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Bordeaux Hotel near train station

Anyone have a recommendation for hotel in Bordeaux, probably just for one night possibly 2. I was thinking near the train station as we will be flying into Bordeaux and I understand the public transportation will bring you directly to the train station. And then we will need to pick up a rental car and the only 2 options seem to be Bordeaux train station or back to the airport. So it looks like near the train station would be best. Were hoping to see a little of Bordeaux (the flight we hope to book arrives at 5:40 p.m.) when we arrive and possibly a tiny bit the next morning before picking up our car. Any recommendations for must-see sites or tasty food?

Posted by
5503 posts

There are a bunch of hotels around the station. A Best Western, at least 2 Ibis. We are staying in an Ibis when we go to Bordeaux in September. We also wanted to be by the train station. While I prefer small, family owned inns, we've stayed in Ibis before and they are pretty reliable. There is a UNESCO walking tour of the town. You can probably get a map from the TI in the train station. One thing I'm excited about is Bar a Vin. They do cheese/charcuterie plates and have lots of Bordeaux wines which they serve in small amounts for great prices. I'm told they have sommeliers "in training" that tend the bar and can structure a tasting for customers.

You will not find a lot of Bordeaux lovers in this forum although I've gotten great info from a few people. Most of my info is coming from the web, Fodor's and Michelin. The TI website is great, they actually sent me information and I've emailed them with a few questions and the reply promptly.

Posted by
610 posts

Thanks, Jules M. We, too prefer small, family-owned inns. That said, we were very happy with the Ibis hotel right in CDG for an early morning flight back in the before times. So I will check out the Ibis and the best Western near the Bordeaux train station. Sep in Bordeaux should be great! We were actually scheduled to spend a few days in Bordeaux in Sep 2020 but I guess we all know what happened to that! I will also look into the UNESCO walking tour. I had read about Bar a Vin which does sound interesting. I had read also that there are some inexpensive boat rides on the river. I think it's for the price of a bus or tram ticket. I believe this was from lonely planet's "pocket Bordeaux" which I, unfortunately no longer have. And hey, weren't you asking in an earlier post about arriving in France from Spain? Or the other way around? Evidently, as per Kim, if you have vaccination documentation no longer need the Covid test to enter France. So I hope it's all true and that all lasts. Again, thanks for your help

Posted by
10117 posts

That area is away from the interesting, center part of town. I wouldn’t recommend staying there.

Posted by
5503 posts

@Kay, Yes, their tram card includes the trams, buses and the ferries. And, yep, that's me. We are in Bordeaux a few days before the Dordogne and then the Basque area of Spain and France. We will get into Cantabria and Picos de Europa a bit before swinging thru La Rioja and back to France for Toulouse and Carcassonne. Hope this all pans out. Right now it looks like we'd be doing just one COVID test, to get back to the U.S. @Bets, I'm sure you are right. Most of the time you will find me pretty much city center. But we are in Bordeaux just 2 nights. We get there the first day by train and the second day we are picking up a car at the train station so that we can travel into Medoc and Bourg areas. The tram does get us to city center in less than 15 minutes, so hopefully we will get the flavor of the city. We have lots of plans for city center, or at least that's what my highlighter seems to indicate!

Posted by
6773 posts

The train station area is fine for one night, but for two nights, staying in the city center is worth it!
From the airport, bus line 1 will take you right to the edge of the city center.

Posted by
427 posts

Hôtel des 4 Soeurs is a pretty decent place in central Bordeaux. You can take a tram from the train station to the hotel for a little less than 2€ per rider. Get off at Place des Quinconces and it's a 2 to 3 minute walk to the hotel. Other hotels in that immediate vicinity are Hôtel de Normandie and Hôtel de Sèze. There's lots to see, in my view, in central Bordeaux. I like it better than some.

As far as restaurants go, there are literally hundreds in the area, but if you want to splurge, La Table d'Hôtes across from the opera house a few minutes' walk from Hôtel des 4 Soeurs would love to show you a good time.

For a price.

If you're interested in how Bordeaux emerged as an important wine exporting area, Le Musée du Vin et du Négoce de Bordeaux is within walking distance of the hotel and gives a good overview of the influence of the Dutch and English in shaping the wine industry of the area. Much different than, say, Burgundy.

This is an older, more traditional museum than the more distant La Cité du Vin, which I have not seen but I understand it has more interactive and Internet-dependent exhibits.

Posted by
1357 posts

Enjoy your trip! We're looking to spend a few days in the Bordeaux wine region this fall and I appreciate all the helpful feedback you're receiving on this thread.

Posted by
134 posts

We have a cycling trip planned, arriving in Bordeaux on August 23rd and returning home from Bordeaux on October 5th. We will be staying 4 nights in Bordeaux before heading out via bicycle and have booked Maison l'Odeia which is about a 10 - 15 taxi ride from Gare St. Jean or 19 minutes via tram. Maison l'Odeia is a guest house with 5 rooms which based on their website looks like what you are looking for. We haven't stayed there but it ticked all our boxes - the primary one being secure storage for our bikes. It is a 10 minute walk from Bar à Vin. I've created Google maps with restaurants and wine bars and the walking tours from the Michelin Guide - happy to share both with you if you send me a message.

When we leave on October 5 we are staying overnight at the Hilton Garden Inn which is almost across the street from the station so we can easily get to the airport for our return flight. And, we can use our Hilton Rewards points.