Bordeaux is a very good base for day trips. The city sits at the centre of a ring of wine villages, an Atlantic bay and river valleys, most of them within an hour of the centre. The choice is mainly between wine and everything else, and between a guided tour and doing it yourself. Here is how to decide.
Saint-Émilion: the hilltop village
The medieval town of Saint-Émilion is the classic first day trip. It stands on a limestone ridge above the vines, with steep cobbled lanes, an underground monolithic church and views from the King’s Tower. By road it is about 45 minutes from Bordeaux; by train, around 35 minutes, plus a walk of around 20 minutes from the station to the village. The small-group tour takes the stress out of it, with a guided walk and three tastings, and it is the right choice if you want the wine, not just the view. A shorter option is the one-hour visit to Château La Croizille, just outside the village.
The Médoc: the great left-bank names
North-west of the city, the Route des Châteaux runs through Margaux, Saint-Julien, Pauillac and Saint-Estèphe, where the famous classified growths sit among gravelly vineyards. It takes about 40 minutes to reach Margaux by car, and although trains serve the area the estates are spread out, so this is the day trip where a tour or a driver earns its keep. The full-day tour to the Médoc has three estate visits and time in Pauillac. Top names need booking well in advance, so plan early if you have a particular château in mind.
Arcachon Bay and the Dune du Pilat
For a day without wine, go west to the coast. Trains from Bordeaux reach the town of Arcachon in under an hour, and the Dune du Pilat, the tallest sand dune in Europe, is a short drive beyond it. Add the oyster huts of the bay, the pine forests and the villas, and you have a very different Bordeaux. The guided day trip handles the transport and the oyster lunch. If you travel independently, check the bus or taxi link to the dune before you set out, and bring water and a hat, because the dune has no shade.
Cadillac, Sauternes and the sweet-wine country
Upriver on the right bank, the Château ducal de Cadillac is a little-known palace with monumental fireplaces and a large collection of tapestries. Combine it with a tasting in the Sauternes district across the river, where the golden dessert wines are made, for a quiet half day that suits anyone tired of crowds. It is easiest by car or with a driver.
Pessac-Léognan and the Graves: the easy wine day
The nearest vineyards begin at the edge of the city. A visit to Château de Fieuzal takes about an hour plus travel, and Château du Taillan, with its 18th-century building and park, is a morning trip. These are ideal if you have a half day, or you want to see a working château without spending eight hours in a minivan.
Cognac
For a different drink, Cognac is around an hour and a half from Bordeaux by train, and the big houses open their cellars for tours and tastings. It makes a long day, and the major houses ask you to book ahead, so decide a week or so before you go.
Farther afield
Cap Ferret, at the tip of the peninsula across the bay, needs a car to enjoy, as do Bergerac and the Dordogne. Biarritz and the Basque coast are possible by train, but at roughly two and a half hours each way the day is mostly spent travelling, so stay overnight instead.
Choosing between them
For a first trip with a day to spare, pick Saint-Émilion if you want a village and a tasting, the Médoc if you want the grand names, and Arcachon if you want sea air and oysters. For a longer stay, do Saint-Émilion and the Médoc on separate days to compare the right and left banks. Tours leave from central Bordeaux in the morning and return by late afternoon, so they fit easily around a night out.
Practical tips
Wine tours need a driver who does not taste, so a small-group tour or a private driver is the safe option. Many châteaux close for lunch and some shut in winter, so book visits in advance. Restaurants in villages can fill up at weekends. Allow slack on your return to Bordeaux if you have a train or flight to catch the same evening.
