BORDEAUX: SAINT ÉMILION DAY TRIP

We started our morning in a beautiful apartment that we rented on Booking.com. The night before we put the terrace to good use! Find yourself a grocery store, and you can put together a delicious cheese board. We went to the Monoprix down the street.

But the morning quickly came, and there was wine to be tasted! Before getting on the road we stopped at the Boulangerie Jocteur to fill our tummies with some delectable pastries.

Then we headed to the Bordeaux train station where we picked up a Sixt rental car. 

If you’re not interested in a rental car, you can also take the train into the city. It’ll cost you about 20 euros round trip. But just so you know, the train station about a two mile walk into the center of the town. 

Another option would be to take a tour to Saint-Emilion from Bordeaux. They will provide transportation and even set up a wine tasting for you.

Although, I really liked having a rental car. You’re on your own schedule, so if you want to pull off to the side of the road to get a closer look at a pretty chateau… you can! But so you know, almost all of these chateaus are by appointment only. You can’t just stop in to taste wine.

After about a 45 minute drive, we arrived in Saint Émilion. Our first stop was the tourism office. I always recommend in small french towns to head there first. They’ve got the insider’s information and if nothing else… a free map!

They suggested we head to Maison Galhaud to try some of the region’s wine. There we tasted three different wines.

After that, we headed to Les Cordeliers for lunch. This 14th century convent, now considered a UNESCO world heritage site, has been producing sparkling wines since 1892!

If you have a beautiful day like we did, head out to their terrace for a table service lunch. Another option is to buy one of their picnic baskets to enjoy on their grounds.

And after that we just putzed around this beautiful village. And might i say, it is probably one of the most instagram-able places I’ve ever been!

We headed back to Bordeaux city center for dinner. We were recommended Restaurant Loulou by a local. It did not disappoint! 

If you have any questions, feel free to email me at planetochampagne@gmail.com.