6 best day trips from Bordeaux

Day trips compared

The day trips

40 km · About 35 minutes by train

1.Saint-Émilion

A UNESCO-listed hilltop wine village of honey-coloured stone, steep cobbled lanes and the Église Monolithe, a church carved out of the limestone hillside. Surrounding châteaux offer tastings of Merlot-led right-bank wines, many by reservation, and the village is known for its almond macarons.

Getting there

TER from Gare Saint-Jean to Saint-Émilion station, then a 2 km walk

Best for

Couples, Food lovers, Culture

50 km · About 1 hour by car to Pauillac

2.Médoc wine route

The D2 road runs north through Margaux, Saint-Julien, Pauillac and Saint-Estèphe, past some of the most famous names in wine. Most estates receive visitors by appointment, so plan two or three tastings and lunch in Pauillac by the Gironde estuary.

Getting there

Car or organised tour along the D2 'Route des Châteaux'

Best for

Food lovers, Couples, Luxury

65 km · About 50 minutes by train

3.Arcachon

A seaside resort on the Arcachon Bay with a long beach, the Ville d'Hiver quarter of 19th-century villas on the hill and oyster villages around the bay. Boats cross to Cap Ferret, and oysters are eaten straight from the producers' huts.

Getting there

TER from Gare Saint-Jean to Arcachon

Best for

Families, Couples, Beach

70 km · About 1 hour 20 minutes by train and bus

4.Dune du Pilat

Europe's tallest sand dune rises more than 100 metres above the Atlantic at the mouth of the Arcachon Bay, with forest on one side and the ocean and Banc d'Arguin sandbanks on the other. A staircase is installed in season; otherwise it is a steep climb in soft sand.

Getting there

TER to Arcachon, then a local bus to the dune

Best for

Families, First-timers, Beach

45 km · About 45 minutes by car

5.Sauternes

Rolling vineyards along the Ciron river produce the sweet white wines of Sauternes and Barsac. Several châteaux offer tastings by appointment, and the quiet village has a wine shop where you can taste local bottles.

Getting there

Car or organised wine tour

Best for

Food lovers, Couples, Quiet stays

190 km · About 2 hours by train

6.Biarritz

The Basque Country's Belle Époque resort has surf beaches, the Rocher de la Vierge footbridge out into the Atlantic and a covered market. It makes a long day trip, or a stop on the way to San Sebastián.

Getting there

Train from Gare Saint-Jean to Biarritz

Best for

Beach, Couples, First-timers

Day-trip tips

• Leave early: most trips are more relaxed with a morning departure and a return before dinner.
• TBM buses fill in the gaps, including routes to the Basilique Saint-Seurin area and outer districts; the same tickets work on trams, buses and BatCub boats.
• Gare Saint-Jean has TGVs to Paris in about two hours and regional TER trains to Saint-Émilion, Arcachon and Biarritz.
• For trips over about 150 km, an overnight stay or an organised tour saves a lot of travelling.

Questions travellers ask