What is more pointless than cursory sightseeing tourism? I am sure that it will be a hundred times more interesting to participate in a local cycling marathon or in a competition for manually corking bottles in some château d'Arsac than dragging a guide Wine Tours around the back streets of a church where in such and such a shaggy year Eleanor of Aquitaine became engaged to Louis ... uh ... VII, thanks to Wikipedia. This article is written for independent travelers who are ready to learn the hard way what wine tourism is in France , namely in Bordeaux .
No matter how alternative you are, Wine Tours in Bordeaux without exploring the famous chateau is somehow silly. To visit the place and not see the main thing ... well, this is for very large originals. Moreover, visiting almost any of the most famous Bordeaux chateau in the world is not at all difficult. Chateau tours are organized in Bordeaux just around every corner.
To the great chateau - in an organized manner
Keep in mind that visits to most of the chateau are organized events and you just can't get there. For example, Wine Tours to those famous chateau where the great Bordeaux wines are produced - the premier grand cru - are organized every Wednesday until October 28 and start from the Bordeaux Central Tourism Office. Such a tour takes the whole day from 9-30 to 18-30, the program includes a visit to the chateau, lunch and tasting - the cost is 95 € per person. You can book online on the website of the tourist office itself. In the same place - information on hotels and restaurants of the city.
To the great chateau - in private
But we advise you to first go to the site of the chateau you are interested in, and sign up for an excursion there on an individual basis. Without intermediaries. Even the most famous chateau in the world - Chateau Mouton-Rothschild - can be accessed on your own. You will be assigned to a temporary group of individuals just like you. But keep in mind that wholesale is always cheaper. That is, you will pay more than for participation in the group Wine Tours tour. However, it is clear that if you went to Bordeaux through a travel agency, the group will be carried around all the chateau that are provided in the tour program, and you might be satisfied with visiting one or two to get a feel for what it is all about. And then, perhaps, you would not need to repeat a similar experience, and you would simply ride a bicycle in a private order in Bordeaux.
Don't bypass La Winery
23 km from Bordeaux, there is an interesting place, which is simply called the "Winery" . This is a modern building made of glass and metal, where exhibitions and concerts are held, tastings are held, from where you can take a jeep to a wine safari at the chateau, and where, of course, there is a huge liquor store. If you've been to Virgin record stores, La Winery is something similar, just for wine.
For a deeper dive into the topic of Wine Tours tourism, visiting the great chateau of Bordeaux is not enough. So you will not feel anything, you will not recognize the spirit of local life. Something more human, more particular is needed.
Several ideas
1. Run in Bordeaux The Medoc Marathon is actually a massive organized event, but very funny, colorful, almost unforgettable. We did not include it in the compulsory program, because - not everyone will pull - you have to dress up there, this is a marathon-carnival, but the main thing is to run, this is not a bicycle for you, let alone a car.
2. Find Australia travel companions to cycle around Bordeaux. Still, the speed of cycling allows you to see more. And a local person in fellow travelers is simply the best guide in the world, with whom, moreover, unofficial human communication is possible.
3. Stop at a chateau in a relative "outback". The glitter of the great chateau is dazzling, and many details of the wine-making life simply elude you. In small but authentic chateau everything is somehow more authentic, not to mention the fact that it is cheaper.
4. Swing without looking at housing with a Frenchman who is going to Australia, for a while, of course. A very economical, alternative, fresh, human way to live in France, just like at home.
How to plan and implement it
All of these ideas can be planned on Wine Tours , which is designed specifically for the needs of independent travelers. You will need to register, and then post your announcement in the thematic forum, in the Bordeaux branch . Naturally, the more unusual your request, the longer it will take to receive a response. Therefore, plan your interesting vacation in advance.
On the forum, you are most likely to be able to quickly find people who will either rent you their own living space, or give you the necessary information. For example, the accommodation in the Chateau de Rocques looks curious - I advise you to contact the author of the post for details.
There is also a site through which you can find small family hotels or farmhouses renting out accommodation, which will probably be a little more expensive than negotiating directly with a local There is a similar resource in the Russian Internet, but in terms of development and information content it lags far behind Wine Tours. Meet Tripster , the network of independent travelers.
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