Bordeaux as a base

We enjoyed the city of Bordeaux. You can visit wineries from Bordeaux, without a car, you probably will need a tour. You can get to Saint-Émilion via train in about 40 minutes. I see that as a good day trip. Dordogne is a place best explored by car. However, you can get to Sarlat via train, but I do not see that as a day trip. It is about 2.5 hours one way.

Mike,
I think Bordeaux is a bit underappreciated. We were there for two, two-day stops in 2023. I wish we could have had about 6 full days based in Bordeaux. If I am reading your post correctly, you are thinking of the Dordogne as a day trip from Bordeaux. It is definitely not a day trip, and needs a full five days (6 nights) or more on its own, if not longer. Sarlat, for instance is 2 1/2-3 hours drive from Bordeaux. The region is about 3500 sq. miles and covers a very big and spread-out variety of terraine, sights, history.....Definitely not a day trip (plus 5-7 hrs round trip)., unless you just want to stop in maybe one town.

In Bordeaux, among many things to see are: Museum of Acquitaine, Museum of Fine Arts, Basilica St. Michel, Cathedral of St. Andre, Basilica St. Seurin, Cite du Vin, Bassins des Lumieres, Musee du Vin etc du Negoce, strolling a long the riverfront or in the Vieux Carre.

Day trips to St. Emilion, winery tours in St. Emilion or Bordeaux countryside or the Medoc, Arcachon (beach).

Lots more than I mentioned...Amusez-vous bien!

P.S. TGV to and from Paris Gare Montparnasse/Bordeaux Gare Saint-Jean are just over 2 hours.

Bordeaux has changed a lot over the last 25 years, in particular thanks to the mayors who have changed the city and the introduction of the TGV high-speed train line in the 1990s. This development brought Bordeaux within just 2h of Paris, drawing in Parisians (and leading to a noticeable increase in the cost of living).
However, one thing remains unchanged: the flat landscape and the industrial suburbs of Bordeaux, which may have caught your attention back then.

While it's possible to make a day trip to Sarlat, you'd likely find most of your time spent on the train, and it's unrealistic to think you could explore the Dordogne without a car. Plus, once you reach Sarlat, you're only at the western edge of the Dordogne Valley, which stretches much further to the east.

The entire area south of Bordeaux along the Atlantic coast is an immense forest, the Landes forest, which, with its endless beaches, is very popular in summer with tourists.

If you're looking for day trip options beyond wine tours, consider Arcachon Bay. It's under an hour away from Bordeaux by train, although your options could be limited without a car.

https://bassindarcachon.fr/

https://bassin-arcachon.com/en/

You can also explore the Gironde estuary (to the north of Bordeaux), 1 hour from Bordeaux by train, which is home to the famous Médoc vineyards.

https://www.guide-bordeaux-gironde.com/en/experiences/food-lovers/article-visit-pauillac-surroundings-236.html

We really enjoy Bordeaux for itself as a wonderful city to explore and relax. We're not wine drinkers, but greatly enjoyed the Cite du Vin. We also took a short bus ride to the Chateau Pape Clement just outside Bordeaux, not for a tour or wine, but to walk the beautiful garden grounds.
Bordeaux is highly walkable, has a very good transportation system, great restaurants across price ranges, and oh, the people-watching along the Gironde is deeply relaxing and enjoyable. The various gardens and parks are wonderful and their own form of pleasure and relaxation as well.

Mike, you'll find that many châteaux in the Margaux, Pauillac, Pessac-Leognan and Haut-Médoc appellations are easily reached on foot for reasonably fit persons; Margaux and Pauillac both have train stations that get you close to many great vineyard properties. Bicycles will get you to even more. And Saint-Émilion is also reached easily by train from Bordeaux, and provides very different terrain; it's much hillier, and there are some gorgeous vistas. Visit at sunset if train schedules allow.

As for the Dordogne, Bergerac, Sarlat and Périgueux all are on direct train routes from Bordeaux. But be sure to visit the Musée d'Aquitaine in Bordeaux for their outstanding drone video of Périgord cave paintings. And for lots of other fascinating displays, obviously.

Arcachon, Biarritz and La Rochelle are three coastal towns that are all easily reached by train from Bordeaux, and they're all distinctly different from one another. And all are gorgeous. Highly recommended. Bayonne, right next to Biarritz, is a bit larger with lots of Basque influence you might enjoy.

I'm moving to Bordeaux, so obviously I've found lots to enjoy there!

Hi Mike! I'm biased but I love Bordeaux and it is definitely worth a week. Lots to do in the city (someone gave a great list) and many wonderful day trips (Archachon, Dune de Pilat, St. Émilion, Paulliac, etc.) The Dordogne may be a bit optimistic and, as JoLui mentions, you really do need a car to see the area. For a good list of the local events, check out www.lostinbordeaux.com as she has a monthly newsletter (you do not need to subscribe) that outlines all the current events. And the weather is usually perfect in Sept/Oct. Not too hot but still quite pleasant. I hope you enjoy your visit!

once you reach Sarlat, you're only at the western edge of the Dordogne Valley

I'm confused (actually pretty common for me). My maps show Sarlat as being near the eastern boundary of the region characterized as Dordogne. But you're saying western edge of the valley. ???

Guessing I'm going to need to get much more knowledgeable about this kind of thing.

jphbucks - I agree, Sarlat appears to be at the eastern edge of the Dordogne region, at least according to maps I've seen.

Your suggestion re: La Rochelle brings back memories of that same dark-ages trip I did all those decades ago. I actually loved La Rochelle, though didn't spend enough time there. It's a place I've recommended to several friends who travel the west of France (so far no has taken that suggestion). I've been curious about Bayonne but have yet to research it.

Mike

So the "Dordogne" name can be a bit confusing as it can also be called the Périgord (it's old name.) There is the département named Dordogne of which Sarlat is on the Eastern most side. Then there is the touristy (for lack of a better word) area of Dordogne which tourists commonly visit and, in which, Sarlat is on the more Western side. In actuality the Dordogne département starts just outside of St. Émilion, past Castillon la Bataille. However, that's not typically what tourists are meaning when they talk about visiting the "Dordogne".

jphbucks,

What often causes confusion about the Dordogne and where it’s actually located is that the name “Dordogne” refers to several different things, thanks to French bureaucracy for the mix-up. It can mean:

The Dordogne River

The administrative department of Dordogne (Department 24)

The Dordogne Valley

The Dordogne “terroir,” which is essentially the Périgord region.

To make things even more complicated, I’d add that in terms of public transportation, Sarlat and the surrounding area are part of the Nouvelle-Aquitaine network (the same one as Bordeaux), while all the other areas fall under the Occitanie region, which manages a different transit system called the liO network. So, if you're trying to get around without a car and find the right transport schedules, good luck! ;-)

But I’m guessing that what you’re looking for as a tourist is the version of the Dordogne described by let’s say, Rick Steves. The one with the caves, castles, villages, canoeing, scenic landscapes, and farmers' markets. If that’s the case, Sarlat is actually just in a small area located more toward the west.

The thing most North American visitors don't realize is that you can find all those classic "tourist" highlights across a much broader area, especially east of Sarlat and into the Lot River Valley. This includes at least the Lot department and the Quercy region.

You'll find this information in all good travel guides. For example, the Michelin Guide:

https://cartovia.com/en/products/guide-vert-perigord-quercy-dordogne-lot-michelin

https://www.amazon.fr/Guide-Vert-P%C3%A9rigord-Quercy-Dordogne/dp/2067244914

Or the Rough Guide:

https://shop.roughguides.com/book/the-rough-guide-to-the-dordogne-the-lot

Fortunately, there are a few people on this forum who have ventured further east and south and can confirm this.

To give you an extreme example: if you look at this tourist map of the Dordogne Valley, Sarlat is so far west that it's actually hard to spot.

https://www.cartographik.com/Dordogne%27s-valley---touristic-map