Solo travel · Bordeaux · France
Solo travel in Bordeaux
How to enjoy Bordeaux at your own pace.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Captaintapas, CC BY-SA 3.0
Quick answer
Bordeaux is an easy city to explore alone: it is compact and flat, wine bars and markets are sociable, and joining a vineyard tour is a simple way to meet other travellers. Many solo travellers base themselves in Saint-Michel.
Key facts
- Base
- Saint-Michel
- Getting around
- Walking
- Emergency number
- 112 (European emergency number)
- Language
- French
Solo travel tips
- Sit at the counter in wine bars; staff are usually happy to talk you through what's open by the glass.
- Join a small-group wine tour from the tourist office to share transport costs to Médoc or Saint-Émilion châteaux.
- Victoire and Saint-Michel have the best-value hostels and guesthouses.
- Use the riverside paths for evening walks; they are well used and lit along the central quays.
- Keep an eye on your bag on crowded trams and on Rue Sainte-Catherine on Saturdays.
Where to stay
$ · Best for budget, food lovers and solo travellers
Saint-Michel
Gathered around the Gothic Basilique Saint-Michel and its free-standing 114-metre spire, Saint-Michel is the most multicultural part of central Bordeaux, with North African and Portuguese grocers, kebab and couscous restaurants and weekend bric-à-brac stalls on the square. The Marché des Capucins is a few streets south, and the riverfront is a short walk east.
- Good
- Some of the best-value food in the city; Strong local character; Close to the Capucins market
- Watch out
- Can feel scruffy late at night; Fewer mid-range hotels
- Nearby
- Basilique Saint-Michel, Marché des Capucins, Pont de Pierre
Great on your own
Museum · Bassins à Flot
La Cité du Vin
Allow at least two hours for the permanent tour before heading up to the belvedere, and arrive by tram B (stop La Cité du Vin).
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Iconic
- Rainy day
- Views
- Food
- Architecture
Religious site · Hôtel de Ville
Cathédrale Saint-André and Tour Pey-Berland
The cathedral is free; pay separately for the tower and climb it in the morning for clearer light over the river.
- Time needed
- 1–1.5 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Architecture
- Views
- Iconic
Architecture · Triangle d'Or and Quinconces
Grand Théâtre de Bordeaux
A ballet or opera ticket in the upper tiers is often the least expensive way to see the auditorium.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Architecture
- History
- Rainy day
- After dark
Landmark · Triangle d'Or and Quinconces
Esplanade des Quinconces
Combine it with the Grand Théâtre and the tourist office on Cours du 30 Juillet, all a few minutes apart.
- Time needed
- 20–30 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- History
- Photo spot
Historic site · Saint-Pierre
Porte Cailhau
Photograph it from Place du Palais, then walk five minutes to Place du Parlement for a coffee.
- Time needed
- 30 minutes
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Architecture
- Photo spot
Historic site · Saint-Pierre
Grosse Cloche
Walk under the arch and continue north along Rue Saint-James and Rue du Pas-Saint-Georges to reach Saint-Pierre's squares.
- Time needed
- 15 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- History
- Architecture
Meeting people
- Saturday oysters at the Capucins — On Saturday mornings locals crowd the oyster counters of the Marché des Capucins for a dozen Arcachon oysters and a glass of white wine before shopping. Arrive mid-morning and order at the counter.
- Sunday Marché des Quais — Along the Quai des Chartrons on Sunday mornings, food stalls sell oysters, roast chicken, cheese and pastries, and many people make a riverside brunch of it.
- Saint-Pierre — Wine bars and terraces around Place du Parlement and Place Saint-Pierre, busy every evening from spring to autumn.
- Victoire — Inexpensive student bars around Place de la Victoire and Cours Pasteur, lively late into the night during term time.
Sensible precautions
Bordeaux is generally calm for visitors. Pickpockets work on crowded trams, on Rue Sainte-Catherine and around Gare Saint-Jean, and the streets around the station can feel rough late at night. In summer heatwaves, plan outdoor sightseeing for the morning and evening.
- Emergency number
- 112 (European emergency number)
- Staying connected
- 4G and 5G coverage is good across the city; EU roaming applies to European SIMs, and eSIMs work well for other visitors.
Questions travellers ask
+Is Bordeaux good for solo travellers?
Bordeaux is an easy city to explore alone: it is compact and flat, wine bars and markets are sociable, and joining a vineyard tour is a simple way to meet other travellers.
+Where should solo travellers stay in Bordeaux?
Saint-Michel: Basilica spire, grocers from around the Mediterranean and good-value eating.