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Bordeaux region for two nights, or...

skywalkerbeth

New Member
Good morning everyone

Making a 2023 wish list and sorting out ideas as I go. Too many things on the wish list and too little time.

I've never been to Bordeaux/the region. Trying to figure out if I should make an attempt to fit a brief stay in, or do something else closer to Paris (I have both books "half an hour from Paris" and "an hour from Paris").

For as many times as I have been to Paris, it's still hard to just break away and go somewhere else. It's so nice to use my time as a temporary local right there in Paris - my little neighborhood/hotel/restaurants, and spend each day leisurely seeing new exhibits and wandering everywhere.

Is 48 hours in or near Bordeaux doing it a grave disservice? Should I save it for its very own trip, including the Dordogne and maybe even Biarritz?

Any tips for a short visit - especially doing something active such as a bike ride, maybe a good long walk/stroll to include winery visits. Where would you stay for a few nights - in Bordeaux itself or a small village?

For a ten-days-on-the-ground trip to Paris I am planning to either just stay local (maybe the day trips I mentioned from my books) or take a few nights and go somewhere else. I've been to Normandy / Brittany / Loire Valley numerous times, ditto Provence/Languedoc - and as much as I love them I am not looking to go there, this time around.

Thank you for any ideas!

Edit: and if adding a whole extra 24 hours makes all the difference in the world for a visit to Bordeaux region, I can think about that, too. But it's so hard to break away from Paris so it's more likely to be 48 hours or "next time".
 
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You could train to Bordeaux. Rent a car and drive to St Emillion.
Wonderful medieval city with interesting walks, good restaurants and just really charming.
 
Well, if your travels are in late June then Fete le Vin in Bordeaux is pretty amazing. Fete le vin 2023 We were young and naive and just happened to be in Bordeaux at the same time many years ago. As in we were just walking around and thought we'd check out the "street fair" setting up.

It only occurs every other year and there is a lot to learn and taste. We were there right as it opened and people were so, so kind as we demonstrated our kindergarten skills in the language, wine terminology and honestly in French wine. It was so much fun!
 
What about visiting Champagne region instead (Reims, Epernay,..)? In size it's probably more manageable, and has appeal outside of wine. Indeed at only 45 mins by train from Paris to Reims, you could easily day trip it.
 
Ian, that's a great suggestion! If seriously interested in visiting specific champagne houses, one might need to reserve now. I tried to book reservations two months out for Salmon-Billecarte and while they were far too polite to snicker at my naïveté when they mentioned reservations were full for the following six months. Lesson learned and we probably had better and definitely more intimate experiences at the smaller houses.

We stayed in Epernay at this chambres d'hotes which was an amazing location right on the main road. I would be surprised if our hosts were still running the place, but it looks like someone in the family is. I know the son had a winery so perhaps it's part of the business now. The entire family was so congenial and helpful. The father took made us a reservation at a tiny vineyard then drove us, along with his wife, to the tasting. What a great memory!
 
You could train to Bordeaux. Rent a car and drive to St Emillion.
Wonderful medieval city with interesting walks, good restaurants and just really charming.
I'll second St. Emillion. It is small and charming. We took the train from Bordeaux to. St. Emillion and it is a short walk from there into town, but the owner of our wonderful B&B picked us up. We stayed at a B&B LE PAVILLON VILLEMAURINE . Owners, Niki and Julian, of the B&B are from Australia. Julian is an attorney and former winemaker. We paid him a small fee for a wine tasting tour of the area. Nice experience.
 
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If you were only spending 48 hours in Bordeaux (the fastest TGV will get you there in only two hours), the city is so beautiful, I'm not sure I'd go rushing off to St Emilion! There's so much to see and do in Bordeaux... it's often the city used as a substitute for Paris when making historical films because both its medieval and 18th century core are so well preserved--after Paris it has more listed buildings than any city in France. Plus Bordeaux has a great atmosphere, fabulous markets, bistronomic restaurants, museums and a real gung ho tourist office that do daily tours and tastings in the regional vineyards that will get you into chateaux that are hard to visit on your own (including St Emilion so you could spend a few hours there). The Bar à Vins, 3 cours du 30 Julliet is a must. And there's the new Cité du Vin in a building shaped likes a twirling glass of wine which is fun, too!
 

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