We are planning a ~14 day trip in October from Paris to Bordeaux (and/or environs) ending in Bilbao. We are considering a stop in San Sebastián on the way. We’ve been to Paris and planning only ~3-4 nights to see family.
We welcome thoughts on town(s) to stop on the way south. We like touring smaller towns — not so much big into wine tasting, though appreciate the countryside.
Thank you!
For stops in France near the Spanish border, I'm aware of these three options:
St-Emilion, a viable day trip from Bordeaux. The lower part of the town is very touristy, but if you start up at the top and wander down, you'll be back in the Middle Ages.
French Basque Country. I preferred Bayonne (where I stayed) and the much smaller St-Jean-de-Luz on the coast to Biarritz.
Dordogne/Lot. A lovely rural area with a variety of sights, including caves with prehistoric art. You need a car for convenient travel to the little villages, but I enjoyed the towns as well, and they are accessible (often slowly) by train and bus.
I have zero interest in wine but I think that's what drives a lot of the tourism in St-Emilion. Bordeaux has a lot of historic architecture and multiple museums.
Thanks so much for this information. If we were to spend a few days in Dordogne / Lot area is there a town you recommend for a base — or should we move around if there for ~3 nights (with a car)?
We would likely do a night or two in Bordeaux after enroute south.
Thank you (again).
I don't know what would be the best place with a car, but others here will be able to help if you create a new thread with the key elements in the title--something like "Base with Car for Short Visit to Dordogne". We have quite a lot of posters who've traveled in that area with a car; it's just that I'm not one of them.
I believe there have been positive comments about staying in or near Beynac, which is near Sarlat-le-Canada, a popular destination for its large, twice-a-week market. But the key thing would be to do a bit of research and decide on a list of villages you hope to see, then pick a place convenient to them. You don't have a lot of time (a week would be better), so you'll probably want to limit how far east you go as well as picking an optimal location central to your targets.
We drove from Bordeaux to Spain after a wine cruise and spent 5 nights two years ago. Bayonne was a wonderful lunch stop and drive along the coast. We stayed in a Paradores (old historic buildings owned by the government in Spain and run as hotels) in Hondarribia, Spain, right over the border from France. We used it as homebase to explore San Sebastian, Bilbao, and Rioja wineries. The hotel is high up on a hill in a castle with views of the sea and harbor. Very walkable into town and the old village is surrounding the hotel. We had a very delightful stay! The winery, Marques de Riscal is not to be missed with its Frank Gehry-designed hotel/restaurant. Magnificent! We skipped the tasting room and opted for the bar patio at the hotel so you can get closer and into the building. Delicious wine!
