Just wondered is there any way to visit Bordeaux and not hire a car? Neither myself nor my hubby have a full drivers licence but we%26#39;d love to visit.
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if you want to visit the city of Bordeaux you don%26#39;t need a car (just try to find an hotel in the center near the place des chartrons/grand théatre will be ok); but if you want to visit the Bordeaux vineyard and the chateaux it seems to me very difficult to do it without a car -and Medoc, St Emilion, Sauterne are all in a different area (west, east, south). Some guided tour from Bordeaux should exist during the summer or vacation period, but it maybe be easier to ask a travel agency and make a guided vacation trip from Dublin to Bordeaux including the visit of the vineyard
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If you wish to simply stay in Bordeaux city itself, you need not worry about a car, as the city is well-equipped with an urban transit system (the new tram lines are especially pleasurable to ride). However, should you be considering a trip out to the vineyards, a car is convenient but not absolutely essential.
The Tourist Office offers guided tours to the vineyards, taking you there by chartered bus, but if you would like a more personalized itinerary, a number of people and companies who arrange private château visits can take you out of the city to see the châteaux.
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How about cycling? We%26#39;ve never plucked up courage to make the booking, but I keep looking at cycling holidays in the area. I%26#39;ve come across www.thechaingang.co.uk/ who haven%26#39;t got 2007 info out yet, but appear to work with an Irish company on cycling / wine-tasting through vineyards; www.sherpa-walking-holidays.co.uk/default.asp (who do cycling holidays as well, but it%26#39;s a bit off-putting that they can%26#39;t spell %26#39;Entre deux mers%26#39;) and http://www.hfholidays.co.uk/cycling/index.asp who look to follow a similar route, not entirely vineyards. I%26#39;m sure there are others, if you wanted to investigate further.
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Cycling is a great way to see the region. The Médoc, to the north of the city, is remarkably flat and perfect for leisurely biking, especially on the Route Departmentale 2 which is where almost all of the great châteaux are to be found.
A little more hilly but much more beautiful is the countryside around Saint-Emilion, where you are also surrounded by great vineyards. The Entre-deux-Mers area is gorgeous, and although it, too, is covered with vines, it is not especially known for the quality of its wines; nonetheless, it is a beautiful region to bike through.
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If you want to cycle on beautiful forest paths close to the lakes and beaches try the Landes area. We rent a house there in the season, please see www.lepiteou.com for details. The cycle paths are numerous and are found all along the coast. I recently lost lotsa of weight cycling on these routes close to Leon, Moliets, Vieu Bocou, etc. Very beautiful at any time of year, but especiall lovely in May and September.
Denise
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If you want to cycle on beautiful forest paths close to the lakes and beaches try the Landes area. We rent a house there in the season, please see www.lepiteou.com for details. The cycle paths are numerous and are found all along the coast. I recently lost lotsa of weight cycling on these routes close to Leon, Moliets, Vieu Bocou, etc. Very beautiful at any time of year, but especiall lovely in May and September.
Denise
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Many thanks for your replies. Cycling isn%26#39;t something I had thought of so that is definitely an option - I%26#39;ll do some more research!
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Grosbil (the first reply to your post) mentioned that if you do not have a car but wish to visit vineyards in the Bordeaux region, it would be difficult. I agree entirely. I also think since Bordeaux is famous for its wine and vineyards, it would be a pity to visit Bordeaux and yet not go visit the wine Chateaux. If you do not wish to drive and yet wish to visit the wine Chateaux and vineyards, I would recommend that you engage the services of Dewey Markham. He would make your visit to the vineyards and wine Chateaux memorable and I believe he could come pick you up at the place you are staying and drive you on a custom-tailored tour of the region. You could correspond with him via email and let him know what you wish to see (e.g. the big names, the small establishments, the %26quot;sleepers%26quot; etc) and how knowledgeable/ignorant you are about Bordeaux wines. He will then plan a trip to cater to your needs and interests. This is exactly what we did when we visited Bordeaux in October this year - see my trip report which I posted yesterday.
Dewey Markham may be contacted at details@dmjwineworks.com
St Emilion is beautiful and there is a very good tourist centre which will provide you with maps and information. There are a number of pretty little villages dotted around in the region, and the information centre will be able to provide you with a map route.
Have a fun-filled trip!
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You can go to Bordeaux with out a vehicle if you can cycle reasonably well. There are tour companies that work out a route and itinery for you, and supply bikes, all you do is cycle from one hotel to the other,all your luggage is taken for you to each hotel, brilliant!
I went to Bordeaux this year with my daughter and she loved it. We cycled, and drove, but it was brill. Lovely food, nice people, wine. Fantastic. And the roads are so quiet. Don%26#39;t think about it any more, just do it. You will not regeret it. See you there next year!!!
Cheers,
Colin.
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