Bordeaux

Bordeaux {{ #if: |""|}} Country: France Region: Aquitaine {{ #if: Bordeaux33.jpg|Blason of the City|}} More Information: CS Group Wikipedia {{ #if: |[[:wikivoyage:{{{wikitravel}}}|Wikivoyage]]}} {{ #if: Bordeaux|Wikivoyage}} {{#if:CS Ambassadors in the Area|style="background:#eeeeF7;text-align:center;font-size:110%;border:1px solid #a3bfb1" colspan="3"| City-Ambassadors: CS Ambassadors in the Area|}}

Bordeaux is one of the most famous cities in France (region: Aquitaine, department: Gironde).

Known also to be one of the best wine regions of the world The city will, for sure, make you appreciate the french way of life.

With more than 235 200 inhabitants intra muros (over 809 000 with suburbs), Bordeaux is the sixth biggest french city with a dynamic student life, tonnes of nice places and well-preserved architectures amongst which the Port de la Lune (Harbor of the Moon) classifed World Heritage Site of UNESCO in the 28th june 2007.

There are more than 1200 (July 2010)Couchsurfers in Bordeaux. Bordeaux is the 5th busiest CS city in France!. " Here are the French statistics

You’ll find more information here(available in english, italian, spanish, german, chinese and japanese).

We wish you a nice reading and a great time in Bordeaux!

History of Bordeaux

More informations about the History of Bordeaux on the wikipedia:Bordeaux !

What to visit

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  Place de la Bourse

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  Palais Gallien

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  The church of Saint Pierre

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  Pont de pierre

More informations about the places to visit in Bordeaux on the wikivoyage:Bordeaux !

Our neighbours

Bordeaux is right between Paris and Spain. A lot of travellers stop by to have a break and visit the Atlantic coast near by and vineyards of course. The city is perfect for a short break as well as a great base for exploring the beautiful surrounding regions like:

Arcachon	The Arcachon Bay area will amaze you. Discover its oysters, beaches and the highest sand dune in Europe (105 meters by 7km), the Pyla’s Dune Arcachon tourism office Dunepyla1.jpg Pyla's Dune Dunepyla2.jpg With or without stairs? Casinoarcachon.jpg Arcachon's Casino
Saint-Emilion	UNESCO World Heritage Medieval Town and its most famous wines [1] Stemilion1.jpg Stemilion2.jpg Stemilion3.jpg
Medoc	Vineyards and castles [2]
Dordogne	Prehistoric remains and famous castles [3]
Basque Country	[4] and [5]

COUCHSURFERS

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We are 1200 Cs in Bordeaux. Our ambassadors are Jéröme (Jerome_CNC) and Farah (Kitty Space).

'VERY IMPORTANT':

Please use the "EMERGENCY COUCH IN BORDEAUX" sub-group on the "Bordeaux" group. You'll be welcome!

However, if you are not lucky try the "Auberge de jeunesse" (22 cours Barbey, Tél : 05 56 33 00 70) One night costs 22 € including package for night and breakfast.

• Monthly meeting :

There’s a monthly meeting each first Thursday of the month. Look at the group for the location.

• Spontaneous meetings :

The Bordeaux couchsurfing community is getting bigger and bigger (300 in 2007 and 1200 in 2010). One meeting a month not being enough to party together, we very regularly organize special nights, events, outdoor activities etc. We invite you to check out the Bordeaux couchsurfing groupto know if something is planned during your stay here. And if there is nothing planned, you could let us know about your arrival and propose a meeting.

Here you are some pictures of our parties:

Rally Photo

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  The Departure

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  Mission Pyramid

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  The biggest friendship link

Wine Festival

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Chinese New Year

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  Happy New Year

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  Origami

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  Chinese fondue

Disco Party

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Halloween

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TRANSPORT

• How to get to Bordeaux

Distances Table: European Cities

Amsterdam 1 099 km	Athens 3 333 km	Barcelona 638 km	Belgrad 2 222 km	Berlin 1 632 km	Bern 889 km	Brussels 888 km	Copenhagen 1 805 km	Dublin 1 425 km
Helsinki 2 601 km	Lisbon 1 394 km	London 994 km	Luxembourg 956 km	Madrid 744 km	Oslo 2 393 km	Rome 1 557 km	Stockholm 2 436 km	Vienna 1 793 km

Distances Table: French Cities

Agen 140 km	Angoulême 120 km	Bayonne 192 km	Biarritz 204 km	Bourges 443 km	Brest 651 km	Caen 644 km	Dijon 765 km	La Rochelle 183 km
Lille 805 km	Limoges 225 km	Lyon 574 km	Marseille 647 km	Metz 907 km	Montpellier 482 km	Nantes 347 km	Nice 803 km	Paris 585 km
Perpignan 447 km	Poitiers 251 km	Reims 719 km	Rennes 461 km	Rouen 707 km	Strasbourg 1 085 km	Toulon 708 km	Toulouse 244 km

Fasten your seatbelt!

By Carpooling

You can find a driver or passenger to share the ride and cut on travel cost. In France carpooling is very popular and is called "covoiturage". Try envoiture.fr to get to BordeauxEnvoiture.fr.

By Car

Bordeaux is at 2 h 30 from Toulouse. 2 h from Biarritz and La Rochelle. 1 h 30 from Angoulême and Agen.

Although you might need a car to tour around Bordeaux, it is not a good idea at all for the city centre. Bordeaux is one of the few cities in France to have free parking bays. But, like in most cities, it's not easy to have one. Generally, if you're lucky, you could find a parking spot near the centre for free in a small street.

Instead, we advise you to leave your car at one of the many "Parc relai" and use the tram and bus system. You will be charged 3 euros (2010) to leave your car at the car park and get a daily tram tickets for each and every person in the car! That's 3 euros for the car parking and up to 5 people to travel! You can not get a better deal (a regular one way ticket valid for one hour is 1€40).

By Train

The main railway station, "Gare St-Jean" near the centre of the city, has 4 million passengers a year. It is served by the French national (SNCF) railway's high speed train, the TGV. It gets to Paris within 3 hours (about 50 € for a one way trip). You can connect to major European cities such as Lille direct, Brussels, Amsterdam, Cologne, Geneva and London. The TGV also serves Toulouse (about 30€ for a one way trip)and Irun. A regular train service is provided to Nantes, Nice, Marseille and Lyon. The Gare St-Jean is the major hub for regional trains (TER)to Arcachon, Limoges, Agen, Périgueux, Pau, Sarlat and Bayonne. The Sarlat line stop at Saint-Emilion.

By Plane

Bordeaux is served by an international airport, Aéroport de Bordeaux Mérignac, 8 km away from the city centre in the suburban city of Mérignac.

A private shuttle bus takes you to the main train station close to the city center within 45 min for an 8euro fee.

However, regular bus Liane 1 will also take you to the very centre of Bordeaux within the same time...for 1€40!

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Smile=More chances

By Hitch-hiking

In France, hitch-hiking is a great experience. Althoug it is illegal on motorways, French drivers generally accept hitch-hikers. Getting to Bordeaux is easy. Gettin out is a little bit more tricky : you first have to get passed the ring road. Towards Paris: Go by foot until Aquitaine bridge or take tram A eastbound towards La Gardette or Floirac and stop at "buttinière"

http://membres.lycos.fr/bpierret/hitchike.htm

• Transports inside Bordeaux

Tramway & Bus The city is very accessible thanks to its very easy tram and bus system. - Ticket of 1 trip = 1€40 (valid for up to an hour after validation) - Ticket of 5 trips = 5€05 (can be used by several people at a time) - Ticket of 10 trips = 10€10 (idem)

More details: TBC network

TIPS - Each trip is valid 1hour (Unlimited access to the whole tram and bus network during 1 hour). - It's the same ticket for tram and bus. - You can use one a 5 or 10 trip ticket for several people and save money! - If you do not use all your tickets, leave them in your "left items box" for the next couchsurfer to use ;-)

Too easy!

Bicycles

There are many beautiful biking paths around Bordeaux and we now (2009) have a great daily rental system available at each street corner : V3 (pronounce V cube - CUB=Communauté urbaine de Bordeaux). Using your credit card, you can use a bike and pay by the hour (first 30 mins are free of charge). Grab one somewhere, leave it at another V3 spot. More info here

If you need a bike for a long period (months) get one for free !

Cycles Urbain 13 Cours Pasteur 05 56 44 23 24‎ Mon.-Sat.: 9am-1pm; 2:30pm-7pm

Pierre qui Roule 32 Place Gambetta 05 57 85 80 87 Mon.: 2pm-7pm; Tue.-Sat.: 10am-7pm Prices

TIPS: Every first Sunday of the month is car-free day in the centre of Bordeaux. Bicycles can be borrowed for free at Allées de Tourny (ID card and caution required). You can take your bike in most local and regional trains (on the timetables, look for the bike symbol).

MAILING LIST

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You can be informed of local events by registering to the Bordeaux group (mailing). Regularly, activities are been proposed by local couchsurfers such as : photographic rally, jogging, world diner, happening, disco or super hero parties... everybody can propose something to do.

If you want informations on concerts and happenings in Bordeaux don't forget to check out this website

TIPS

FREE WIFI

You can get a wifi spot in most streets. The warehouses by the docks were the first ones to get equipped.

END YOUR NIGHT

After the party, let's go to "the Marché des Capucins" (market) for a glass of crisp white wine and oysters by the dozen.

Open from 6 am (5.30 on Saturdays).

Coffee and drink

PUBS & BARS

Nightlife : be aware that most bars close at 2.00 am and that nightclubs open at 11.00 pm and close at 5.00 am... but if you are lucky, you might be able to stay all night in a nice bar with good music.

"Place de la Victoire" is the student district: a lot of partying on Thursday nights and a lot of live rugby and football games are been shot on large screens.

EL CHE (Cuban spirit and rhums) 34, cours de l’Argonne BYRON BAY (Australian Bar) 11, cours de l’Argonne

If you fancy a cosier atmosphere, with live music and wooden furniture, then L’AVANT-SCENE (42 cours de l’Yser) might be attractive.

If you are a “beer-lover”, you may find it worth walking to LE LUCIFER, 35 rue de Pessac (where you can taste more than 250 different beers from all over the world) TITI TWISTER, 76 rue Leyteire (a lot of Belgian beers).

"Saint-Pierre" is the tourist and yuppies district : terrace cafes and wine bars… but not only. For a drink before dinner (l’apéro!) or after dinner:

LA COMTESSE (cosy) 25, rue du Parlement Saint-Pierre LE MILO’S 21, rue du Parlement Saint-Pierre

Around the majestic "Grosse Cloche", enjoy a drink in typicall old-stones houses:

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La grosse cloche

L’APOLLO 19, place Fernand Laffargue L’INCA (live music almost every night) 28, rue Sainte Colombe (Ask to meet Martin. He's couchsurfer) LA PETITE CLOCHE (salsa classes and live music) 3, rue Bouquière

At "Saint-Michel", the picturesque and colourful district of the old city, you will discover a more popular Bordeaux with a lot of Mediterranean accents. This is the realm of home-made mint teas and tapas.

LE CAFE DES JOURS HEUREUX (come and play the guitar!) 54, rue Camille Sauvageau LE BLUEBERRY'S (live jazz & blues sessions) 61, rue Camille Sauvageau EL CHUCHUMBE (salsa dancing bar) 6, rue Causserouge

North Bordeaux and its wet docks & old maritime warehouses is the new trendy area, with nightclubs such as THE DAME DE SHANGAI (Bassins à Flots N1, 1 quai Armand Lalan).

But it is in South Bordeaux, quai de Paludate, that you will find most of the nightclubs and a very good place for live jazz, swing & blues sessions:

LE COMPTOIR DU JAZZ 59 quai de Paludate.

ENGLISH/ IRISH PUBS

THE FROG AND ROSBIF (the only pub brewing its own beers) 23, rue Ausone THE HOUSE OF PARLIAMENT (quizz on Sunday night) 11, rue du Parlement Sainte Catherine THE O’ROWLANDS (live Irish music) 50, rue de Pessac

WINE BARS

LE PETIT BOIS (to drink wine in a magical grove decor) 18, rue du Chai des Farines LE CHABROT (so typically French / with good food also) 32, rue du Chai des Farines LE WINE BAR 19, rue des Bahutiers LE BO BAR (so small !) 8, place Saint-Pierre

FOR LIVE MUSIC SESSIONS

LA DIBITERI (jam sessions on Tues., slam on Wed. and open funk on Thur.) 27, rue Arnaud Miqueu

MORE TRENDY

ABSOLUT LOUNGE 14, rue de la Devise AZULI (electro, house) 55, cours Alsace Lorraine

WANNA DANCE?

LA CALLE OCHO (“THE” cuban/latino bar) 24, rue des Piliers de Tutelle BODEGA BODEGA (Spanish ambiance) 4, rue des Piliers de Tutelle

IN CASE OF EMERGENCY

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• Police Station:

Tél : 05 57 85 77 77

23 rue François de Sourdis

• Health Urgency:

SAMU (French Health Urgency Service Tel: 15

European Tel number for Urgency: 112

Urgency number for the homeless: 115

• Hospital:

Tél : 05 56 79 56 79

www.chu-bordeaux.fr

• Fireman Station:

Urgency number: 18

• Embassy:

Click here to have the list of the differents Consulats and Embassies in Bordeaux

http://www.lepressbook.fr/bordeaux/consulats-de-bordeaux/consulat.html

• Emergency Doctor:

SOS Médecins

45 rue Pelouse de Douet

Tel: 05 56 44 74 74 (24h/24)

MEDIA MENTIONS

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Sud Ouest, Local Newspaper, August 25th 2009

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wikivoyage:Bordeaux nomad:Bordeaux