Bordeaux is, in my humble opinion, the underrated treasure of France. People often pick Paris, Lyon or Nice, but Bordeaux has so much to offer. I mean, it has a wine museum, what more do you need to convince you to visit? In this post though, I will be focussing on day trips from Bordeaux, rather than Bordeaux itself. Within a couple of hours drive from Bordeaux there are some terrific places to visit in south-west France, here are some of my favourites:
Saintes
Saintes is the second largest city in the Charente-Maritime, after La Rochelle. With rich Gallo-Roman heritage and a beautiful cathedral as its centrepiece, Saintes makes for a perfect day trip from Bordeaux. Only 125km north of Bordeaux via the A10 road, it is also accessible by train. Saintes was the Roman capital of the Charente-Maritime and there are legacies to enjoy such as the Arc de Germanicus, which was built in around 18 or 19AD. The Saintes Cathedral was rebuilt between 1450-1568, on the site of the previous 12th century church.
Cognac
Cognac is most famous for… well, cognac. Funny that. Cognac isn’t just another beautiful french river city, and it isn’t all about Cognac. Cognac is home to art galleries, museums, and great restaurants. I recommend L’Atelier des Quais just across the river from the Hennessy distillery. For a bit of history, why not visit the Royal Chateau to learn about Baron Otard and the history of the city.
Saint-Émilion
Saint Emilion is famous for its wine, but it is also a delightful place to visit for the history and gastronomic side too. It’s only 1 hour by car from Bordeaux, making it an easy day trip. Although if you fancy tasting all the wonderful wines on offer, I would recommend you take a chauffeured tour from Bordeaux!
It can get super busy in the summer months, so I would recommend you book your wine tour in advance. Parking can be tough to find, but there are a number of parking areas dotted around the place.
Angoulême
Angoulême sits on the confluence of many major roads, and as a result has been ransacked many times in its history. With a historic old town that retains the typical french medieval charm, and I recommend sticking to this area on your visit. Outside this area, much of the rest of Angoulême has been rebuilt in the 19th century. Explore the roman ramparts, and visit the Comic Strip Museum. Since 1974, Angoulême has hosted the International Comics Festival every year – drawing 200,000 people to the city every January.
Brantôme
Brantôme sits on the Dronne River in the Dordogne, and is steeped in history. There is an old pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostela through Brantôme. The biggest attraction in town is the Benedictine Abbey, founded in 769 by Charlemagne, the great king of the middle ages. These days the city is a buzz with restaurants, markets, and gift shops. The Dronne River wraps around the old town and almost turns back on itself, making for a very picturesque town centre, and a fun place to canoe or kayak. A day trip to Brantôme promises fascinating history and something for the whole family.
What are your favourite cities in France? Paris is my soul city, but I love Nice and Lyon too!
Périgueux
Not far from Brantôme is the city of Périgueux. Once ruled by the Gallic people (before Roman rule), Périgueux was their capital. There are Gallic and Roman sites around the city that you can visit. The incredible romanesque Périgueux Cathedral presides over the old town, with the domes punctuating the skyline from any view. The river Isle runs through the city, and it is lovely to walk along in the summer.
Sarlat-la-Canéda
We had the pleasure of visiting the Sarlat markets last year and it is such a gorgeous little town. The medieval old town is only a few blocks across, and is criss-crossed with little alleyways, ancient crooked buildings, and wisteria. The church on the main square was renovated by famed architect Jean Nouvel and is now a market and lookout. Food in Sarlat is indulgent and delicious – foie gras is a speciality of the area, as are walnuts.
Day trips from Bordeaux
Bordeaux, and all the incredible places you can visit from there, make this an exciting holiday destination. Within 1-2 hours of Bordeaux you have roman history, romanesque architecture, and delicious food and wine of course! I suggest a week in the area, so you can enjoy the city as well as these great day trips from Bordeaux. Come and revel in the history, culture and beauty that south-west France has to offer!
Travelling in France is a speciality of mine, so if you need any help planning your trip, please contact me!
All photos & content © Hannah Henderson and may not be used without permission (sharing this blog post is fine, though!).
So many spectacular places to visit in this region, I really need to put this on my bucket list. I love visiting these type of places and each one is so unique.
Ohh! Air Canada now flies to direct to Bordeaux from Toronto. I’ve never been, but would like to check out the markets at Sarlat.
We have only been to Bordeaux by cruise ship. Would love to go back and spend more time. And always like to know what day trips are available. We did enjoy our visit to Cognac and cognac tasting. But wish we had more time to explore the town. I love river towns so Brantome might be a fun spot to visit. Kayaking would be fun. But Sarlat is definitely at the top of my list. The pics from you and my friend have convinced me that this charming little town needs to be explored. Just need to get France back on the travel planning board!
I would love to explore the bordeaux region in france further! Sarlat-la-Canéda looks especially lovely, you had me at wisteria. small medieval towns like that are fabulous to get lost in and explore. Thanks for sharing!
You had me at wine museum. It’s amazing that there is so much history in such a small area, all just a day trip away. Though I guess a day trip meant something quite different 900 years ago! Angouleme sounds like a treat, ancient castles and comic strips sounds like a great trip if I’ve ever heard one! Thanks for sharing.
We’ve never been to bordeaux, but would definitely like to check out the places. We love to stay in one place and explore the surrounding towns and their markets. And since you are an expert, that’s a bonus. 🙂
The International Comic Festival would be fascinating. I have read quite a few French graphic novels and they are…. dark. I remember one about Peter Pan when he had grown up and become an alcoholic. The rivers tours of Bordeaux and Cognac look lively and joyful.
So many beautiful places in Bordeaux. I haven’t been to that area in 15 years so I need to go back and check some of these places out.
A good list of places to see around the region. Loved the old world charm of Angoulême.
OMG I LOVE Bordeaux! You don’t need to convince me that it’s a worthy alternative to Paris. D’s uncle lives not too far from Angouleme, and we like it there, too. You’ve convinced me to try to get down there again this summer!
Great recommendations. I’d love to visit bordeaux but will add some of these to my list if i end up visiting for longer and want some daytrips. I have to say, with the exception of cognac, i hadn’t heard of any of these before. They look great places though.
Thanks Jason – yes, it’s a beautiful area, but is far less touristy than other parts of France!
Cognac is not only the town which gave its name to the famous spirits. It’s also a vineyard, the largest white wines vineyard in the world with the highest concentration of craft distilleries. All of this is in the countryside one hour and half away from Bordeaux by car.