← Marathon des Châteaux du Médoc·2 nights

Bordeaux: Two Slow Days by the Garonne After the Médoc

A flat riverside city an hour down the line from Pauillac, with a wine museum, a long paved promenade and a tram that saves the legs, and the airport a tram ride away for the flight home.

Duration2 nights
TransitTER line 42, around 1 hour 10 minutes from Pauillac to Bordeaux Saint-Jean
DepartsPauillac

After the Marathon des Châteaux du Médoc: Bordeaux

The Route: Pauillac → Bordeaux (2 nights) → Bordeaux Airport Logistics: TER Nouvelle-Aquitaine line 42 from Pauillac to Bordeaux Saint-Jean, around 1 hour 10 minutes. Trains are infrequent, so check the timetable. Marathon Month: September Duration: 2 nights

Pauillac ──(≈1h10 TER line 42)──> Bordeaux Saint-Jean
                                         │
                    Bordeaux Airport (BOD) ◄──(tram line F)──┘

Pauillac is a small town, and after race weekend most of its visitors leave at once. Bordeaux, about 50 km south, is the natural next stop: the airport and the high-speed trains are there, and its centre is flat, compact and built for walking slowly. Early September is still warm, which suits riverside evenings and an indoor museum for the hottest part of the afternoon.

The easiest way there is the TER on line 42, which runs from Le Verdon through Pauillac to Bordeaux Saint-Jean in around 1 hour 10 minutes. If you came on the organiser's buses, the race-day return also works: in 2026 they left Pauillac at 17:00 and 23:00.

Two Nights in Bordeaux

The riverfront is the place to start. The Miroir d'Eau, a thin sheet of water on the paving in front of Place de la Bourse, reflects the 18th-century facades behind it, and from there the Quai Richelieu and Quai des Chartrons run for several kilometres of level, paved promenade along the Garonne. It is easy walking the day after a marathon, and you can stop whenever the legs ask.

La Cité du Vin, the wine museum on the northern riverfront, is the obvious indoor stop after a weekend in the Médoc. The exhibitions cover wine around the world, and the ticket includes a glass in the viewing gallery at the top of the building, which looks back over the river. Prices depend on the season and the tasting option, so check laciteduvin.com before you go.

In the old town, the Grosse Cloche, a 15th-century belfry over one of the main streets, and the Porte Cailhau, a fortified gate near Place du Palais, are close together and quick to see. On the second day, the Jardin Public on the northern edge of the centre gives a flat, gravelled loop of about 20 minutes, and Place des Quinconces, between the garden and the river, is where the organiser's shuttles left for Pauillac.

Where to stay: The Chartrons district, the old wine merchants' quarter along the river, is a quiet base within walking distance of the Cité du Vin and the promenade. For a central position close to Place de la Comédie and the old town restaurants, the InterContinental Bordeaux Le Grand Hotel faces the Grand Théâtre.

Getting around: Bordeaux's trams, lines A to D, cross the centre at street level, and most stops have no steps. A short ride can replace a 20-minute walk on the second evening. Buy single tickets from the machines at each stop and validate them on board.

Getting to Bordeaux Airport

Bordeaux-Mérignac Airport (BOD) is served by tram line F from the city centre. Allow enough time to collect bags from the hotel and make the connection with a comfortable margin, especially in the evening, when trams run less often.