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Bordeaux on a budget: €90 a dayBordeaux for €90 per day
Let's be honest, you travel to Bordeaux to spend money! With its great restaurants, classy boutiques and unavoidable vineyard tours, it is hardly possible otherwise. Or is it? This city will never be one of the cheapest destinations in France, but with a bit of preparation you will not have to fork out your entire annual holiday budget for your city break in Bordeaux.
Pssst… If your budget really is tight, we recommend a city break in Mediterranean Marseille.
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The journey there and back
Extremely favourable rates, short travel times and arriving directly in the city centre, and with a far more positive environmental footprint. Taking the train instead of flying is worth it!
Good news for anyone travelling from Belgium: by popular request, there will again be direct train services between Brussels and Bordeaux from this summer! With Thalys Sun, you can zoom into the wine-making metropolis every Saturday (in July and August) in just 4:11. Book your tickets from 21/02 and secure your trip from only €40* per trip.
It goes without saying that TGV® also continues to offer daily train services to Bordeaux, but they involve changing (in Paris, Lille or at Charles de Gaulle airport) and with a slightly longer travel time (4:43). If you book up to 3 months in advance, you can travel from €49* from Brussels to Bordeaux.
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Travel expense = 2 x €40 = €80
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Accommodation
Certainly the sore point in Bordeaux for all price-conscious tourists. With only two youth hostels and hotels which cannot be booked for less than €100 a night in the summer, you will unfortunately have to fork out the largest part of your budget for your accommodation.
However, websites such as Tripadvisor, Chambres d’hôtes and Airbnb also offer accommodation in a central location from €60 to €80 per night in high season. A little bit of advance planning and searching can certainly pay off.
Accommodation expense = 4 x €60 = €240
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Out and about in Bordeaux
More than any other city, we recommend exploring Bordeaux on foot. Thanks to the radical anti-car policy of the authorities, the centre of the city is largely car-free. What's more, the centre is small enough to visit all of the sights easily. This means that you can stroll through the city at your leisure. What could be more pleasant – and cheaper? ;-)
By the way, Bordeaux is also one of the most bicycle-friendly cities in the world. So if you would like a faster mode of transport, do as the locals and hire a rental bike. In addition to an extensive bus and tram network, Bordeaux also has commuting ship lines on the river Garonne. Let the skyline of Bordeaux pass you comfortably. Highly recommended for only €2 per trip!
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Experience and Visit
There are a great many sights in the UNESCO World Heritage city of Bordeaux (have a look at our article Bordeaux in 10 activities). But since we are on the subject of budget travel, be inspired by the tourist information website for numerous (free!) tours of the city and its surroundings. Our favourites: the UNESCO tour and the urban wine tour.
During a visit to Bordeaux, a bus tour of the surrounding wine-making areas is a must! Unfortunately, these tours are often extremely costly… We therefore recommend booking one of the half-day tours offered by the tourist office: for only €42 per person, this will give you the opportunity to discover a different wine area every day. Many wine-tasting samples are, of course, also included in the price ;-)
Wine tour = €42
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Food
OK, you may be like us and prefer to spend more money on food than on accommodation. Foodies are in the right place in Bordeaux. Wine, cheese, seafood… Local delicacies will tempt you wherever you go and should certainly be tried. With the following tasty tips and addresses, you can get by on far less than €20 a day:
- Popular among locals and tourists alike is a simple picnic along the banks of the Garonne. France is famous for the quality of its baguettes, cheese and sausage specialities. And there is no shortage of bakeries, cheese shops, delicatessens, and even supermarkets in the city…
- The size of your budget for local delicacies will, of course, depend on how much wine you drink ;-) We recommend Bar à vin/Maison du vin where you can enjoy the local wine specialities from as little as €2 per glass. Tip: By the way, tap water continues to be free of charge in French restaurants. So do not hesitate to ask for a "carafe d'eau" (carafe of water).
- Pancakes – be it sweet or savoury – are a more Breton speciality, but the Crêperie Gourmands should not be missed by foodies on a budget.
- The Marché des Capucins market hall is not called "the belly of Bordeaux" for nothing. Here you can find virtually anything your heart, or stomach, desires. Also try out the Bistro Poulette (in the centre of the market hall) with its famous shellfish dishes and reasonably priced wine offering.
- Classic, hearty bistro cuisine (from €10 for a main course) can be found at La Tanière, on the banks of the Garonne. Vegetarians are also catered for :-)
Food expense = 4 x €25 = €100
Total expenses = < €465 => €90 / day
Conclusion – there's plenty of fun to be had over 5 days in Bordeaux!
Convinced? Book your journey!
Planning a trip to Bordeaux? With TGV® France, travel there without stops from France. If you’re travelling from Belgium, the Netherlands or Germany, you can take a connecting train in Paris. Tip: the earlier you book, the cheaper your tickets will be!
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