I'm heading to Bordeaux for 5 days, but would prefer to stay in a town nearby. Any recommendations on which one would be best as a base?

Thankyou!

Hi L,

I suggest that you look up St. Emilion.

See http://www.saint-emilion-tourisme.co...ueil/index.htm

We stayed at the Hautrive St. James hotel in Bouliac on a hill looking over to Bordeaux and loved both the hotel and the small town it's in. The hotel is modern with some very edgy architecture and decor (one room has a white Harley for an objet d'art.) It's in the middle of a vineyard but also right in this small town. They have both an upscale 1 Michelin star and a bistro restaurant and there are two other restaurants in the tiny little place. I think we only paid 160 euros per night which was an incredible bargain for the kind of place this is. Our bed was on a wooden platform with windows to the left looking across the hill to the lights of Bordeaux and windows in front of us looking onto the lighted clock tower of the small church in Bouliac. Fabulous breakfasts in a lovely room, again with great views. Nice outdoor area for dining or drinks. We loved this place. Stayed maybe 3 nights and explored the Bordeaux area with ease because you can hop right on a major traffic artery just down the hill from the hotel.

St. Emilion and the Haut Rive St. James would be at the top of my list, too, but unfortunately, the St. James was fully booked and there was not a hotel room to be found in St. Emilion for the time of our stay.

So we're staying in St. Estephe, out on the Medoc peninsula. I'll report back on it when we return. A lot of the people who are going to the same event that we are like to stay in Pauillac, at the Hotel France et Angleterre.

Thanks all for your advice! St Emilion looks fabulous.