Bordeaux

An 18th-century stone city on the Garonne, two hours from Paris by TGV: the Place de la Bourse and its Miroir d'Eau, the Cité du Vin wine museum, and day trips to the vineyards of Saint-Émilion (a UNESCO village 40 minutes by train) and the Médoc. Arcachon and the Dune du Pilat, Europe's tallest sand dune, are an hour away.

Highlights

• Miroir d'Eau at the Place de la Bourse
• Cité du Vin
• Saint-Émilion's monolithic church
• Médoc château tastings
• Climb the Dune du Pilat
• Arcachon oysters
• Canelés

Things to do

• Old town walk: Place de la Bourse, Miroir d'Eau, Grosse ClocheMorning · 2h 30m
• Cité du VinAfternoon · 2h 30m
• Saint-Émilion day trip by trainMorning · 6h
• Dune du Pilat and ArcachonMorning · 6h

Tours & tickets

When to go

Best time: May – October; September – October for the grape harvest

• Fête de la Musique — Free music on streets, squares and bar terraces all evening and night in every town, on the longest day. Public transport runs late in Paris; streets in the centres are packed.