France Guide
Poitou-Charentes and the Atlantic coast
Arrival
Bordeaux-Mérignac airport is 12km west of the city and is connected by shuttle buses (every 45min; €7) to the main tourist office. Arriving by train, you'll find yourself at the gare St-Jean, right at the heart of a somewhat insalubrious area, nearly 3km south of the city centre; bus #16 and tramline C run into the centre. There's no central gare routière, but the hub of bus transport is the south side of the esplanade des Quinconces, on allées de Munich, where you'll also find the information centre ( 
05.57.57.88.88, 
www.infotbc.com ) for all local transport. Troublesome exceptions are buses to Blaye, which leave from "Buttinière" (take tram line A), and buses to Margaux and Pauillac, which leave from "place Ravezies" (tram line C).
Tram services operate on the three lines frequently from 5am to midnight, and extend several kilometres into Bordeaux's suburbs. There are also frequent electric navette buses running between the two city-centre poles of Quinconces and Victoire. You can purchase either single-ride tickets (€1.30) or carnets of ten (€10), available from the machines at tram stops (coins only) or at tabacs all over the city. Though the city is certainly walkable, some sights are a fair distance away from each other, and if you're going to be here for a few days, it pays to buy an unlimited-use pass, available for between one and seven days.
For car drivers, there should be ample parking in the numerous underground car parks in the town centre, though it's cheaper to use the car parks next to the tram stations on the east bank of the Garonne: buy a round-trip park-and-ride ticket (€2.60), and hop on a tram into the centre.