I’m curious as to whether anyone has spent anytime in Bordeaux. Now that we’re retired, we will be spending about 7- 8 weeks in France this fall starting with two weeks on a Canal boat in burgundy then sometime in villages in the Dordogne region. a friend had recommended Bordeaux. I was surprised to see that Rick’s France guide had nothing on Bordeaux. We’re trying to spend a week in whatever area town we go so that we’re not constantly moving. Appreciate hearing from folks. Carroll
Posted by
St. Petersburg, FL
146 posts
Congratulations on your retirement! We have said since we retired that retirement is not over rated. You can now take time to travel at your own pace and spend time doing what your want when you want. We spent 5 days in Bordeaux last spring. What are your interests? We went to Bordeaux with the objective of exploring the wine regions. Hence we book 3 full days of private tours just for the wineries. Bordeaux is a beautiful city with wonderful waterfront, nice public gardens and some good museums. I don’t see two weeks there personally. We stayed in a hotel in the old city which was a great location but for a longer stay I would want more of an apartment setting.
Are you renting a car? After Bordeaux we picked up a rental car and spent a week in the Loire Valley which was fabulous. the driving was easy, scenery gorgeous and we enjoyed exploring the numerous castles in the area. The food was a highlight. We based in a very small village of Azay Le Rideau. Many prefer Amboise. Let us know what your interests are and that might help provide some guidance.
Posted by
Washington DC
28065 posts
Bordeaux had enough to keep me busy for just a few days; I like museums--especially art museums, but I have zero interest in wine. Bordeaux's not really close enough to be a good base for visiting Dordogne/Lot villages. It's OK for a day trip to St- Emilion.
If your idea is to stay in Bordeaux as a means of seeing a bunch of the small Dordogne/Lot villages without changing hotels frequently, I think you need to do something different. You should stay farther east.
Are you going to have a car? The Dordogne is much, much easier with a car. I don't know whether there's a place that would be workable with a car for a week or two. I used public transportation and was able to see a good bit, but I changed hotels every 2 to 4 nights, moving from one small city to another as necessary for access to rural buses. I liked staying in Brive-la-Gaillarde, Bergerac, Perigueux and Cahors. All had atmospheric historic centers. There may be much better locations for someone with a car.
Posted by
30 posts
We spent three weeks traveling in Paris. For us we considered Bordeaux the least interesting site of all our travels.