Ferrand.

Buses and taxis leave from in front of the station. Catch the tramway to go to the inner city centre.

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.

By Bus

The bus station is located just in front of the train station, in the centre of the town. Eurolines provides bus service to the city from a number of cities in France and Europe.

If you're travelling with bikes European Bike Express run a route from north of Leeds, stopping through the UK to Dover and then on towards Bayonne via Bordeaux. Passengers normally travel from the UK to Europe.

By Boat

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Getting Around

The easiest way to get around Bordeaux is by tram or bus. They are owned by the same company, so buying a pass with a few trips on it would get you all over the city. Bordeaux is relatively small, so you're also well off by foot.

By Car

By Foot

By Bike

By Taxi

If you don't have much time, but you would still like to do some sightseeing, you can contact Taxi Bordeaux. Bordeaux taxi drivers and the tourist office offer an overview tour of the city. Sightseeing in Bordeaux, Saint Emilion, Medoc or Arcachon can take all day.
Taxi 33, Aquitaine Taxis Radio, Taxis de Merignac, Taxis Girondins and Allo Taxi are other options.

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Eat

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Drink

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Sleep

Budget

PropertyAddressTypePopularity
Appart Valley Résidence Les Chartrons14 bis, place Paul AvisseauHotel78
Choiseul Hotel13 rue HuguerieHotel75
Citotel Le Chantry155 Rue Georges BonnacHotel79
Citotel Les Alizes15 Av. de Saint-MedardHotel73
Hôtel Alton107, Rue de la Pelouse de DouetHotel72
Hotel Stars Bordeaux Gare34, rue de TauziaHotel73
Hotel Stars Bordeaux Sud6, rue Salvador Dali Villedieu-les-Poeles, BordeauxHotel67
Hotel Studio26 rue Huguerie 33000Hotel71
L'Etoile Bleue51 rue Jean Briaud 33700 MerignacHotel58

Mid-Range

Upscale

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Work

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Keep Connected

Internet

Phone

See also International Telephone Calls

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This is version 11. Last edited at 11:31 on Aug 26, 09 by Utrecht (+231). 18 articles link to this page.

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