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Travel guide
The Médoc
4 days · 8 things to do
Best time to go: May to June, and September to October
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Welcome
The Médoc, in a few days
The Médoc is a peninsula with two faces. On the estuary side, the château road links Margaux, Saint-Julien and Pauillac, home to three of the five first growths of 1855. On the ocean side come endless beaches from Lacanau to Soulac, the great lakes of Hourtin and Lacanau, and the Cordouan lighthouse offshore.
- Day by day
- D1 Day 1 2 things
- D2 Day 2 2 things
- D3 Day 3 2 things
- D4 Day 4 2 things
- Worth sorting before you go
- Words that help
- The practical page
- Packing checklist
The trip
Day by day
Map of the sights (numbers follow the suggested order). It prints with the base map.
D1
Day 1
2 things to do · at your own pace
- Morning · The château road free · half a dayThe D2 runs up the left bank of the Gironde through Margaux, Saint-Julien, Pauillac and Saint-Estèphe, past châteaux of the 1855 classification.
- Afternoon · Pauillac free · half a dayThe small estuary town at the heart of the wine Médoc, with three first growths: Lafite Rothschild, Latour and Mouton Rothschild.
🛏️ Where to sleep · Hôtel Des Pins€115 a night
D2
Day 2
2 things to do · at your own pace
- Morning · Margaux free · half a dayAbout 1,500 hectares over four communes, with 21 classified growths of 1855, more than any other Médoc appellation.
- Afternoon · Lac d'Hourtin-Carcans free · 2 to 3 hThe largest natural freshwater lake entirely within France, 18 km long and shallow, so it warms up quickly in summer.
🛏️ Where to sleep · Hôtel Côte d'Argent€120 a night
D3
Day 3
2 things to do · at your own pace
- Morning · Lacanau-Océan free · 2 to 3 hBordeaux's beach, an hour from the city, and a centre of French surfing, host of the Lacanau Pro international competition in summer.
- Afternoon · Montalivet beaches free · 2 to 3 hA dozen kilometres of Atlantic beach backed by dunes and pines, with a big summer market and one of the oldest naturist centres in Europe.
🛏️ Where to sleep · Vitalparc Hôtel€120 a night
D4
Day 4
2 things to do · at your own pace
- Morning · Soulac-sur-Mer free · 2 to 3 hA late 19th-century resort of brick villas, and a 12th-century basilica buried by sand then dug out, UNESCO-listed as part of the Santiago routes.
- Afternoon · Cordouan Lighthouse · half a dayFinished in 1611 on a rocky shelf some seven kilometres out at the mouth of the Gironde, raised in the 18th century to 68 metres.
🛏️ Where to sleep · Hôtel Des Pins€115 a night
Before you go
Worth sorting before you go
📶 eSIM data
Online the moment you land, no roaming bill.
Get one · Holafly
Online the moment you land, no roaming bill.
Get one · Holafly
🛡️ Travel insurance
Health, luggage, cancellation.
Cover it · Ekta
Health, luggage, cancellation.
Cover it · Ekta
💳 Fee-free card
Pay at the real rate, with no exchange markup.
Open one · Revolut
Pay at the real rate, with no exchange markup.
Open one · Revolut
🚐 Airport transfer
A private car at a fixed price from the moment you land.
Book it · GetTransfer
A private car at a fixed price from the moment you land.
Book it · GetTransfer
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Good to know
Flavours & local habits
🍽️ Worth tasting
- Baguette: the daily bread, bought fresh from the boulangerie. Ask for a "tradition", made with nothing but flour, water, salt and yeast.
- Croissant and pain au chocolat: breakfast pastries, best in the morning while still warm.
- The cheese course: served after the main dish and before dessert, from Comté to Camembert.
- Steak frites: the bistro standard. Order it "saignant" for rare or "à point" for medium.
- Galettes and crêpes: savoury buckwheat pancakes from Brittany filled with ham, egg and cheese, then sweet ones for pudding.
- House wine: ordered by the carafe or the "pichet" at lunch, and often better value than a bottle.
⚠️ Best avoided
- Say "bonjour" when you walk into a shop, a bakery or a café, and "au revoir" as you leave. Skipping it comes across as rude.
- Lunch runs from about noon to 2pm and dinner starts around 7.30pm. In between, most restaurant kitchens are closed.
- Most shops close on Sunday, and many small towns shut on Monday too. Bakeries and markets open on Sunday morning.
- Do not pay for bottled water at the table: ask for "une carafe d'eau", tap water that is served free with a meal.
- Around the big Paris sights, walk past anyone with a petition or a friendship bracelet. They are there to distract you while someone else takes your wallet.
Getting by
Words that help
English ↔ French
| English | French |
|---|---|
| Hello | Bonjour |
| Thank you | Merci |
| Please | S'il vous plaît |
| Yes | Oui |
| No | Non |
| Excuse me | Excusez-moi |
| Goodbye | Au revoir |
| Do you speak English? | Parlez-vous anglais ? |
| I don't understand | Je ne comprends pas |
| How much is it? | Combien ça coûte ? |
| Where are the toilets? | Où sont les toilettes ? |
| The bill, please | L'addition, s'il vous plaît |
| Help! | Au secours ! |
| Cheers! | Santé ! |
The essentials
The practical page
CurrencyEuro (EUR, €)
BudgetAbout €115 a day, mid-range
Best seasonMay to June, and September to October
PlugC/E · 230V
Tap waterSafe to drink
TippingService is included by law, round up
Emergency112
EntrySchengen area: an ID card or passport for EU citizens, 90 days visa-free for UK, US, Canadian and Australian passports.
HealthNo specific vaccination needed. Check that tetanus, diphtheria, polio and MMR are up to date.
Scan to open this guide online, always up to date.
https://offwegooo.com/en/guides/medoc
Don't forget
Packing checklist
Have a good trip.
Guide made on offwegooo.com · Photos via Pexels · Details are indicative, check before you leave.