Why and when

Spring weekend, bank holiday. It is an easy choice, especially for wine enthusiasts.

Getting there and around

Bordeaux has an airport and getting a flight there from Europe, can cost ~60€. When you arrive at the airport. If you do not have a car, get the express bus ( 30Direct) from the airport to the city centre ~8€ for 30 min. Do not take the city bus No1 as it is painfully 1h+ long ride with many stops. If you are visiting from Europe, and you have more than a weekend available you might as well consider driving. Getting to St. Emilion.

  1. Without car Get the train from Bordeaux to St Emilion ( Trainline.com) which is €15 round trip. On the day you are visiting find which vineyards are open to the public with no reservations. There are a couple which is in walking distance from the town. You can either walk or rent a bike from Bordeaux (it is allowed in the train) and cycle around.
  2. By car, You can simply drive there. It is about an hour.

Eating out

Best place for food, atmosphere, value for money would be Taupiniere

Accommodation

Try to get something in the town centre. An alternative location is something near the train station. Not the best area in Bordeaux but the hotel Best Western is the best value for money in the area.

Fun facts

  1. There is a “tourist tax” which you need to pay at hotel checkout €4 per person. The detail which doesn’t seem to be advertised a lot :)
  2. Just ignore ALL the tourist wine tours for St Emilion. Simply it does not worth spending something between €60-€120. You can just walk in the wine shops and have a free tasting on your own.
  3. Prefer “Musee du Vin et du Negoce” instead of “La cite du Vin”, unless you are fun of an all-screen tour.