Romance a loved one in style with a business class flight to Europe thanks to La Compagnie’s Valentine’s Day sale.
21.01.2024 - 10:40 / lonelyplanet.com
Getting around Bordeaux – a compact city that contains a dazzling mosaic of architectural styles – is a feast for the eyes.
This is, after all, the world’s largest urban World Heritage Site, encompassing some 18 sq km (seven sq miles) – or half the city. Since time immemorial, vessels of various shapes and sizes have navigated the mud-brown Garonne River that winds gracefully through the port city, into the Garonne Estuary and beyond into the Atlantic Ocean.
Pedestrians have crisscrossed Bordeaux’ medieval heart for centuries, while neighborhoods are amply served by what might be the sharpest, most efficient public-transport system in France. Perhaps best of all, bike-mad locals are the biggest advocates of carbon-cutting modes of transport.
Here are all the best ways to get around their hometown.
With no overhead cables to mar the city’s architectural harmony, Bordeaux’ state-of-the-art tramway is a thing of beauty. Hop aboard at Bordeaux airport, 10km (six miles) west in suburban Mérignac. Tramline A departs every six to 10 minutes, between 5am and midnight, from the tram stop in front of Terminal A; in the city center, alight at the Hôtel de Ville stop (40 minutes), on the southern side of the cathedral. From here, tramline B follows the river north to Chartrons and La Cité du Vin, stopping en route at public-transport company TBM’s tree-shaded hub Esplanade des Quinconces. To get to Bordeaux train station from the airport (one hour), ride line A to the Porte de Bourgogne stop, then tramline C for a further four stops to Gare St-Jean.
At the airport, when buying your ticket from the machine by the tram stop, consider how many times you’ll use public transport that day and while in town. A two-/10-journey ticket (€3.20/14.50) or a 24-/48-/72-hour ticket (€5/9/12) might be better value than a pricier single fare (€1.80, valid for one hour). The same tickets will work on TBM buses and boats.
Planning tip: To save paper and queue time at ticket machines, download the TBM app (available for iOS and Android) to buy tickets. Once on board, simply scan your phone at ticket-validator machines.
Since the heritage-proud Bordelais affectionately refer to their city as Port de la Lune (Port of the Moon), it’s only appropriate during your stay that you view the city from a watery perspective. Scenic Bat3 riverboats – cheaper than any organized river cruise – dock at five stops along the Garonne, including right-bank Stalingrad (convenient for exploring La Bastide) and, along the left bank, Quinconces, Les Hangars (the “shoppers’ stop,” directly in front of the Bord’eau Village shopping center) and La Cité du Vin (find the jetty in the small garden hidden behind the curvaceous edifice). Use a regular tram/bus ticket, or
Romance a loved one in style with a business class flight to Europe thanks to La Compagnie’s Valentine’s Day sale.
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