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Ferry Blaye to Lamarque-9/2/2021

Posted by (Twin Cities of MN) on

We have a day to do some touring and wine tasting in the Bordeaux region. We are interested in Blaye. We will have a rental car. (We are going to St-Emilion the following day on the way to Dordogne).

So the initial thought was to drive up the right bank of the Gironde and then back via the left bank. We thought we'd taste at a place or two in or around Blaye and taste again in Medoc or Margaux. So looking at the materials I've received from Blaye tourism is what I thought was a bridge, is a ferry. It is a half hour ferry ride and it appears to me from the table (in French) that this ferry only runs about a few times in the afternoon.

Has anyone used this ferry? Can anyone suggest another route for the day which incorporates Blaye? We like scenic routes. While we'd like to taste at 2 -3 wineries, the main focus is touring the area.

Posted by
427 posts

We rented a gîte a few years ago near Pauillac and my impression was the Médoc was not particularly scenic. Large, relatively flat coastal plain vineyards with a sprinkling of châteaux associated with the wine producers. Good wines and some good restaurants tucked into tiny towns, but not particularly scenic, in my opinion. I can't speak for the Côtes-de-Blaye. We drove through it but nothing registered as especially remarkable to me, except for the large nuclear generation plant a few km north of Blaye. In general, this area is flatter than the hilly countryside of Bourgogne, Beaujolais, or even the hillier parts around Saint-Emilion.

We took the ferry to Royan from Verdon, located near the mouth of the Gironde, downstream of the ferry you're contemplating. it was a nice trip. Reminded me of Seattle. I'm not sure what website you were reviewing on ferry crossings, but this one indicates ferry departures from Blaye on 2 September to be every 90 minutes starting at 10:30 AM with the last one (on Saturdays) departing at 9:00 PM.

As the French express time, then, that would mean Blaye departures at:

  • 10h 30
  • midi (noon)
  • 13h 30
  • 15h
  • 16h 30
  • 18h
  • 19h 30
  • 21h
Posted by
6481 posts

Thank you, Sammy. I forgot I even posted this! I had figured out the basics since then, but your response provides more information. I think we will spend the bulk of the day on the right side and in Blaye and then take the ferry, which is supposed to be lovely as it crosses an estuary. You confirm what I've just kind of been finding out is that the left bank is not all that scenic. We will drive D-2 which is the Route of the Chateaus and then have plans to stop at a small chateau to taste.

We have not been to Bordeaux and actually are going more as a "gateway" to the Dordogne and on. I'm more excited about the wineries by St-Emilion and Bergerac, and then again when we get to Cahors. Our first visit to France included Alsace, Loire and Burgundy. The wine routes, especially in Alsace and Burgundy, were so beautiful, we always are trying to recreate those experiences.

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