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How to travel by train from London to Bordeaux, France
Travel by train from London to Bordeaux in about five and a half hours by taking the Eurostar from London to Paris Gare du Nord then changing to Paris Gare de Lyon for the fast train to Bordeaux, just two hours from Paris.
Bordeaux is a city relishing its joie de vivre – years after the restoration of its centre restored the original golden hues of its buildings, residents and visitors are exploring its UNESCO-protected historic centre and sipping coffees in its numerous cafés. With first-rate museums and galleries, splendid architecture and a wealth of restaurants, squares, and shops, Bordeaux is a pint-sized rival to Paris, but with its distinct charms.
Flight-free travel from London to Bordeaux:
Journey Time: fastest from 5 hours 25 minutes
Sample timetable: Depart London 10.24am, arrive Bordeaux 5.56pm
Changes: 1
Transfer: Paris Gare du Nord to Paris Gare Montparnasse
Frequency of Departures: 18/day
Carbon emissions: 12.71kg (flight would be 70.43kg)*
Tickets provided by Trainline, which allows you to buy tickets for multiple train operators in multiple European countries. It does charge a small booking fee, but offers several useful facilities, such as a free email alert service to let you know as soon as bookings open for your chosen route so you can snap up the cheapest tickets when they become available.
How to book train tickets as part of a package with accommodation
If you want someone to book the whole journey for you or combine it with staying in hotels en route, get in touch with the travel agent Byway through its page for booking enquiries.
On Board Eurostar
For ticket types (Standard, Plus and Premier) and information on what it's like on board, see our Guide to Eurostar
What's the journey like?
You have to change stations in Paris from Gare du Nord to Montparnasse, which can take about half an hour on the Paris metro (though we recommend you leave at least 50 minutes for the entire transfer). See our guide to How to transfer between train stations across Paris.
Miss your connection?
Don’t panic. Railteam’s ‘Hop on the Next Available Train’ service means that if you have missed your connection because of a delay on the preceding leg of your journey, you’ll automatically be put on the next available high-speed train. NB Remember to get your ticket stamped by your Train Manager.
Stopover in Paris 🏠
If you want to break the journey and stay overnight to see a bit more of Paris while you're travelling through, there are lots of lovely places to stay conveniently near Brussels Gare du Nord.
Hotels close to Gare du Nord 🚉
Grand Hotel de Paris and Hôtel Kabanel are just a few minutes walk from Gare du Nord (and Gare de L'Est so also great if you're heading out east). Rooms from about €100 per night.
For more hotels close to the station see Hotels near Gare du Nord
Green Traveller's Top Pick 💚
Mob Hotel is a particularly environmentally friendly and socially conscious hotel that's in the heart of St Ouen, just a few miles north of Gare du Nord and close to the Garibaldi metro station (line 13). The hotel is all about being socially engaged within its neighbourhood (the artistic creations of local craftspeople are everywhere), but it also has strong eco credentials, such as water jugs rather than plastic bottles, refillable toiletries and organic cosmetics in the rooms. The restaurant is fully organic with a seasonal menu that draws on produce from farming cooperatives or direct from local producers (they also make their own honey and beer).
Eco-friendly hotels in Paris ✔️
If you're looking for other green hotels in the French Capital, then these have all been certified by an accredited ecolabel: Hotel Gavarnie (near the Eiffel Tower and Les Invalides Museum) | Hotel Le Pavillion (a former convent in the Saint-Dominique area) | Amélie Hotel (2-star) | Hôtel Malar (10 minutes from the Champs Elysees).
On arrival at Bordeaux St Jean train station
Bienvenue à Bordeaux! Bordeaux’s main railway station, the Gare St Jean, gateway for train travellers, is located a little to the south of the city centre. It is on line C of the tram network, which will whisk you to all points central in a few minutes.
The ultra-modern, fast and sleek tram system is the showpiece of Bordeaux’s transport network. Three lines (A, B and C) cross the city, and most of the city centre is within a few minutes’ walk of a stop: the tram network map is clear and colour-coded. Like the trams, buses are operated by TBC who offer useful bus information, routes and timetables in English (TBC tram information) and also offer a map of central Bordeaux featuring the useful bus and tram routes for visitors. Fares for buses and trams start at €1,40 for a single journey, with a range of multi-trip and day/week tickets available: TBC offers full Bordeaux transport ticket and fare information.
Hotels in Bordeaux
There are lots of hotels near to the station, see below:
More about Bordeaux
The centre of Bordeaux is not enormous, and many streets have been pedestrianised, making walking a great option for getting around, taking in the architecture and lifestyle and discovering hidden corners as you cross the city. The terrain is largely flat, making cycling also an appealing option: the Vcub network offers self-service bike sharing across Bordeaux (map of stations; the site is in French only) – hire a bike from one docking station and drop it off at another close to your destination.
It's world famous wine is, of course, everywhere – with the Cité des civilizations du vin and the Musée du vin et du negoce offering an introduction to the world and culture of the city’s most famous export.
For more information about where to stay, local restaurants, and what to see and do in the region, see our Green Traveller's Guide to Nouvelle-Aquitaine
