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Travel to Bordeaux

Flying to Bordeaux

Airlines offering flights to Bordeaux from the UK include British Airways, Flybe, Ryanair and easyJet. Cheap flights to Bordeaux are available from low-frills airlines year-round (booking well in advance during the summer months is recommended). 

Flight times

From London - 1 hour 40 minutes; New York - 10 hours (including stopover); Los Angeles - 15 hours (including stopover); Toronto - 10 hours 30 minutes (including stopover); Sydney - 28 hours (including stopovers).

Travel by road

Traffic drives on the right and the minimum driving age in Bordeaux and in France is 18 years. Speed limits in and around Bordeaux are 130kph (81mph) on motorways, 110kph (68mph) on dual carriageways, 90kph (56mph) outside built-up areas and 50kph (31mph) in built-up areas. A national driving licence, the car's registration documents and a red warning triangle must be on hand at all times. Although helpful, a Green Card is not compulsory if bringing your car from another EU country.

Emergency breakdown services

ADS (Aquitaine Dépannage Service) (tel: +33 5 5686 6170). On motorways, dial 112.

Routes

Bordeaux is well connected, with major highways running through the city. The A10 connects Bordeaux with Paris, via Poitiers, Tours and Orleans. The A62 connects with the Mediterranean via Toulouse and Agen and the A63 runs to Spain via Bayonne and Dax. The A89 connects with the east via Lyon and Clermont Ferrand. All of these highways connect with Bordeaux's ring road ('la Rocade').

Coaches

The main bus terminal in Bordeaux is the Halte Routière, allée des Chartres, off Esplanade des Quinconces. Citram Aquitaine (tel: +33 974 500 033; www.citram.fr) operates buses in the Gironde region, and has an office at the bus station. Eurolines (tel: 0892 899 091, in France or +33 1 4186 2421; www.eurolines.fr) runs coaches to the main cities in Europe from its office opposite the railway station on rue Charles Domercq.

Time to city

From Paris - 6 hours; Calais - 8 hours 15 minutes; St-Malo - 5 hours 15 minutes; Nantes - 3 hours 20 minutes.

Travel by Rail

Services

The SNCF Gare Bordeaux-St-Jean, rue Charles Domercq, is located in the city centre, at the end of cours de la Marne. Bordeaux is connected to other major cities via France's reliable, high-speed TGV network.

Operators

SNCF (tel: 3635, in France only or +33 892 353 535; www.sncf.com) is France's national railway service provider.

Bordeaux is served by direct high-speed TGV trains to Lille, Paris Montparnasse and Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport. Regular trains (SNCF) go to Marseille, and regional trains (TER) serve destinations in southwest France.

If travelling from the UK, the easiest way to reach Bordeaux by train is to take the Eurostar from London and then connect to the TGV at Lille.

Journey times

From Lille - 5 hours 30 minutes; Paris - 3 hours 20 minutes; Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport - 4 hours 20 minutes; Marseille - 6 hours 10 minutes.

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Featured Hotels

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Hotel de Tourny

There's a pleasing mix of traditional and modern in this stylish hotel, where streamlined rooms are enlivened by marble fireplaces and ornate gilt-framed mirrors. Housed in a handsome 18th-century townhouse, the hotel is in a prime location a few steps away from the Golden Triangle.

Hotel SeeKo'o

As trendy as its name suggests, and housed in a striking white building, this boutique hotel on Bordeaux's riverside offers 45 open-plan suites with swanky modern furniture. Floor-to-ceiling windows give fantastic views of the river, and some rooms have round beds straight out of a 1960s film.

Hotel Yndo

This new addition to Bordeaux's roster of five-star hotels is a riot of innovative design – but done very discreetly so that comfort isn't sacrificed on the altar of style. It's in a classy 18th-century townhouse close to the Golden Triangle, and the courtyard garden is a tranquil place for breakfast.

Hotel Continental

Set in an elegant 18th-century townhouse this classic hotel is in a pedestrianised street in the centre of Bordeaux. It offers a selection of spacious and comfortable rooms at good value for the location and the family room has its own terrace. Breakfast is included in the price.

Mama Shelter

Philippe Starck's budget hotels are packed full of style, and his Bordeaux outpost is no exception. Airy rooms include iMac TVs and free Wi-Fi, and the downstairs bar and restaurant are seriously funky. The star feature is the rooftop restaurant with great city views.

Le Boutique Hotel

You can't beat the location of this sophisticated hotel in an 18th-century townhouse just off the Golden Triangle. Individually designed rooms combine innovative decor with traditional touches. As a bonus, the hotel has one of the most sought-after wine bars in the city, with delicious tapas served in the courtyard garden.