We are in the process of booking our hotels and apartments for our trip in September and will be in Bordeaux for 4 nights in early September. We will be heading to Sarlat after Bordeaux so had planned to rent the car when we arrived in Bordeaux. However, I'm wondering if we should wait until we leave Bordeaux to rent the car from a downtown location instead.

Does anyone have suggestions for a hotel that would offer parking that is not over $300/night. It seems like some of the hotels I've researched do not have parking except for the super expensive hotels. Any hotel recommendations under $300/night would be appreciated.

How difficult is it to find parking in Bordeaux if the hotel doesn't offer parking? We thought of using the car to do a couple of day trips from Bordeaux but are re-thinking that option now. What are your thoughts on this?

As always, I appreciate the great feedback I always get from this forum.

You don't even want to think of having a car in Bordeaux. The public transportation system is awesome, on-street parking doesn't really exist except in the far reaches of the city, few hotels have parking, and parking lots cost a fortune. You can pick a car up at the Gare St-Jean when you leave town, or you could take the train to Libourne or Périgueux and pick up a car there. You certainly won't want to drive IN Bordeaux.

I don't know why you'd want a car in Bordeaux, a car is always a terrible idea in the middle of big cities, and as a tourist, that's generally where you want to be. Hotels in Paris don't usually have parking, either, in the city center.

Your price is very high, Bordeaux hotels aren't that expensive usually. I stayed in Hotel Majestic which isn't too far from the Opera, and loved it, it was 3* then but 4* now and it's only abotu 150 euro for a superior room in peak season. no, it doesn't ahve parking, that's pretty unusual in that area.

If you really wsant, you can probably park in a garage, it's not that expensive. This one isn't too far from that hotel and is only 25 euro per day. I wouldn't call that a fortune, even in Paris, parking garages are pretty reasonable compared to where I live in the US.
https://fr.parkindigo.com/parking/bo...ommes-33000400

Just a huge ditto to StCirq's post. We pick up our rental cars at Gare St-Jean after our stay before departing. All the major players are there in the same area downstairs. I hate Bordeaux city traffic!

Well, 25 euros a day is a small fortune for me, especially to park a car for several days for no reason at all but to let it sit there. After all, I can take a 2-hour train ride from the Périgord to Bordeaux St-Jean for 11 euros. We are in Bordeaux often and usually stay at the Ibis near the train station, but that's because we're there for practical/business purposes, not touring. I used to stay at the Etche-Ona and th Bayonne, but I don't know what the prices would be these days. I can't imagine spending $300 a night for a hotel in Bordeaux, though, even if that's Australian or Canadian dollars.

TravelerKaren,
About hotels-
We considered staying at the 4-star Best Western Premiere Etche Ona. Rates for our dates in late June ran €277/night w/o breakfast. (Parking nearby costs 15/day but again, I would never take a car into the city).

We opted instead for the Une Chambre Chez Dupont suites in the interesting antique dealers' district of Chartrons, near the Sunday market on the quai and handy to a tram stop.
Our huge (413 square feet) "Sanchez" superior suite came with a/c, flat screen TV, Nespresso machine (with plenty of pods), packaged madeleines for snacks, an I-pod dock, mini bar (but no elevator-a one floor walk up), and it is owned by the Chez Dupont restaurant up the street. For September it's priced at €153/night if booked directly, in case you're interested. There are other suites available that cost a bit less.

https://www.chez-dupont.com/en/

I will be going to Bordeaux in May and have rented apartments for a total now of 3-4 months over the past 2-3 years now and more and more of the city has now become pay parking on the street and impossible to rely on finding a spot. But since we lease a long term car through the open Europe Peugeot plan I will have a car on this trip. So this time I decided to book my cousin and myself at a little apartment/hotel property called the Residhome Bordeaux, 87 Quai de Bacalan, 33300 Bordeaux for a couple of reasons. It is right on the quai just north of Chartron and has its own underground paid parking. I used booking.com to book but you can also book directly on their site. Bookings says "Private parking is available on site (reservation is not needed) and costs EUR 8 per day".

It is practically right next to the B tram La Cité du Vin stop a one minute walk at most. It is a bit further north than I generally like to stay but if you stay down near the gare it is much nosier and parking is much harder. Also, a lot of the hotels in that area that supposedly have parking really direct you to use the parking at the train station-but it can often be full and then you can be stuck.

https://www.residhome.com/uk/photo-h...deaux-293.html

Also, the Residhome has A/C which you might or might need in September and an elevator. We are paying $170 for one night for a 1 bedroom so that I can sleep in the living room on the pull out couch and my cousin will have the bedroom-but they also have studios that are less money if you just need one bed.

Another advantage of its location is that it is near the new Les Bassins de Lumières which opens in the spring that we want to go see.

https://us.france.fr/en/bordeaux/art...es-in-bordeaux

In general though if possible I would rent a car at the gare when you leave town if you can-you won't need it or want it in town and that opens up many other places you can stay. We still love the Chartron area because it is calm and quiet, so without a car the property Marible mentioned looks wonderful-the Une Chambre Chez Dupont suites-and I like the fact they are very clear about the floor of each room since there is no elevator-here is the link to it:

https://www.chez-dupont.com/en/bedrooms/ .

That said however, if you want to be more central we rented this apartment for a month last year and it isn't large but the location is great-up near the Hotel de Ville. We rented it directly from the agency which is the link below, but they also book on booking.com (just put in Bordeaux L'Appart Porte Basse in the search) It is not large but has A/C and really close to a Monoprix with a great grocery section and there is a public underground parking lot right there as well and it is right where the A and B lines cross for the trams-so a super location in town. It get booked up quite fast so it may be hit or miss as to whether it is available. It is on a quiet little street just off the main area and is up one flight with no elevator-but does have A/C. Jean Christophe the manager is really nice and easy to work with.

11, Rue Porte Basse, Bordeaux

Burdigala Homes, location d'appartements meublés à Bordeaux

Thank you all for your suggestions and recommendations. We usually don't rent cars until we leave a big city (like Paris) so you have all confirmed that we should wait until we leave Bordeaux to pick up the car. We weren't sure if we would need a car for day trips from Bordeaux but looks like it will be easy to take a train or bus to get outside the city. We will book our car at the train station.

St. Cirq: Thanks for reminding me that we could also pick up the car at Libourne or Périgueux. I hadn't thought of that option.
Maribel, Cristina and Jpie: Thank you for the hotel recommendations. I will check them all out.
Jpie: I, too, am looking forward to attending the new Les Bassins de Lumières exhibit. We loved the one in Paris last year. Thank you so much for all of the detail and links.

Again, much appreciate the feedback from all you Fodorites. I always get great advice from this Forum when planning our trips.

TravelerKaren-you are more than welcome. I hope you have a wonderful trip to Bordeaux-we always have a good time there. BTW, just to hijack your thread a bit, do the other folks following this thread have any favorite restaurants in Bordeaux-I am starting to make a list and would welcome any ideas Maribel did you eat at Chez Dupont restaurant-and if so was it good?

jpie,
I've had lunch at Chez Dupont and have enjoyed it. It received a nod a while back by The NY Times.

In the immediate vicinity of our Une Chambre Chez Dupont, we like Chez Boulan. It's the Bordeaux branch of the oyster cabane in Cap Ferret. It's tiny and very popular so one needs to reserve.
.

One I would put on the list is Miles. JulieV here gave it her stamp of approval. These young, creative chefs offer a lunch 3-course "Un Petit Miles" for €24 and a 4-course surprise lunch menu for €29. Next door to it, there's a wine bistro, Soif Bistrot à Vins where we had a nice and very inexpensive lunch.

https://en.restaurantmiles.com
https://lefooding.com/en/restaurants...-soif-bordeaux

Le Cent 33 just received a Bib Gourmand designation from Michelin this week.
https://cent33.com/en/home/#a-propos

The (relatively) new foodhall La Boca is fun and has some decent food, a lot of it ethnic (we get really tired of typical SW cuisine sometimes, so for us it's a treat to get reasonably well-prepared Mexican or Thai or Japanese or........). Don't let anyone, particularly the taxi drivers at the Gare St-Jean, fool you into thinking it's just a 2-minute walk from the station, though. It's a tough 15-minute haul on foot through construction and ripped-up sidewalks in a dreary neighborhood to get there.

We also love the Café St-Georges for lunch.


La Boca


I should add that Gordon Ramsay has a prix-fixe 20-euro lunch at the Intercontinental.

Thanks all! I have wanted to try Miles so that is definitely on my list. And St. Cirq, I so relate about wanting good ethnic food since we get the same way down at our beach village-sometimes there is just no substitute for good Mexican or Thai food!

Up near Chartrons right on the square with the Halles des Chartron we have liked both the El National Argentinian restaurant and Le Bistro des Anges.

Up closer to the Hotel de Ville area we have enjoyed brunchy kind of meals at Plume.

I agree, jpie, the El Nacional is a solid Argentinian. It's also just a short walk from Une Chambre Chez Dupont on the square.

TravelerKaren and jpie,
On the quai de Chartrons, where the Sunday market takes place, at number 4, there's a new place, Symbiose, that I have on my list to try for lunch after a visit to the Les Bassins de Lumières this summer. It gets a nod from Michelin (but not a star) and from Food & Wine and is a new Lefooding find. It's fusion cuisine created by four 28-year olds. And at the back of the bistro it has a speakeasy bar that's hidden behind the grandfather clock.

Open for lunch Monday-Friday only, it's tiny so one must reserve. It serves a 3-course lunch menu for €23.

https://lefooding.com/en/restaurants...biose-bordeaux

Thanks Jpie for asking about restaurants and to Maribel and StCirq for giving us their recommendations. I know that these will be good if they are recommending

Maribel, let us know how the Les Bassins de Lumieres is after your visit. We are really looking forward to that.

Karen-have a great time in Bordeaux. I will write something back about our trip in May since it sounds like we will be there before you-I am sure we will eat someplace yummy and I am looking forward to seeing the Bassins de Lumieres even though I think it is the same one I saw in Paris-it will probably feel different in that setting.

jpie and others,
An October article in Food & Wine about the "bistrot revolution" of Bordeaux-

https://www.foodandwine.com/travel/r...tro-revolution

And about the growing "trendiness" of the Chartrons quarter-
https://www.lostinbordeaux.com/what-...t-of-bordeaux/

Looking forward to trying some of these. We have at least four trips to Bordeaux coming up between now and September, for medical appointments or to fly out to other places, so we should be able to get to at least a couple. Thanks for the links.

For anyone coming into the Gare St-Lazare (or leaving from it), Le Terminus, right across the street, is one of the best train station bistros I've ever encountered, and I've encountered hundreds. Good food, good service, reasonable prices (they just jacked them up a bit because of competition from a new swanky resto just down the street, but it's still good value).

Thanks for the links-so many restaurants so little time! And thanks for the suggestion near St Lazare since my cousin will be spending one night near there on her way to Caen, so having something yummy nearby will be good. At the suggestion of someone else on the forum she is going to be staying at the Atlantic Hotel 44 rue de Londres 75008 Paris France.

StCirq-when I try to search for Le Terminus I don't think I am finding the right one-it pulls up a place with that name as part of the Hilton Opera-but it is closed. Do you have any details for the Le Terminus?