Bordeaux

Bordeaux is reached in around five to six hours by Eurostar to Paris followed by the 320 km/h TGV Atlantique from Montparnasse. The high-speed rail corridor brings you straight into the world capital of wine. Main departure and boarding stations for the TGV INOUI include:

• Brussels-South (Midi) (3h 58m, 1 transfer)
• Antwerp Central (4h 41m, 1 transfer)
• Rotterdam Central (5h 16m, 1 transfer)
• Amsterdam Central (6h 04m, 1 transfer)

SNCF tickets are released 3 to 4 months in advance starting at €49.00. Prices often climb to €175.00 closer to departure, so early booking saves around 72% (€126). Bus alternatives include Flixbus or multi-leg budget connections.

Your train arrives at Gare de Bordeaux Saint-Jean. Step straight onto the TBM Tram toward Place de la Bourse, or rent a city bike from Le Vélo TBM to glide along the Garonne quays.

Driving to southwest France takes roughly 13h 09m (~1108 km). Budget €140 for fuel (assuming 6.5 L/100 km, or ~€84 for EV charging (19 kWh/100 km)), around €65 in tolls (French A1 and A10 péage toward the southwest), and city parking (€26 per day in the city center (or ~€5 per day at a peripheral P+R)). For a weekend trip (round-trip fuel, any tolls, and 48 hours of central parking), total driving costs amount to ~€462 (~€350 for an electric car). The city center adheres to Crit'Air environmental vignette mandatory in Bordeaux Métropole. Charging stations can be found via this link.