Hi, We are a young couple who will be spending time in the Bordeaux region this coming August. I was wondering if anybody could:
1. Recommend a nice hotel in a nice part of Bordeaux (town/city) to spend a few nights in.
2. Any eateries in the city that you personally had marked out as good that i can pre book?
3. We have 10 days in the region and will have hired a car. Any “must see’s”? We will possibly drive as far as Toulouse/ Carcassonne.
4. Any day trips out of the Bordeaux town that are worth doing aside from vineyards and wineries?
5. A few wineries and vineyards that we should make it to?
I know August will be busy but I have to go then. How hard/easy will it be to pick up a room on the hoof. Home stay is an option.
Thanks for your help!
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Hello
You have a big choice of everything in the city, but I do suggest you book something in advance.
On www.winetravelguides.com wine writer Jane Anson recommends Hotel de France (www.hotel-france-bordeaux.com) stating %26quot;Located right next to Place des Grands Hommes, the modest prices here allow you to splurge on the gorgeous shops that surround the hotel. Way above average for the price.%26quot;
There are lots of different sorts of winery visits you might want to do, some in the city, most out. Going to the pretty, but busy little town of Saint Emilion partly to see the town and partly to taste the wines is a must as you will be quite close.
You might well want a day trip out to the coast near Arcachon, even though it will be busy in August - it%26#39;s famous for it%26#39;s oysters!
I%26#39;ll send you a Personal message too with extra info.
Hope this serves as a start.
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The answer to much of what you ask depends on the sort of budget that you have in mind. Definitely make reservations in advance, even if you call two or three days early.
For the hotel, if you are on a tight budget you might try the Hotel Acanthe:
%26lt;http://www.acanthe-hotel-bordeaux.com/uk/cadre.html%26gt;
A step above in price and comfort would be either the Normandie or the Majestic (both are within a block of each other):
%26lt;http://www.hotel-de-normandie-bordeaux.com/frontdesk.html%26gt;
%26lt;http://www.hotel-majestic.com/_gb/%26gt;
Top drawer accommodations can be had at the new Grand Hotel, which just opened several weeks ago. The web link is too long to include, but a Google search will point you to the site.
For restaurants, a good bet is the Café Gourmand at 3 rue Buffon (alas, no web site, but the phone number is 05 56 52 10 98; leave off the leading zero and add the %26quot;33%26quot; country code if calling from Ireland).
If you are particularly interested in wine, there%26#39;s the Bistro de Sommelier with one of the best lists in town:
%26lt;http://www.bistrodusommelier.com/index-uk.htm%26gt;
For points 3 and 5, you can figure on spending a day in the Médoc and a second in Saint-Emilion. (For the latter, try lunch at either the Logis de la Cadène or L%26#39;Envers du Décor:
%26lt;http://www.logisdelacadene.com/en/index.html%26gt;
(No web site for L%26#39;Envers du Décor, but it%26#39;s a couple of doors down from the tourist office and the phone number is 05 57 74 48 31)
For out-of-town trips, in addition to the Arcachon basin, which is well worth the 45-minute drive, you can head out east to the nearby Dordogne valley; plan on getting an early start (say, 9:00 am) to have lunch in the region and get back as the sun sets around 9:30 pm.
Hope this helps.
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Merci!
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You%26#39;re welcome. Enjoy your time in Bordeaux, and if you have any questions about the region between now and August, just ask.
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I am am sure I will be back to you with a few more!
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You may find well-priced accoms in Bordeaux city in August, everyone is on holiday which means
1. accoms near the ocean (Arcachon) would be difficult and expensive.
2. Many wineries and restaurants are closed in August.
3. There are many fetes in small cities in the region. Do some web-searching.
4. the Marciac Jazz Festival is first two weeks of August. It%26#39;s about 2.5 hrs south of Bordeaux in the Gers, Armagnac country (about 2.5 hrs southeast of Toulouse). Donald Helm did a bit on it last year on Jazz Alley (RTE Lyric) and has mentioned he may go this year.
5. St. Emilion is nice, about half hour from Bordeaux, can be busy in August.
6. Chateau Franc Mayne has some b%26amp;b rooms and it is within walking distance of St. E centre. There are others, just search around and check St. tourism website. Another way to check is (if you sorta speak french) is to go to pagesjaunes.fr (French yellow pages) and search.
7. There are tons of gites (self catering accoms), many websites.
8. search cityvox for Bordeaux, tons of restaurant reviews--usually pretty current.
As to wine, make an appointment in advance. While there are some that take walk ins (such as Franc Mayne) most require an appointment.
Have a great time.
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I used to be forced to visit the region for work (hell someone had to) and our company was very close to the the vineyards. We got in the habit of staying at a hotel called Sources des Caudalie - it was fantastic with a spa, in a vineyard (Dad ran the vineyard and Daughter the hotel) and a top restaurant. Expensive, but if she%26#39;s worth it, spring for at least 1 night there.
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I was planning a trip to Bordeaux in August for 2 weeks of winery visits. I didn%26#39;t realise the vineyards are closed at this time. Why is that? When is a good time to visit if my main reason is to visit vineyards?
Thanks
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Vineyards are not necessarily closed in August. Although several of the First Growths and other more prominent names may not schedule visits during this month (preferring to let most of their workers take the four weeks off and return rested and ready for the harvest), many other châteaux do welcome visitors.
You%26#39;ll just have to lower your sights a little, although among those properties that are open, you can still find top-quality producers.
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