Bordeaux Life and Visitor Travel Tips
(Bordeaux, Gironde, Aquitaine, France)
Whatever the time of year, there is always plenty going on within the city of Bordeaux. Worth noting, each month on the first Sunday, many of the main attractions feature extended opening hours. Also at this time, the centre of Bordeaux is closed to cars and various special events take place, including a 'contemporary art bus', which travels to local art galleries where up-and-coming artists are promoted.
When visiting Bordeaux, consider purchasing the Passport Gourmand, which offers good discounts at local restaurants, along with savings at the main museums and other attractions. Some travel tips about life in Bordeaux are shown below.
Contact Information
Around Bordeaux you will find a number of useful tourist offices. The Main Tourist Office on the Cours du 30 Juillet is of particular interest and offers a good choice of both city and regional guided tours, along with the Plan Guide de Patrimoine, which features four popular walking itineraries, taking in many of Bordeaux's most historic buildings.
Bordeaux Monumental Tourist Office
Address: 28 Rue de Argentiers, Bordeaux, France, FR
Tel: +33 05 56 48 04 24
Open hours: Monday to Saturday - 10:00 to 13:00 and 14:00 to 18:00, Sunday - 14:00 to 18:00
Main Tourist Office
Address: 12 Cours du 30 Juillet, Bordeaux, France, FR
Tel: +33 05 56 00 66 00
Open hours: daily, seasonal variations
Maison du Tourisme de la Gironde
Address: 21 Cours de l'Intendence, Bordeaux, France, FR
Tel: +33 05 56 52 61 40
Open hours: Monday to Friday - 09:00 to 18:00, Saturday - 10:00 to 13:00 an 14:00 to 18:30
Bordeaux Train Station Tourist Office
Address: SNCF St. Jean Train Station, Rue Charles Domercq, Bordeaux, 33800, France, FR
Tel: +33 08 3635 3535
Open hours: May to October, Monday to Saturday - 09:00 to 12:00 and 13:00 to 18:00, Sunday - 10:00 to 12:00 and 13:00 to 15:00; November to April, Monday to Friday - 09:30 to 12:30 and 14:00 to 18:00
Police Station
Address: 29 Rue Castéja, Bordeaux, France, FR
Tel: +33 05 56 99 77 77
Post Office
Address: 43 Place Gambetta, Bordeaux, France, FR
Main Post Office
Address: 37 Rue de Château d'Eau, Bordeaux, France, FR
Dangers
In general, Bordeaux is a safe city, although at night-time, there are a number of areas worth avoiding. These include the streets surrounding the train station and also around the Place de la Victoire.
Language and Dialect
French is a distinctive and romantic language, with many of the simplest French phrases recognised all over the world, being spoken by some 300 million people in total. Although many locals in Bordeaux do recognise basic English phrases, a good grounding in French will often make your holiday in Bordeaux all the more enjoyable.
Hello - bonjour
Thank you very much - merci beaucoup
Hi, how are you? - salut, ça va?
I am English - je suis anglais
Pleased to meet you - enchanté
What is your name? - comment vous appellez - vous?
Excuse me! - excusez - moi!
What time is it? - quelle heure est - il?
Please - s'il vous plaît
My name is... - je m'appelle...
Where is the railway station? - où est la gare?
I am sorry - je suis désolé
I don't understand - je ne comprends pas
Good bye - au revoir
Goodnight - bonne nuit
Currency
The French Franc (FRF) is no longer the local currency is France, following the arrival of the Euro (EUR) in 2002. The Euro is now used throughout the 'Euro Area' and means that many Europeans arriving in Bordeaux from countries such as Austria, Belgium, Germany, Greece and Spain, will no longer require foreign exchange services. Holiday makers from the UK will find that the numerous 24-hour ATMs around central Bordeaux are a useful way to quickly obtain Euros. Various banks around Bordeaux also offer a currency exchange service, being clustered on the Cours de l'Intendence, the Cours du Chapeau Rouge, and also the Rue de l'Espirit des Lois.
Smoking
At the beginning on 2007, tighter smoking laws in Bordeaux and the whole of France have been enforced, meaning that smoking is now no longer permitted within many public spaces. Further laws will be enforced shortly, although for now, you are still able to smoke at cafes, restaurants and clubs.