Day trips from Bordeaux: Saint-Émilion and the coast
Bordeaux lies between vineyards to the east and the Atlantic to the west, and regional trains from Gare Saint-Jean reach both. Saint-Émilion is the classic outing; the coast is for a sunny day, and Biarritz needs a full one.
Saint-Émilion: a wine village built on limestone
Photo: Sergei Gussev / Pexels, Pexels License
29 to 35 minTER regional train from Bordeaux Saint-Jean to Saint-Émilion
Saint-Émilion spills down a limestone slope above its vineyards, a village of honey-coloured stone and steep cobbled lanes. In 1999 the village and its vineyards became the first wine-growing landscape on UNESCO's World Heritage list. Much of the village lies underground: monks and quarrymen dug into the rock for centuries, and a guided tour of 45 min to 1 h takes you into the hermit's cave of the monk Émilion, the catacombs and the monolithic church, carved out of the hillside in the twelfth century. Above it, the bell tower can be climbed with a ticket of its own at €2, for a view over the roofs and the vines.
The station lies in the vineyards below the village, a walk of about twenty minutes uphill. Wine shops in the village offer tastings, and many châteaux nearby open for visits by appointment.
Tip: Trains are infrequent, and fewer run on Saturdays, so check your return before you set off. TER "Petit Prix" fares from €5 are sold online on some trains between 60 and 3 days ahead. Book the underground tour on the tourist office shop; it is included in the CityPass. Wear shoes with a grip: the lanes are steep and polished.
Photo: Czapp Árpád / Pexels, Pexels LicensePhoto: Oli / Pexels, Pexels License
40 to 55 minTER regional train from Bordeaux Saint-Jean to Arcachon
Arcachon is a seaside resort on a sheltered bay of oyster beds and sailing boats. Its long sandy front faces calm water, and on the hill behind it the Ville d'Hiver, a quarter of nineteenth-century villas with turrets and fretwork balconies, was built for well-off visitors who came for the pine-scented air in winter.
South of the town, in the commune of La Teste-de-Buch, the Dune du Pilat rises some 100 metres above the mouth of the bay, the highest sand dune in Europe. From the top you see the ocean and the sandbanks on one side and an unbroken forest of pines on the other. The Baïa bus from Arcachon takes you there for €1.
Tip: Climb the dune in the morning or towards sunset; at midday in summer the sand is hot and the light flat. A strong wind whips up the sand, so check the forecast for La Teste-de-Buch below before you go.
30 minUBA ferry from Arcachon to Cap Ferret, after the train from Bordeaux Saint-Jean to Arcachon
Cap Ferret is the tip of the long, pine-covered peninsula that closes the Arcachon bay to the west. On the bay side, villages of wooden oyster huts line the shore; on the ocean side, wild beaches face the Atlantic, and the red-and-white lighthouse rises above the trees between them. The UBA ferry from Arcachon crosses in 30 min, for €10.20 one way or €17.40 return.
Tip: Take an early train to Arcachon to have the whole afternoon on the peninsula. The ferry timetable changes with the season; check it on the UBA website. Swim on the ocean side only at beaches with lifeguards, as the currents are strong.
1 h 57 min to 2 h 26 minDirect train from Bordeaux Saint-Jean to Biarritz
Biarritz became fashionable in the 1850s, when Empress Eugénie, wife of Napoleon III, had a summer residence built above the Grande Plage; it is now the Hôtel du Palais. Today the town mixes Belle Époque villas with a surfing scene centred on the Côte des Basques. Walk out over the footbridge to the Rocher de la Vierge, and at the northern end of the Grande Plage climb the lighthouse on the Pointe Saint-Martin: 248 steps to a gallery 73 metres above the ocean, €5 for adults.
Tip: With the train ride each way, Biarritz needs a full day; go only when the forecast is good. The station is outside the centre, so continue by local bus or taxi. Lighthouse opening hours are on the Biarritz tourist office page.
