Getting There - Bordeaux 50 Plus Program

What airport should I arrive to?

For the Bordeaux 50 Plus Language Learning Holiday, you should arrive to the Bordeaux Airport in Mérignac, 10 kms west of the city centre, where you will either take a taxi to the your accommodation or be met by a pre-arranged school chaperone in the arrival's hall.

When should I arrive?

You should plan to arrive on a Sunday and depart on a Saturday (there are no time restrictions for arrivals and departures). For flights from the US/Canada this means leaving the US/Canada on a Saturday and flying overnight for a Sunday morning arrival in Europe.

How can I get to Bordeaux from the US/Canada?

There are no direct flights between the US and Bordeaux so you will need to change planes at an airport hub in Canada, the UK or Europe (typically Montreal, London or Paris). Here is a list of airlines that fly into Bordeaux Airport (this list is by no means comprehensive so check with your travel agent for additional options):

Air France

Air Transat (from Montreal, Canada)

British Airways

Easy Jet

Iberia

Lufthansa

There are direct flights from Montreal, Canada to Bordeaux on Air Transat.

Another option is to fly into Paris and then travel by train into Bordeaux.  The main railway station in Bordeaux is Gare St-Jean, located about 3km from Bordeaux city centre. There are numerous trains arriving to Bordeaux daily including the high speed TGV Atlantique from Paris Montparnasse which takes just 3 hours. The TGV Atlantique also stops in Libourne, Arcachon, Bayonne, Biarritz, Saint-Jean-de-Luz, Hendaye and Irun (Spain). Trains also arrive in Bordeaux from Nantes, Poitiers, La Rochelle and Toulouse.

Can you recommend any good travel sites?

There are some great sites out there!  In addition to www.expedia.com, www.expedia.ca, www.travelocity.com and www.travelocity.ca a few of our favorites include www.kayak.com, where you can compare different fares and then book directly through the website offering the best price and www.farecast.com, where you can compare fares and get a forecast of the best time to buy your ticket based on whether or not fares are predicted to go up or down.

Please note:

The Bordeaux 50 Plus Language Learning Holiday starts on a Sunday and ends on a Saturday.  We cannot guarantee accommodation availability for arrivals before Sunday or departures after Saturday. Please call us toll-free on 1 888 386 1411 if you are having trouble getting flights for the required days/times. 

Once you have your booking confirmed, be sure to provide us with your travel plans by fax or e-mail so we can inform the school!

For questions about travel arrangements please call us toll-free on 1-888-386-1411