Getting Your Bearings
Bordeaux's centrepiece is its elegant riverfront, where fine 18th-century buildings line the west bank of the Garonne. The old central districts of St Pierre and St Michel extend inland from the river, and most of the city's sights are concentrated in this compact area. The railway station, Gare Saint-Jean, sits to the south at the foot of Cours de la Marne, while the Quai des Chartrons to the north has been redeveloped as the "City of Wine", home to the wine museum. The main university campus lies out in the suburb of Talence, and the districts east of the river are modern — the main reasons to cross are the view back west in morning sunshine and a visit to the Botanic Gardens.
On Foot
Although Bordeaux is a big city, the sights of interest are fairly close together in the old centre, and much of it is pedestrianised. A car here would be a handicap. For most visitors, walking will be the default way to cover the historic core.
Trams
Several tram routes (A, B, C, D, E and F) cross the city, and they are the backbone of the public transport network. Tickets and fares are the same as for the bus, with unlimited transfers within one hour.
- The three central crossing points are useful for planning changes: B crosses C, D and E at Quinconces; B crosses A and F at Hôtel de Ville; and A, C, D, E and F all meet at Porte de Bourgogne.
- Gare Saint-Jean, the main station in the south of the city centre, is served by trams C, D and F.
- A distinctive feature of the tramway is that within the inner city it has no overhead wires, using a ground-level power supply instead.
Buses
All public transport information is posted on the TBM website, and maps and times can also be accessed through Google Maps by selecting the "By public transport" route option. City bus routes fan out from four hubs:
- Gare Saint-Jean — buses to the city centre, university and north side.
- Place de la Victoire — buses to the centre, railway station, university, and the north and south-west sides of the city.
- Place Gambetta — buses to la Victoire, the railway station, and the west, north-west and north sides.
- Quinconces — a main interchange between trams and buses.
A small electric bus, la navette du centre-ville, potters around the pedestrian areas. It has no bus stops — just wave your hand to be let on and tell the driver when you want to get off.
Tickets and Passes
Single tickets can be purchased from the bus driver. A return ticket is also available, and if you're likely to make eight or more journeys, a package of ten tickets or a daily or weekly pass works out better value. All tickets are good for one hour of unlimited transfers on bus and tram, but you must re-validate your ticket each time you change.
- Single, return and ten-ticket packs can be bought from the tram stop machines, which accept cards or coins.
- There is also a TBM Mobilities smartphone app (Android or iPhone) where you can obtain timetables, plan journeys and get current information.
- For passes you need to present photo ID, either online or at the kiosks at Gare Saint-Jean, Place Gambetta and Quinconces.
Ferries
The river-bus BAT³ or Batcub runs from Stalingrad/Quai de Queyries on the east bank, northward along the west bank to Quinconces, Les Hangars and Cité du Vin, and finally to Lormont on the east bank beneath the Pont d'Aquitaine. Ferries run every 45 minutes, seven days a week, with the complete run taking 40 minutes. They are part of the TBM city transport system, so tickets and tariffs are the same as for bus and tram, and bicycles are carried.
Bicycles
V3 runs the bike-share scheme in Bordeaux. You need to register online and pay a deposit — more for an e-bike than a standard bike. The minimum registration period is one year, and each bike usage is free for the first 30 minutes, after which there is an hourly charge. There are almost 200 docking stations around the city, and V3's interactive map shows real-time availability.
Taxis and Ride-Hailing
Taxis leave from the forecourt at the main entrance of Gare Saint-Jean, which faces west down Cours de la Marne. The source material does not cover ride-hailing apps in Bordeaux, so it's worth checking locally on arrival if that's your preferred option.
Arriving by Train
Gare Saint-Jean is the railway station, south-east of the city centre. The main entrance faces west down Cours de la Marne, and buses, trams and taxis leave from the forecourt here. To reach the centre, take Tram C if you are heading to the more northern part, or a bus for the central area around Place de la Victoire. The station is served by trams C, D and F. The main ticket hall is at the north end of the station building, under the big network map and vast vaulting ceiling; most of the self-service ticket machines are also here. There's a selection of fast food places around the hall, and the lower floor is a shopping mall with subway access to the platforms.
Arriving by Long-Distance Bus
Flixbus and similar operators serve Bordeaux from a range of French and international cities. The intercity bus stop is at 146 Rue des Terres de Borde, just north of the railway station where the tracks cross Quai de Paludate.
Arriving by Plane
Bordeaux-Mérignac Airport (BOD) lies west of the city centre. There are in effect two and a half terminals, side by side: Air France uses Terminal B, the budget airlines use Terminal "Billi" (an add-on to B), and other flights use A and B. Terminals A and B are modern and spacious with the usual land- and air-side facilities, including car hire. "Billi" has a poky, cramped check-in area, though shops and restaurants appear once you get airside; it is notoriously badly managed and understaffed, resulting in long queues and not infrequently passengers missing their flights, so allow extra time for check-in and security.
Getting to the centre:
- Tram F runs to the city centre daily from 05:00 to 00:00, roughly every 10 minutes, taking about 35 minutes. Change at Porte de Bourgogne for other tram and bus lines. You pay the standard city bus fare, and the tram calls at Gare Saint-Jean.
- Bus 39 skirts the west edge of the city from Pessac in the south to the airport, Le Haillan Rostand and Les Pins in Mérignac. It goes nowhere near downtown. An alternative to the tram is to catch bus 39 to Dassault and then bus 1 into town.
Arriving by Road
From the north (Paris, Tours, Poitiers) follow the A10; from Toulouse to the south-west take the A62; from Bayonne take the A63. A beltway, the A630/N230, encircles the city. It's usually congested and slow-moving in the rush hours.