Everything you need to know about visiting Bordeaux with kids
Jan 16, 2024 鈥 7 min read
Beautiful Bordeaux is the perfect location for a family vacation 漏 Ekaterina Pokrovsky / Shutterstock
Nicola recently finished writing the new edition of 香港六合彩即时开奖's guidebook, which is out in May 2024. Here she shares her expert opinion on visiting Bordeaux as a family.
Fellow parents, forget the extraordinary wine for a brief moment (although there鈥檚 always grape juice for the kids). With its giddy mix of sweeping green spaces, river life, interactive museums and casual dining scene, Bordeaux tops the French charts for urban exploration en famille.
All too often, families seeking a baptism in French joie de vivre hit the country鈥檚 capital. Number one top tip: Bordeaux鈥檚 smaller size and more accommodating, provincial vibe make it an easier nut to crack.
This is a city with mountains of space for all ages 鈥 energy-burning tot to tech-smart teen 鈥 to paddle in puddles, toot bicycle bells, flip tricks in the skatepark, let off steam and have an all-around blast. Visit at the weekend and you鈥檒l find yourself surrounded by Bordelais families, also making the most of their enchanting, dynamic playground of a city.
Why is Bordeaux good for kids?
How can a city whose signature 驳芒迟别补耻 (cake) is sandcastle-shaped be anything other than kid-friendly? Bordeaux鈥檚 super-efficient mix of trams, riverboats and bicycles make getting around a breeze 鈥 and fun to boot. With the exception of the old-world neighborhood Chartrons, and medieval St-Pierre and St-Paul, pavements are generally wide and easy to navigate with a pram or pushchair; bring a sling/baby carrier for historic quartiers (neighborhoods).
Many restaurants offer a good-value menu enfant (children鈥檚 menu for kids under 12), which, coupled with the city鈥檚 smorgasbord of cafes, casual bistros and pavement terraces, make eating out with children reasonably relaxed.
Weekend brunch is big with Bordelais families. The Saturday brunch buffet at Le Gabriel鈥檚 informal bistro on place de la Bourse, with playful entertainment for younger children, is a swish family favorite. On the right bank, at eco-driven 鈥 with kids鈥 play corners, ping pong and table football in the courtyard, and a skatepark in an old hangar 鈥 is a wildly popular weekend hangout for all budgets.
State museums are free to those under 18 and tiny travelers under five can ride public transport for free. Families keen to sightsee should consider a (24/48/72 hours adult 鈧34/44/50, 6鈥17yrs 鈧19/26/31) covering public transport, a city tour and admission to 15 major museums.
Where is best in Bordeaux for kids?
Keeping the entire clan happy is the key to family travel: cruising riverside along silky-smooth quays on foot or by bicycle, splashing around in the 鈥渕agic mirror鈥 of the world鈥檚 largest reflecting pool, delving into the world of wine at the interactive La Cit茅 du Vin (lots of smelling for under sevens, a superb digital children鈥檚 tour for kids aged eight to 12, and tasting workshops for parents) all do just that.
Paris might have macarons, but Bordeaux seduces the sweet-toothed with 肠补苍别濒茅蝉 (bite-sized cakes flavored with vanilla and an exhausted-parent-fortifying splash of rum), dunes blanches (鈥渨hite dunes鈥 aka sugar-dusted balls of choux pastry stuffed with whipped cream) and historic chocolate shops much appreciated by all ages.
Best things to do in Bordeaux with babies and toddlers
Play hide-and-seek in the Jardin Public
Make a beeline for the vast space your toddler needs 鈥 preferably not within tumbling distance of the swirling Garonne river 鈥 in Bordeaux鈥檚 elegant city park dating from 1755.
Be it sitting on a bench with baby in pram and peacefully watching local life mill by, tracking rare beasts in Bordeaux鈥檚 state-of-the-art (kids under six can enjoy their own dedicated Mus茅e des Tout-Petits on the ground floor), or catching an outdoor puppet show in July and August, this flower-festooned park doesn鈥檛 disappoint.
A duck pond and playground are the icing on the cake. Shop for a picnic beforehand at the city鈥檚 covered market March茅 des Capucins to enjoy on the pea-green lawns.
Devour ice cream on a medieval square
Navigating St-Pierre鈥檚 narrow, cobbled streets with a pushchair is challenging, but on the upside, there is no motorized traffic to worry about when inquisitive tots dart off in all directions. There鈥檚 also organic ice cream to enjoy at on pretty place St-Pierre: green tea, almond, absinthe, acacia, cheesy Roquefort, black garlic and beer are wilder flavors to keep grown-ups on their toes.
Splash barefoot in the Miroir d鈥橢au
What's not to love about dancing and scampering barefoot in the world's largest reflecting pool across the tram tracks from 18th-century place de la Bourse? It keeps hot-and-bothered tots cool on summer days and casts a different perspective on the iconic square鈥檚 grandiose architecture.
Aim for the end of the day, when the softer early-evening sun turns everything gold and the insanely stylish bar at gourmet serves 补辫茅谤颈迟颈蹿 drinks and nibbles on its sublime pavement terrace.
Best things to do in Bordeaux with young kids
Cruise along the Garonne River
Pair a fun boat cruise along the river with a visit to the in Bassins 脿 Flot. Aspiring pirates and seafarers will be awestruck by the 7m-tall (23ft) shark hanging in front of the entrance. Inside, contemporary exhibits dive into the marine world, naval battles, the history of navigation, and oceanography.
Watch, learn and play in city museums
Bordeaux spoils with its choice of museums. The comprehensive Mus茅e d鈥橝quitaine is one of the most colorfully curated history museums in France; focus on just a couple of sections to avoid museum fatigue (the rooms devoted to discovery at sea and the trade of enslaved people in the 19th century, with model ships et al, are particularly well curated).
Other museum must-dos: a themed activity workshop at the science museum CAP Sciences and unearthing ghoulish finds in an ancient necropolis at the Site Arch茅ologique de St-Seurin.
Scamper up towers for dizzying skyline views
The kids can count the steps and play 鈥淚 Spy鈥 at the top, while les parents are rewarded with uplifting city panoramas. Scaling the 233 steps inside the cathedral鈥檚 freestanding bell tower is free for under 18s. Porte Cailhau is a less demanding choice for shorter legs and parents with babes in slings.
Best things to do in Bordeaux with tweens and teens
Unearth digital art and works by urban street artists
The historic wine-trading district of Chartrons sizzles with rogue urban art 鈥 tucked down alleyways, on building facades, in hidden courtyards. Other prime spots to poke around for stencil art, aerosol paintings and wall murals by French and international artists are in La Bastide and around Les Vivres d鈥橝rt and Le Garage Moderne in Bacalan.
On quai de la Paludate, in the burgeoning Euratlantique district behind Gare St-Jean, hunt for the trademark half-human, half-animal character of Bordeaux鈥檚 most prolific street artist . Be prepared to be blown away by the immersive digital art shows projected onto bare concrete at WWII submarine base turned art venue .
Dare taste buds to taste new flavors
Bordeaux cooks up some memorable gustative experiences, guaranteed to thrill, stun and occasionally shock. Ditch the unadventurous kids鈥 menu (usually served up to 12 years) for freshly shucked Atlantic Ocean oysters for breakfast at March茅 des Capucins; sanguette (pig-blood pancake with duck neck and a garlicky, parsley sauce) for lunch at La Tupina; and lamproie 脿 la Bordelaise (a red-wine stew made from lampreys, a local, eel-like sucker fish) for dinner in an old-town bistro in St-Pierre perhaps. All three meals may be a little too challenging for tiny diners but dare to try one at least.
Join local riders on ramps and artificial waves
Teenage rollerbladers, skateboarders and BMX riders congregate at the open-air, riverside Skate Parc des Chartrons and in an upcycled industrial hangar at Darwin across the water. Or keep older teens on their toes with urban surfing in an artificial wave pool at .
Planning tips
Time your visit for the first Sunday of the month when admission to many state museums and monuments, including Tour Pey Berland and Mus茅e d鈥橝quitaine, is free.
In downtown St-Pierre, find baby changing facilities inside the department store on the main shopping street rue Ste-Catherine.
Wide, safe cycling lanes follow the Garonne鈥檚 left bank for 4.5km (2.8 miles). Rent children鈥檚 bicycles and inline skates at ; reserve online.
organizes reams of family-friendly, themed walking and cycling city tours (street art, Roman history, fairy tales and legends, gastronomy, wine). On the river, think river cruises and fishing trips. Book ahead.
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