Total Trip: An affordable Bordeaux weekend

13.07.2024 - 10:24 / lonelyplanet.com

Jul 1, 2024 • 6 min read

In our A Total Trip series, writers document what they spent on a recent getaway. In this edition, our New York-based Senior Director of Publishing, Laura Motta, shows us how she threw together a quick, inexpensive weekend in Bordeaux, France – foie gras and white wine included.

When it came to planning a last-minute weekend in Bordeaux , I did what I often do: I didn’t really plan it at all. This trip was a fluke – a quick getaway I tacked onto a Dublin business trip. The goal was to maximize the benefit of a paid-for transatlantic flight, but also to relax and maybe even enjoy warmer weather than you’d typically find in Ireland’s (often rainy) capital. So I headed to France .

The good news: The lack of a detailed plan didn’t have a negative impact on the trip. The bad: I couldn’t do everything I wanted, especially when it came to food. Bordeaux has 14 Michelin-star restaurants – a daunting number for any hungry traveler with limited time and a short planning window. Reservations are a must, and planning well in advance is recommended. Instead of heeding that well-worn advice, however, I improvised for all of my meals and saved a lot of money. Below, I’ve included how it all went and what it cost. 

I flew into Bordeaux from Dublin on an Aer Lingus flight that cost a reasonable €150  round trip. The not-so-affordable part? My checked bag. Add €40 each way for that. (Ouch.) I took a taxi to and from my hotel, which cost €32  each way. 

I also spent €14.20 for an unlimited ride, 7-day ticket for Bordeaux’s tram system. Trams are modern and easy to use, but not super necessary if you’re staying in the old city and are comfortable walking. The city is compact, and major sites are mostly reachable on foot.

For lodging, I chose Mama Shelter , a small chain known for its whimsical, over-the-top common spaces and spartan, ultra-utilitarian rooms. This location has a rooftop bar that’s among Bordeaux’s most popular night spots and lobby decor that includes pool floats, a foosball table, a huge portrait of a rooster and neon signs. I paid €169 per night for a double room with a queen bed.    

Coffee: After an early flight from Dublin, the first thing I needed, even more than breakfast, was caffeine. I dropped my bags at Mama Shelter and walked through Bordeaux’s UNESCO World Heritage-designated old town, called the Port of the Moon for the way it curves along the shore of the Garonne. I stopped at L’Alchimiste , a coffee shop done in blond wood, its walls decorated with Chemex coffee makers and succulents. A latte cost about €4 . 

Getting oriented: The symbolic and geographic heart of Bordeaux’s old city is its grand Gothic cathedral , which is dedicated to Saint