When you’re planning things to do in Bordeaux, it helps to know that the city grew rich on the wine trade and shipping,

and you can see it in the long rows of pale 18th-century limestone façades along the quays,

which, together with the rest of the historic city, are on the UNESCO World Heritage List as Port de la Lune.

The old harbour quays have now been turned into promenades, and most of what you’ll want to see in the city lies within half an hour’s walk of each other.

Here are my picks for the 18 best sights in Bordeaux with prices, opening hours and tips, from the water mirror at Place de la Bourse to Cité du Vin and day trips to Saint-Émilion, Médoc and Dune du Pilat. Prices are given in euros.

If you’re staying more than a couple of days, put the day trips in the middle of your stay and keep the first days for the city, because the Old Town, the quays and the markets are best when you have plenty of time.

1. Place de la Bourse and Miroir d’eau

Place de la Bourse is the picture of Bordeaux you know from postcards: a semicircle of elegant palaces facing the river, designed by the royal architect Jacques Gabriel and his son. The square was laid out from 1720, and the main buildings were completed between 1735 and 1755. In the middle stands the Fountain of the Three Graces, which replaced a statue of Napoleon in 1869.

Between the square and the river lies the Miroir d’eau, one of the largest reflecting pools in the world. A thin layer of water, about two centimetres deep, covers a huge granite surface and mirrors the façades, and at regular intervals the water drains away and is replaced by a dense mist from around 900 nozzles. It’s free, and the water mirror runs every day from 10am to 10pm outside winter, while it’s switched off for maintenance from November to April.

My tip is to come as darkness falls and the façades are lit up. Stand at the edge when the water is perfectly still, and you’ll get the whole square reflected in a single shot. You’re welcome to walk around in the water, and on a warm summer evening it’s full of children running through the mist.

2. Saint-Pierre and Porte Cailhau

Behind Place de la Bourse lies the Saint-Pierre quarter, the heart of the Old Town, with narrow streets, little squares and outdoor dining. Place du Parlement is the most charming of the squares, with matching façades and café tables all the way round, and Place Saint-Pierre with its Gothic church is two minutes away. This is where most people eat in the evening, and prices reflect that.

Facing the quay stands Porte Cailhau, a 35-metre-high city gate from the 1490s with towers and spires that looks more than anything like something out of a fairy tale. Inside there’s an exhibition on medieval Bordeaux with a model of the city, and from the top you look out over the river and Pont de Pierre. Tickets cost 7 euros, children under 13 get in free, and from April to October it’s open daily from 10am to 1pm and 2pm to 6pm, while opening hours are shorter in winter.

Saint-Pierre is also the first area in my guide to where to stay in Bordeaux, because you can walk to almost everything from here. You can see hotels in Saint-Pierre here.

Book a guided walking tour through the Old Town and past the UNESCO monuments here.

3. Grosse Cloche

The Grosse Cloche is one of the oldest bell towers in France and the only part of the city’s old walls still standing. The tower on Rue Saint-James has been both a city gate and a prison, and it was the bell tower of the old town hall. The bell, Armande-Louise, was cast in 1775 and weighs 7,750 kilos, and at the top sits a weathervane shaped like a lion, a nod to the English kings who ruled Bordeaux for around 300 years.

You can only get inside on a guided tour, which shows you the prison cells with their thick doors and heavy bolts. Tickets cost about 6 euros and are booked through the tourist office. The bell rings at 11am on six major commemorative days a year and at midday on the first Sunday of the month, so if you’re nearby at that time, you’ll hear it for free.

My tip is to combine the tower with a stroll along Rue Saint-James and on towards Saint-Michel. There are fewer tourists here than in Saint-Pierre and more little bakeries, where you can buy a canelé, the city’s small cake with a crisp, caramelised crust and a soft centre flavoured with rum and vanilla.

4. Cathédrale Saint-André and Tour Pey-Berland

The city’s cathedral is a Gothic giant on Place Pey-Berland, and it has hosted two royal weddings. In 1137 Eleanor of Aquitaine married the future French king Louis VII here, and around five hundred years later it was the turn of Louis XIII and Anne of Austria. Walk round to the north side to see the Portail Royal, where a restoration has given the sculptures back the vivid colours they were originally painted in. The cathedral itself is free to enter.

The Tour Pey-Berland bell tower stands on its own beside the cathedral, because the old tower couldn’t bear the weight of the bells. It was begun in 1440, is about 50 metres tall, and just over 230 steps lead up to one of the best views over the city’s rooftops. Tickets cost 9 euros, and under-26s get in free. The tower can be closed at times, so check its website before you go.

On the other side of the square is the town hall, Palais Rohan, and behind it you’ll find the small Jardin de la Mairie garden, where you can sit in peace with a coffee while the trams ring past on the square.

5. Grand Théâtre and Place de la Comédie

The Grand Théâtre was designed by the architect Victor Louis and opened in 1780 with Racine’s tragedy Athalie. The façade facing Place de la Comédie has twelve Corinthian columns, and on top of the balustrade stand twelve statues of the nine Muses and three goddesses. It’s still home to the Opéra National de Bordeaux, so you can see opera, ballet and concerts in the old auditorium.

If you want to go inside without buying a ticket for a performance, there are guided tours that take you through the foyer, up the grand staircase and into a box overlooking the auditorium. The tourist office’s tour costs about 10 euros for adults and about 5 euros for children, and it lasts under an hour. Times depend on the theatre’s programme, so book ahead.

The steps in front of the theatre are the city’s meeting point in the evening, and from the square Rue Sainte-Catherine begins, the pedestrian street of more than a kilometre lined with shops all the way down to Place de la Victoire. It’s pleasant to walk, but it’s full of chain stores, so the side streets in Saint-Pierre are more charming.

Book a guided tour of the Grand Théâtre here.

6. Esplanade des Quinconces

The Esplanade des Quinconces is the largest square in France at 12 hectares, half of which is green space, and it feels almost empty when nothing is going on. At the end facing the city stands the Monument aux Girondins, a huge fountain with a tall column and bronze horses, built between 1894 and 1902 in memory of the Girondins, who lost the power struggle during the French Revolution. At the top of the column stands the Spirit of Liberty.

In spring and autumn the square fills up with the Foire aux plaisirs, a funfair that has been held here since 1853, and with a large flea market with more than 200 sellers. The rest of the year it’s mostly somewhere you walk past, but the square is one of the city’s most important transport hubs, and both the trams and many of the organised wine tours start from here.

My tip is to use the fountain as the starting point for a walk north along the quays to Chartrons. It takes around 20 minutes, and you take in the riverside promenade, the gardens and the old harbour sheds along the way.

7. Pont de Pierre and the quays along the Garonne

The Pont de Pierre was the first bridge across the Garonne in Bordeaux. Napoleon gave the order, and the bridge opened in 1822 with 17 arches, which according to legend match the number of letters in Napoléon Bonaparte. The bridge is just under 500 metres long, and today it’s closed to private cars, so it belongs to trams, cyclists and pedestrians. In the evening the old lamp posts light up along the whole length of the bridge.

The quays on the left bank were once cut off by harbour sheds and traffic, but today they form a long promenade with lawns, playgrounds and cycle paths from Saint-Michel to the Bassins à flot. Furthest north is the Pont Jacques Chaban-Delmas, a modern lift bridge whose central section rises vertically when large ships need to reach the city.

My tip is to walk across the Pont de Pierre an hour before sunset and back again once the lights come on. From the right bank you can see the whole riverfront from Place de la Bourse to Saint-Michel in one go, and it’s the best free view of the city you’ll get. Hire one of the public city bikes if you want to go further along the river.

8. Saint-Michel and Marché des Capucins

Saint-Michel is the city’s most mixed neighbourhood, with North African bakeries, flea markets and a large Gothic basilica. The free-standing bell tower, the Flèche Saint-Michel, was completed in 1492 and is 114 metres tall, making it one of the tallest bell towers in France. After five years of restoration you can once again climb its 230 steps. The tower is open daily from April to October, 10am to 1pm and 2pm to 6pm, and a ticket costs 7 euros or 11 euros combined with the Porte Cailhau, while children under 13 go free.

On Sundays there’s a flea market on Place Canteloup in front of the basilica from 7am to 2pm. Ten minutes’ walk south is the Marché des Capucins, the city’s big food market, which is open Tuesday to Sunday in the mornings. Here you stand at the stalls eating oysters from Arcachon with a glass of white wine at eleven in the morning, and it’s completely normal.

Visit the market on a Saturday or Sunday, when it’s at its liveliest and open until 2pm. The market is closed on Mondays, so plan accordingly.

9. Musée d’Aquitaine

The Musée d’Aquitaine tells the whole history of the region from prehistoric times to the present day, and it’s the museum that best explains why Bordeaux looks the way it does. You start with Stone Age finds from the Dordogne, including the famous Venus of Laussel holding her horn, and carry on through the Roman city of Burdigala, the Middle Ages under English rule and the port city’s golden age in the 18th century. The museum makes no secret of the fact that some of the wealth came from the colonial trade and the slave trade.

The museum is on Cours Pasteur, a few minutes’ walk from the cathedral, and is open Tuesday to Sunday from 11am to 6pm, with tickets costing 6 euros, or 8 euros when there’s a special exhibition. Students under 26 pay 2 euros, and entry is free on the first Sunday of the month, except in July and August. It’s closed on Mondays and public holidays.

Allow an hour and a half to two hours. In my view it’s the best place to spend a rainy day, and if you visit the museum before the Cité du Vin, you’ll better understand how wine made the city rich.

10. Darwin on the right bank

On the other side of the river, in the La Bastide district, Darwin occupies the old Caserne Niel military barracks. It has been turned into an alternative quarter with an indoor skate park for around 300 skaters, huge murals on the halls, a second-hand shop and Magasin Général, a large bistro serving mostly organic food. There are concerts, markets and festivals, and at weekends the place is packed with locals.

It costs nothing to wander around the site, but if you want to skate it’s 5 euros for the day. To get there, take tram A to the Stalingrad stop, then walk along Quai des Queyries past the big blue lion on the square. You can also walk across the Pont de Pierre and follow the river, in which case it takes around 25 minutes from Place de la Bourse.

My tip is to have lunch at Magasin Général and walk back along the right bank, where you get the view of the whole riverfront on the other side. It’s also one of the few places in the city where you see Bordeaux without limestone and the 18th century.

Book a guided bike tour of the Old Town, Grosse Cloche, Darwin and Chartrons here.

11. Chartrons and the wine merchants’ quarter

Chartrons, north of the centre, was the wine merchants’ quarter. This is where the big trading houses had their warehouses, and behind the narrow façades facing the quay the old wine cellars stretch deep into the blocks. Today Rue Notre-Dame is the neighbourhood’s main street, lined with antique shops, wine bars and cafés, and the atmosphere is more local and relaxed than in the Old Town.

On Sundays there’s a market on Quai des Chartrons from early morning until 2pm, and it’s a good place to pick up cheese, bread and wine for a picnic. The Musée du Vin et du Négoce is set in one of the old cellars and tells the story of the wine trade, and a ticket including a tasting of two wines costs around 12 euros. The CAPC art museum, in a former warehouse for colonial goods, is also in the neighbourhood.

Chartrons is a good choice if you’ve been to the city before and want to stay somewhere quieter with wine bars round the corner. You can see hotels in Chartrons here.

Book a ticket to the Musée du Vin et du Négoce with wine tasting here.

12. Jardin Public

Jardin Public sits right between Chartrons and Esplanade des Quinconces and is the city’s green breathing space. The garden was laid out in 1746 as a formal French garden and remodelled as an English landscape park in the mid-1800s, so today you wander among large trees, a winding lake with little bridges and lawns where locals lie reading a book. The garden is also home to a botanical garden and the city’s natural history museum.

The garden is free and open every day, but it closes earlier in winter than in summer. Tram C stops at Jardin Public right by the entrance, and from the Grand Théâtre it’s about a ten-minute walk along Cours de Verdun.

My tip is to stock up at the Sunday market in Chartrons and bring your food here. If you have children with you, there’s plenty of room to run around, and it’s a good break between museums if your legs need a rest.

13. La Cité du Vin

Cité du Vin opened in 2016 by the river in Bassins à flot, and the building’s soft curves are meant to evoke wine being swirled in a glass. Inside, you make your way round a large permanent exhibition with a digital guide in hand, learning about wine from all over the world, about growing, trade and history. To be honest, it’s more an interactive experience than a classic museum, but it’s well done.

A ticket costs around 22 to 23 euros and includes a glass of wine in the Belvédère on the 8th floor, 35 metres above the river, where you choose from around 15 wines. Allow two to three hours, and book a timed ticket in advance at weekends and during the summer holidays. Tram B stops at La Cité du Vin right outside the door, and the ticket is included in the Bordeaux CityPass.

My tip is to head out there late in the afternoon and finish with your glass in the Belvédère as the light falls on the river. If you’re going on a wine trip to Saint-Émilion or the Médoc, do Cité du Vin first so you have the background in place.

Book a ticket to Cité du Vin with a glass of wine in the Belvédère here.

14. Bassins des Lumières in the submarine base

The enormous concrete bunker in Bacalan was built by the German occupying forces during the Second World War as a submarine base, and it’s so massive that demolishing it has never made sense. Today the old basins where the submarines were moored have been turned into Bassins des Lumières, one of the world’s largest digital art centres. Paintings by great artists are projected onto the walls and down into the water in the basins while music fills the space.

The exhibitions change, so check the programme before you go. A ticket costs around 16 euros, and it’s included in the Bordeaux CityPass. From Quinconces, take tram C to Ravezies and bus 9 to Base Sous-Marine, or take bus 5 from Tourny to Bassins à Flot.

My tip is to combine Bassins des Lumières with Cité du Vin on the same day, as they’re close to each other along the old harbour basins. Bring a jacket, because it’s cool inside the concrete, even in summer.

Book a ticket to Bassins des Lumières here.

15. Boat trip on the Garonne

Bordeaux was built to be seen from the river, and from a boat you understand why it’s called Port de la Lune. The sightseeing boats depart from the quays by Place de la Bourse and Quinconces, sailing under Pont de Pierre and up to the lift bridge while a guide tells you about the port and the wine trade. Most trips last an hour and a half and cost 15 to 20 euros, often with a glass of wine and a canelé on board.

The budget option is Bat³, the public river boats that cross between the banks and run up and down the river as part of the public transport network. If you have a day pass for the trams, the boat is included in the price, but you don’t get a guide.

My tip is a trip late in the afternoon or in the evening, when the façades are lit up. There are also trips with lunch or dinner on board, but the food isn’t the reason to go, so I’d choose the short trip and eat in town afterwards.

Book a cruise on the Garonne with a glass of wine and a canelé here.

16. Day trip to Saint-Émilion

Saint-Émilion is the most popular day trip from Bordeaux, and the little medieval town on a limestone hill in the middle of the vineyards is well worth the journey. The town and the surrounding wine landscape have been on the UNESCO World Heritage List since 1999. The highlight is the underground monolithic church, carved straight out of the rock in the early 1100s, about 38 metres long and 12 metres high.

The church can only be seen on a guided tour, while the 68-metre bell tower with its 196 steps costs an extra 2 euros. The tour takes under an hour and is in French, but the tourist office hands out a printed translation in English and several other languages. The regional train from Bordeaux Saint-Jean takes about half an hour, but the station is 1.5 kilometres down the hill, so allow 20 to 30 minutes to walk up to the town.

If you want to taste wine at the châteaux, an organised tour is the easiest option, as the wine estates are spread out. Stay the night if you can, as the town is quiet and beautiful once the day visitors have gone home. You can see hotels in Saint-Émilion here.

Book a half-day trip to Saint-Émilion with a tasting at a Grand Cru Classé château here.

17. The Médoc and the wine châteaux along the Route des Châteaux

North of Bordeaux, the D2 road, the Route des Châteaux, runs up through the Médoc on the river’s left bank, and this is where you’ll find the châteaux that made Bordeaux wine famous. You drive through Margaux, Saint-Julien, Pauillac and Saint-Estèphe, where names such as Château Margaux, Latour, Lafite Rothschild and Mouton Rothschild sit side by side with the magnificent Pichon Baron and Pichon Comtesse châteaux right by the road. Many of them were ranked in the famous 1855 classification.

It’s not like walking into a wine shop. Most châteaux only receive visitors by appointment, and the best-known ones need to be booked well in advance or don’t take ordinary tourists at all. Margaux is about half an hour’s drive from the city and Pauillac about an hour, and there’s almost no useful public transport, so you’ll need a car or to join a tour.

If you’re driving yourself, you can compare car hire prices in Bordeaux here, but remember that the driver can’t join in the tasting. That’s why an organised tour is often the best choice in the Médoc.

Book a half-day trip to two wine châteaux in Margaux and the Médoc here.

18. Dune du Pilat and Arcachon

The Dune du Pilat is Europe’s highest sand dune, and it lies just under an hour from Bordeaux at the mouth of the Arcachon Bay. The dune is around 100 metres high, 2.9 kilometres long and 600 metres wide, and from the top you can see the Atlantic and the sandbanks on one side and an endless pine forest on the other. It’s free to climb, but the walk up the soft sandy slope is harder than it looks.

The train from Bordeaux Saint-Jean to Arcachon takes about 45 to 55 minutes and runs many times a day. From Arcachon station, bus 3 goes to the dune in July and August, while for the rest of the year you’ll need to take a taxi, a bike or an organised tour. If you’re driving, parking at the dune costs 7 to 11 euros depending on how long you stay.

Spend the rest of the day in Arcachon, where the Ville d’Hiver has romantic 19th-century villas, and eat oysters from the bay in one of the harbour villages. Visit the dune early in the morning or at sunset, when the sand isn’t scorching hot. You can see hotels in Arcachon here.

Book a day trip to the Dune du Pilat and Arcachon with an oyster lunch here.

Practical travel tips for Bordeaux

The centre is flat and easy to explore on foot, and for everything else you can use the trams, which run frequently and cover the quays, Chartrons, Cité du Vin and the station. From Bordeaux-Mérignac Airport, the tram takes about 35 minutes into the centre, and the day ticket is valid on trams, buses and the river boats.

The Bordeaux CityPass costs 37 euros for 24 hours, 48 euros for 48 hours and 56 euros for 72 hours, and it covers all public transport, Cité du Vin, Bassins des Lumières, one city tour and around 15 museums and monuments. If you visit both Cité du Vin and Bassins des Lumières on the same day, the one-day pass has paid for itself.

The best time to visit is from May to October, when the Water Mirror and the Flèche Saint-Michel are open. September and October are harvest time in the vineyards, and July and August can be very hot. Many museums are closed on Mondays, so save markets and day trips for then.

The train from Paris Montparnasse takes about two hours, so Bordeaux is easy to combine with the things to do in Paris. If you’re heading further south, the train to Toulouse also takes about two hours, and here’s my guide to where to stay in Toulouse. If you’re planning a longer trip, start with my overview of where to stay in France.

If you’d like the full selection, you can see all hotels in Bordeaux on Booking.com.

The post Things to Do in Bordeaux – 18 Experiences from the Water Mirror to the Wine Châteaux appeared first on Destination Well Known.

The city’s easy to get around on foot, but the neighbourhoods are very different. Here are my recommendations for six areas that each suit a different kind of trip, with hotels in several price ranges.

The Best Areas in Bordeaux

• Saint-Pierre - best area for first-time visitors
• Triangle d’Or - best area for luxury and shopping
• Chartrons - best area for wine bars and a local feel
• Saint-Michel - best area for markets and a smaller budget
• Gare Saint-Jean - best area for trains and day trips
• Bassins à flot - best area for the Cité du Vin and modern hotels

Below, I go through the areas one by one with a map, practical facts and three hotels in each area from luxury to budget, so you can find the base that suits your trip.

1. Saint-Pierre - best area for first-time visitors 🏛️

• 📍 Distance from the centre: You’ll be staying right in the Old Town, between Place de la Bourse, Place du Parlement and Place Saint-Pierre.
• 🚋 Transport: You can do most things on foot. The trams run along the quayside and on the edge of the neighbourhood, so it’s only a short hop to the rest of the city.
• ✈️ Time from Bordeaux-Mérignac Airport: Around 35 minutes on tram line F to Hôtel de Ville, then about 15 minutes on foot. With lots of luggage, a taxi is the easiest option.
• 💰 Price range: €€ to €€€€. The three places below cost roughly £90 to £315 a night when I searched for a weekend in May.
• 👮 Safety: The Old Town is full of life until late in the evening. Keep an eye on your pockets and bag on the busy squares and in the pedestrian streets.

Saint-Pierre is the heart of the Old Town and my first choice if it’s your first time in Bordeaux. The neighbourhood is made up of narrow streets between small squares, and from most of the hotels here it’s just a few minutes’ walk down to Place de la Bourse and the Miroir d’eau water mirror.

The water mirror is a large granite surface where a thin layer of water, about two centimetres deep, reflects the pale façades. It’s switched off in the winter months, so drop by on an evening in the summer half of the year, when the square’s lit up. Place du Parlement is one of the nicest places to eat outdoors, and since 1760 the houses around the square have been built or restored in the same style.

The old city gate, Porte Cailhau, dates from 1494 and rises 35 metres above the neighbourhood. You can climb it and look out over the river and Pont de Pierre.

See hotels in Saint-Pierre here.

The downside is noise. The restaurants and bars on the squares stay open late, and lots of hotels and apartments are in old buildings without a lift. If you’re a light sleeper, ask for a room facing the courtyard, and pack light if you’ll be carrying your suitcase up the stairs.

If you’ve only got two or three days in the city, you’ll make the most of your time here. From the airport, tram line F runs every ten minutes on weekdays, and the Hôtel de Ville stop is a short walk from the neighbourhood.

To the west runs Rue Sainte-Catherine, a long pedestrian street full of chain shops that links the Old Town with the Grand Théâtre. The squares are quiet in the morning, and that’s the best time to see the façades and the water mirror without the big groups. Lots of the apartments in the neighbourhood have a kitchenette, so you can shop at a market and eat in your room one evening.

Places to Stay in Saint-Pierre

Villa Reale - best apartment on Place du Parlement

Villa Reale is right on Place du Parlement and has apartments with a separate bedroom of around 41 m², so you get far more space than in a classic hotel room. There’s a sauna, and the guest rating was the highest of my picks in the Old Town. There’s no lift, so expect several flights of stairs, and some guests mention noise from the square and low water pressure in the shower.

One guest writes on Booking.com: “The location was excellent. The decor and comfort were perfect.”

See photos and book Villa Reale here.

Quality Hotel Bordeaux Centre - best mid-range hotel by Rue Sainte-Catherine

Quality Hotel is on Rue du Parlement Sainte-Catherine, between the Old Town and the Grand Théâtre, which you can walk to in a couple of minutes. The hotel has over 5,000 reviews on Booking.com and a high rating, and there’s a gym and a breakfast buffet. The rooms are around 20 m², and several guests mention small bathrooms and a bit of noise.

One guest highlights the location on Booking.com: “The hotel is really well located right between all the shops and restaurants.”

See photos and book Quality Hotel Bordeaux Centre here.

Le charmant quai bourgeois - cheapest way to stay in the middle of the Old Town

Le charmant quai bourgeois is a 29 m² apartment on Rue du Quai Bourgeois, about three minutes’ walk from Place de la Bourse. It was the cheapest of my three picks in Saint-Pierre, and you get more space than in most budget hotels. The apartment’s on the third floor with no lift, the air conditioning doesn’t work well in the bedroom, and there can be noise from a nearby restaurant and bar.

One guest sums it up briefly on Booking.com: “Excellent location within walking distance of everything.”

See photos and book Le charmant quai bourgeois here.

2. Triangle d’Or - best area for luxury and shopping 🎭

• 📍 Distance from the centre: You’ll be staying in the northern part of the centre, around the Grand Théâtre, Allées de Tourny and Cours de l’Intendance.
• 🚋 Transport: The tram stops at Grand Théâtre and Quinconces, and the Old Town is within walking distance to the south.
• ✈️ Time from Bordeaux-Mérignac Airport: Around 35 minutes on tram line F to Hôtel de Ville, then about 15 minutes on foot, or a taxi straight to the door.
• 💰 Price range: €€€ to €€€€. The three hotels below cost roughly £145 to £400 a night when I searched.
• 👮 Safety: One of the best-kept neighbourhoods in the city. Take the usual care on Place de la Comédie, where it gets crowded.

Triangle d’Or, the Golden Triangle, is Bordeaux’s smartest neighbourhood. It’s bounded by three grand streets, Cours de l’Intendance, Cours Clemenceau and Allées de Tourny, and this is where you’ll find the expensive designer shops, elegant cafés and several of the city’s best hotels.

At its centre is the Grand Théâtre on Place de la Comédie, an 18th-century opera house with a long row of columns along its façade. You can see an opera or a ballet, and otherwise the steps out front are a popular meeting place in the evening.

I’d pick this area if you’re travelling as a couple and would like to stay somewhere a bit special, or if shopping’s a big part of your trip. From the Grand Théâtre, it’s five minutes’ walk down to the river and ten minutes into the Old Town, so you’re still close to everything.

See hotels in Triangle d’Or here.

At the northern end of the neighbourhood is the Esplanade des Quinconces, a huge open square with the Monument aux Girondins fountain. The tram runs from here towards Chartrons and the Cité du Vin, so it’s also a good base if you’d like to see the northern part of the city.

The price is the downside. The hotels here are among the most expensive in the city, and even the mid-range hotels cost more than in Saint-Michel or by the station. On the other hand, the streets are quieter at night than the squares in the Old Town, so it’s a good choice if you want a proper night’s sleep.

The neighbourhood’s also a good place to start a wine tour. Several wine bars and wine shops are around the Grand Théâtre, and lots of the organised tours to the wine regions pick people up near the Esplanade des Quinconces. If you stay here, you can walk to the meeting point in the morning instead of taking the tram.

Places to Stay in Triangle d’Or

InterContinental Bordeaux Le Grand Hotel - best luxury hotel opposite the Grand Théâtre

The InterContinental is on Place de la Comédie, directly opposite the Grand Théâtre, and it’s the city’s most classic five-star hotel. There’s a spa, an indoor pool and a restaurant, and the guest rating is high. It’s the most expensive hotel in this guide, and several guests say the smallest rooms, at around 20 m², are small for the price.

One guest writes on Booking.com: “The staff are fantastic, polite and incredibly helpful.”

See photos and book InterContinental Bordeaux Le Grand Hotel here.

Hôtel de Sèze & Spa Bordeaux Centre - best boutique hotel with a spa

Hôtel de Sèze is on Allées de Tourny, about five minutes’ walk from the Grand Théâtre, and it’s a four-star boutique hotel with a spa, sauna and Turkish bath. The spa has to be booked in advance, and the classic double rooms are around 18 m², so guests mainly mention the small rooms as the drawback. It’s a good fit for a couple who want a spa without paying InterContinental prices.

One guest describes the hotel like this on Booking.com: “A real boutique hotel in a lovely location right in the centre.”

See photos and book Hôtel de Sèze here.

Hôtel Madame - cheapest of my picks close to Triangle d’Or

Hôtel Madame is on Rue Bouffard, just south of Cours de l’Intendance, and it was the cheapest of my three picks in the area. Guests especially praise the staff. The double rooms are only around 12 m², and the hotel uses fans instead of air conditioning, so it can get hot in summer.

One guest praises the staff on Booking.com: “The staff were lovely, helpful and friendly.”

See photos and book Hôtel Madame here.

3. Chartrons - best area for wine bars and a local feel 🍷

• 📍 Distance from the centre: Around 15 to 20 minutes’ walk north of the Grand Théâtre along the river.
• 🚋 Transport: Tram line B runs from Grand Théâtre and Quinconces through the neighbourhood towards the Cité du Vin, and the riverside promenade is great for walking or cycling.
• ✈️ Time from Bordeaux-Mérignac Airport: There’s no direct connection. Allow around an hour by tram with a change in the centre as a rough guide, or take a taxi.
• 💰 Price range: € to €€€€. The three hotels below cost roughly £75 to £370 a night when I searched.
• 👮 Safety: A quiet residential area. The quayside is well lit and busy in the evening, but stick to the main streets late at night.

Chartrons is the old wine merchants’ quarter, and its name comes from a Carthusian monastery that stood here in the Middle Ages. The wine merchants built their houses and warehouses close to the quay, and today it’s a neighbourhood where lots of the city’s own residents live.

The main street, Rue Notre-Dame, is full of antique dealers, wine shops and small restaurants. On Sundays there’s a market on the quay with around 60 stalls and views over the river, and if you’d like to learn more about the history of the wine trade, the Musée du Vin et du Négoce is in the neighbourhood.

I’d pick Chartrons if you’ve been to Bordeaux before, or if you’d like to stay somewhere that feels more like a local neighbourhood than a tourist area. In the evening, the wine bars and bistros in the side streets fill up, and the atmosphere’s more relaxed than in the Old Town.

See hotels in Chartrons here.

The distance is the biggest downside. It’s 15 to 20 minutes’ walk to the Grand Théâtre and even further to the Old Town, so you’ll end up taking the tram or doing quite a bit of walking.

On the other hand, you’ll often get more hotel for your money than in the centre, and the Cité du Vin is just a couple of stops further north. The neighbourhood also suits a longer trip, when you’d like to shop at the market and eat out locally.

The quay along the river has been turned into a long promenade with lawns, playgrounds and a skate park, so it’s a good neighbourhood for families too. In summer, people sit on the grass by the water in the evening, and you can walk all the way to Place de la Bourse along the river in about half an hour.

Places to Stay in Chartrons

Mondrian Bordeaux Les Carmes - best luxury hotel with a pool and spa

Mondrian is on Cours du Médoc in the northern part of Chartrons, and it’s a five-star design hotel with an indoor pool, a spa and a restaurant. The rooms are spacious, from around 26 m², and guests especially praise the staff. The downsides are expensive parking and 15 to 20 minutes into the centre, so it’s best for you if you’d like to relax at the hotel between excursions.

One guest writes on Booking.com: “The staff were truly exceptional, and the hotel’s facilities and restaurant were top class.”

See photos and book Mondrian Bordeaux Les Carmes here.

Hotel Indigo Bordeaux Centre Chartrons - best mid-range hotel at the southern end of the neighbourhood

Hotel Indigo is on Parvis des Chartrons, just a couple of minutes from the CAPC art museum and about ten minutes’ walk from the centre, so it’s the one of my three picks in Chartrons that’s closest to the Old Town. The standard rooms are 21 m², and there’s a restaurant and bar. Some guests mention a stuffy smell in the corridors and expensive parking.

One guest sums up their stay on Booking.com: “The hotel was colourful and fun.”

See photos and book Hotel Indigo Bordeaux Centre Chartrons here.

City Résidence Bordeaux Centre - good budget choice in the middle of Chartrons

City Résidence is an aparthotel on Place Paul Avisseau in the middle of Chartrons, and it was the cheapest of my three picks in the area. The studios are around 25 m², and there’s parking on site. Guests are happy with the location and the air conditioning, but several say the decor is worn and the beds are hard.

One guest writes on Booking.com: “Good location, the room had everything you needed, and the air conditioning was lovely.”

See photos and book City Résidence Bordeaux Centre here.

4. Saint-Michel - best area for markets and a smaller budget 🧺

• 📍 Distance from the centre: Around 10 to 15 minutes’ walk south of Place de la Bourse.
• 🚋 Transport: The tram runs along the quay on the edge of the neighbourhood, and you can walk to Gare Saint-Jean in about 20 minutes.
• ✈️ Time from Bordeaux-Mérignac Airport: Take the 30’Direct bus to Gare Saint-Jean in about 30 minutes, then walk or take the tram for the last stretch.
• 💰 Price range: € to €€. The three places below cost roughly £110 to £205 a night when I searched.
• 👮 Safety: The neighbourhood’s lively during the day, but some streets are more run-down. Stick to the well-lit streets in the evening, and mind your bag at the markets.

Saint-Michel is Bordeaux’s most mixed neighbourhood. It grew up around the port and over the years has welcomed newcomers from Spain, Portugal and North Africa, and you can still feel that in the shops and places to eat around the square in front of the Basilique Saint-Michel.

The church’s free-standing bell tower is one of the tallest in the city and can be seen from much of Bordeaux. On Sundays there’s a flea market in the neighbourhood, and a few streets away is the covered Marché des Capucins market hall, known as the belly of the city. Here you can eat oysters from the Bay of Arcachon at the counter and buy cheese, sausages and duck products from the region.

I’d pick Saint-Michel if your budget matters, or if you’d rather stay in a neighbourhood with everyday life than in a tourist area. You can walk into the Old Town along the river, and Gare Saint-Jean is close enough to make it easy to carry on by train.

See hotels in Saint-Michel here.

The neighbourhood isn’t as polished as Triangle d’Or. Some streets are run-down, and there’s building work in several places, so read the reviews about noise and surroundings before you book.

On the other hand, restaurant prices are lower than in the Old Town, and the neighbouring Sainte-Croix area around the old abbey church is a quiet corner for a stroll. The city’s music conservatoire and art school are here too, so you’ll see lots of students in the streets.

Lots of the places to stay here are apartments and small guesthouses rather than big hotels, which suits a family or a group of friends who want a kitchen and a bit more space. Always check whether there’s a lift, because many of the buildings are old and have steep stairs.

Places to Stay in Saint-Michel

Maison Fredon Bordeaux Centre - best boutique hotel in the neighbourhood

Maison Fredon is on Rue Porte de la Monnaie, about 300 metres from the Sainte-Croix church and around a kilometre from Place de la Bourse. It’s a small boutique hotel and the most expensive of my three picks in Saint-Michel. There’s no lift and no daily cleaning, and some guests mention noise from the neighbours.

Asked what they liked best, one guest answers like this on Booking.com: “Everything. The location was perfect, the decor was excellent, and the facilities provided everything you needed for a short stay.”

See photos and book Maison Fredon Bordeaux Centre here.

Staycity Aparthotels Bordeaux City Centre - best aparthotel with a kitchenette

Staycity is on Rue Leyteire, about 300 metres from the Basilique Saint-Michel and five minutes’ walk from the tram. The studios are around 18 m² and have a kitchenette, so you can make your own breakfast and save a bit. The hotel has over 5,000 reviews and a high rating, but guests mention limited wardrobe space and a shower drain that doesn’t always work well.

One guest writes on Booking.com: “A lovely stay at this brand new, modern and very comfortable hotel.”

See photos and book Staycity Aparthotels Bordeaux City Centre here.

L’ElégAnce quartier St Michel - cheapest choice with a full kitchen

L’ElégAnce is an apartment on Rue Dabadie, and it was the cheapest of my three picks in the area. You get a fully equipped kitchen with a dishwasher, plus air conditioning, which is good for a longer stay. The apartment’s on the second floor with no lift, and some guests mention building noise and that they didn’t feel completely safe in the surrounding streets.

One guest highlights the practical side on Booking.com: “The location, and it had everything we needed.”

See photos and book L’ElégAnce quartier St Michel here.

5. Gare Saint-Jean - best area for trains and day trips 🚆

• 📍 Distance from the centre: Around half an hour’s walk or a short tram ride to Place de la Bourse.
• 🚆 Transport: This is where the trains from Paris and the regional trains arrive, the 30’Direct bus from the airport stops at the station, and the tram leaves from the square out front.
• ✈️ Time from Bordeaux-Mérignac Airport: About 30 minutes on the 30’Direct bus with no change, or about 45 minutes on tram line F.
• 💰 Price range: € to €€. The three hotels below cost roughly £80 to £120 a night when I searched.
• 👮 Safety: As at many big railway stations, people hang around outside. Keep an eye on your luggage, and take a taxi if you’re arriving late.

The area around Gare Saint-Jean isn’t Bordeaux’s prettiest, but it’s the most practical if the train’s a big part of your trip. By high-speed train, the journey from Paris takes about two hours, so Bordeaux is easy to combine with a few days in the capital. Read my guide to where to stay in Paris, and if you’re landing at Orly, you can see how to get from Orly Airport to Paris.

From the airport, the 30’Direct bus runs straight to the station in about 30 minutes. A ticket costs around 9 euros bought online and 10 euros on the bus, which is roughly £7.50 to £8.50.

The station’s also the best base for day trips. The wine town of Saint-Émilion, which is on the UNESCO World Heritage List as a wine landscape, can be reached by regional train, but the station’s some way from the village, so expect an uphill walk. Many people choose an organised tour instead, which also visits a wine château.

See hotels near Gare Saint-Jean here.

If you’re heading on to Spain, you can read where to stay in San Sebastián, which makes an obvious next stop in the Basque Country. Bilbao is only a little further along the coast, and you’ll find my guide to where to stay in Bilbao here.

The city is building a new district around the station, so there are building sites in several places. In the evening it’s far quieter here than in the centre, and I’d only stay here for a couple of nights before or after a train journey.

On the other hand, the hotels here are some of the cheapest in the city, and there are lots of restaurants and cafés around the station. If you’ve got an early train or a late arrival, you’ll save both time and a taxi ride by staying a few minutes from the platforms.

Places to Stay near Gare Saint-Jean

Hotel 56 Bordeaux Handwritten - best four-star hotel by the station

Hotel 56 is on Quai de Paludate, about five minutes’ walk from the station, and it’s a four-star hotel with a restaurant, bar and gym. The classic rooms are around 21 m², and guests highlight the cleanliness and space. The quay is a nightlife area, and some guests find the surroundings less pleasant in the evening.

One guest writes on Booking.com: “The hotel was fantastically clean, and the rooms are very spacious and comfortable.”

See photos and book Hotel 56 Bordeaux Handwritten here.

Mercure Bordeaux Centre Gare Atlantic - best mid-range hotel close to the platforms

Mercure Gare Atlantic is on Rue Eugène Le Roy right by the station, so you can get from the train to reception in a few minutes. The rooms are around 21 m², and there’s a restaurant and a breakfast buffet. Some guests mention minor faults in the rooms and that there are no toiletries in the bathroom.

One guest highlights the location on Booking.com: “The location was excellent, very close to the station, where there were plenty of restaurants.”

See photos and book Mercure Bordeaux Centre Gare Atlantic here.

B&B HOTEL Bordeaux Centre Gare Saint-Jean - cheapest hotel by the station

B&B HOTEL is on Allée du Corail, about 500 metres south of the station, and it was the cheapest of the three when I searched. The double rooms are only 13 m², and breakfast costs extra. It’s a simple chain hotel for a night or two before an early train, and some guests mention that the cleaning and the power sockets could be better.

One guest writes on Booking.com: “It’s a lovely hotel that has everything you need for a comfortable stay.”

See photos and book B&B HOTEL Bordeaux Centre Gare Saint-Jean here.

6. Bassins à flot - best area for the Cité du Vin ⚓

• 📍 Distance from the centre: Around 3 kilometres north of Place de la Bourse. Expect to take the tram every time you head into the Old Town.
• 🚋 Transport: Tram line B stops at Cité du Vin and runs via Chartrons to Quinconces and Grand Théâtre.
• ✈️ Time from Bordeaux-Mérignac Airport: Allow around an hour by tram with a change in the centre as a rough guide, or take a taxi.
• 💰 Price range: € to €€. The three hotels below cost roughly £65 to £145 a night when I searched.
• 👮 Safety: A new and well-kept neighbourhood. Some streets are quiet in the evening, so stick to the quays and main streets.

Bassins à flot is the old harbour basins north of Chartrons, and today it’s one of Bordeaux’s newest neighbourhoods, with modern apartment blocks, restaurants and cafés along the water. The big attraction is La Cité du Vin, a wine museum in a modern, curved building right out by the river.

The exhibition covers wine from all over the world, not just from Bordeaux. With a ticket for the permanent exhibition and the Belvédère, you’ll finish on the viewing floor with a glass of wine, and it’s a good introduction before you head out to the wine regions.

I’d pick this area if you’d like a modern hotel at a lower price than in the centre, or if you’re travelling with children and would like more space around you. The promenade along the basins is great for an evening stroll, and there’s more room to breathe here than in the narrow streets of the Old Town.

See hotels near Bassins à flot here.

The old Second World War submarine base is also by the basins, and today it’s used for large digital art exhibitions, so there’s something to do even if the weather lets you down.

The downside is the distance to the Old Town. You’ll need to take the tram every time you want to go into the centre, and the neighbourhood doesn’t have the same historic charm as the rest of the city. On the other hand, the hotels here are newer and cheaper, and you can walk to Chartrons in 10 to 15 minutes.

If you’re coming by car, this area’s also the easiest place to park. Several of the hotels have a car park, and you won’t have to drive into the narrow streets of the Old Town, where car access is restricted. Leave the car and take the tram into town.

Places to Stay near Bassins à flot

Radisson Blu Hotel Bordeaux - best hotel with a spa by the basins

Radisson Blu is on Rue Lucien Faure by the basins, and it’s a four-star hotel with a spa, sauna, Turkish bath and restaurant. The Premium rooms are around 28 m². The spa costs extra, and some guests mention stains on the carpets and slow service in the restaurant, so don’t expect quite the same standard as the hotels in Triangle d’Or.

One delighted guest writes on Booking.com: “The most amazing hotel we’ve ever stayed in.”

See photos and book Radisson Blu Hotel Bordeaux here.

Moxy Bordeaux - best mid-range hotel close to the Cité du Vin

Moxy is on Quai du Maroc, about 300 metres from the Cité du Vin. The hotel has a bar, a restaurant and a games room with table tennis, and it suits travellers who mainly use the room for sleeping. The rooms are 17 m² with no fridge, and some guests mention noise.

One guest describes the atmosphere on Booking.com: “What a fantastic place to stay! The hotel is anything but ordinary. It’s quirky, offbeat and full of personality.”

See photos and book Moxy Bordeaux here.

Hife Bordeaux - cheapest choice in the whole guide

Hife is at the northern end of Bassins à flot, and it was the cheapest hotel in the whole guide when I searched. Some of the rooms have a kitchenette, and there’s a gym. It’s about 1.2 kilometres to the Cité du Vin and quite a walk to the tram, and breakfast costs extra.

One guest writes on Booking.com: “The hotel itself is new and modern, with excellent facilities and friendly, helpful staff.”

See photos and book Hife Bordeaux here.

Where should you avoid staying in Bordeaux?

I’d avoid the hotels at the airport in Mérignac unless you have a very early flight. The tram and the 30’Direct bus get you into the city in about half an hour, so you don’t gain much by staying out there.

Mériadeck, west of the centre, is a business district with offices and a large shopping centre. There are several cheap chain hotels, but there’s not much going on in the evening, and you’re further from the river and the Old Town.

The area around Bordeaux Lac, north of the city, is built around the exhibition centre and is a long way from the old neighbourhoods, so it’s best for trade fair visitors. If you’re a light sleeper, think twice about Quai de Paludate too, where the nightlife goes on until late.

If it’s your first time in Bordeaux, I’d stay in Saint-Pierre, or in Triangle d’Or if your budget stretches to a bit of luxury. Chartrons is the best choice if you’d like to stay somewhere more local with wine bars round the corner, and Saint-Michel gives you the most for your money close to the centre.

Bassins à flot suits you if you’d like a modern hotel with the Cité du Vin within walking distance, while Gare Saint-Jean is the practical choice for a short trip by train. The trams run frequently, and a single ticket from TBM costs about 1.90 euros (around £1.60), so it’s easy to get around from all six areas.

If you’re travelling on around France, I’ve also written about where to stay in Lyon and where to stay in Marseille, and if you’d like to see more of the capital, you’ll find my guide to the best things to do in Paris here.

The post Where to Stay in Bordeaux? The 6 Best Areas & Places to Stay appeared first on Destination Well Known.