Region

Nouvelle-Aquitaine

Pick one base per trip — Bordeaux/Gironde, Dordogne, or the Basque coast. The region is 500 km (311 mi) north to south; three bases in a week is driving, not travel.Pick one base per trip — Bordeaux/Gironde, Dordogne, or the Basque coast. The region is 311 mi (500 km) north to south; three bases in a week is driving, not travel.

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Key facts · France

Best months: Apr–May, Sep–Oct
Visa: Depends on your passport
Currency: Euro (EUR, €)
Language: French
Plugs: C · E · 230 V
Time zone: CET, UTC+1

Month by month hereIn detail ↓

Rules in force · 8Non-EU visitors get 90 days in any rolling 180-day window…

Europe ↗Non-EU visitors get 90 days in any rolling 180-day window, counted across all 29 Schengen states together — not per country; the Entry/Exit System now logs each crossing, so an overstay is detected automatically.
Europe ↗On the first Schengen entry since EES began, non-EU travellers give four fingerprints and a face photo at the border instead of a passport stamp; there is nothing to apply for or pay in advance.
France and Monaco ↗France has run temporary identity checks at its internal Schengen land borders since 2015; carry a passport or EU/EEA national ID on trains and buses from Italy, Spain, Belgium, Germany, Switzerland and Luxembourg.
France and Monaco ↗Nights in France and Monaco draw on the same Schengen 90-in-180-day allowance as the rest of the area; Monaco does not reset or pause it.
France ↗France is in the Schengen area. Check the entry rules for your passport on official sources; the EU's Entry/Exit System registers non-EU visitors' fingerprints and photo at the first Schengen border, and further pre-travel authorisation rules are being introduced.
France ↗TGV (including the low-cost Ouigo) and Intercités night trains need a seat reservation: a rail pass alone does not let you board.
France ↗Paris, Lyon and other large cities run low-emission zones that require a Crit'Air sticker on cars; check before you drive a hire car or your own car into a city.
France ↗Carry your passport or national ID card: police can ask for identification, and hotels register foreign guests.

Nouvelle-Aquitaine is France's largest region, stretching from the Spanish border and the Pyrenees to the Loire, and from the Atlantic beaches to the Massif Central. It was formed in 2016 from Aquitaine, Limousin and Poitou-Charentes. It holds both mountain and beach, city and country: Bordeaux and its vineyards, the prehistoric caves of the Dordogne, the surf coast of the Landes and the Basque Country, and the cognac country of the Charente. It is mostly rural, mild and ocean-tempered, and best done slowly from a single base.

Where to sleep

5 places in this region

Sleep base

BordeauxCity guide
TGV hub, wine museum, gateway to Saint-Émilion and the Gironde.
Best May–Jun, Sep–Oct
JFMAMJJASOND
Open Bordeaux →
BiarritzCity guide
Basque coast, surf beaches, Spanish border 30 min away.
Best May–Jun, Sep
JFMAMJJASOND
Open Biarritz →
La RochelleCity guide
Atlantic port, Île de Ré, year-round UK flights.
Best May–Jun, Sep
JFMAMJJASOND
Open La Rochelle →

Day trip

PoitiersCity guide
TGV stop 1 h 18 from Paris; Futuroscope just north.
Best May–Jun, Sep–Oct
JFMAMJJASOND
Open Poitiers →
LimogesCity guide
Eastern gateway; Intercités from Paris Austerlitz.
Best May–Jun, Sep–Oct
JFMAMJJASOND
Open Limoges →

Plan the nights

How to split the nights, day-trips and what to do with your bags

Open Plan the nightsClose Plan the nights3 partsNights · Day-trips · Bags

Night sequences

4 nights: Bordeaux 4, Saint-Émilion and the Gironde as day-trips
6 nights: Bordeaux 3 + Dordogne 3 (car needed for the caves and cliff villages)
7 nights: Bordeaux 2 + Biarritz 3 + Basque villages 2

Bordeaux, Dordogne and the Basque coast in one week is three long drives; pick two.
Rural restaurants and gîtes often close outside the summer season — check before you book.

Day-trips door to door

To	From	Door-to-door p50	Last return	Note
Saint-Émilion	Bordeaux	45 min	check	Train from Bordeaux Saint-Jean; vineyards walkable from the station.
Arcachon and the Dune du Pilat	Bordeaux	60 min	check	TER to Arcachon, then bus to the dune; go early in summer.
Cognac	Angoulême	40 min	check	N141 links Saintes, Cognac and Angoulême; house tours need booking.

Bags between cities

Not a common service here; most travellers drive or take the train with their bags.

When to go

Months and weather

Open When to goClose When to go2 partsSeasons · Climate

Seasons at a glance

From each city's month table

Pick a month to see where to go.

Only good-now countries

Show all 12 months, country by countryHide the 12-month table

Country	JJan	FFeb	MMar	AApr	MMay	JJun	JJul	AAug	SSep	OOct	NNov	DDec
Bordeaux	×	×	ok	ok	go	go	×	×	go	go	×	×
Biarritz	×	×	×	ok	go	go	ok	ok	go	ok	×	×
La Rochelle	×	×	ok	ok	go	go	×	×	go	ok	×	×
Poitiers	ok	ok	ok	ok	go	go	×	×	go	go	ok	ok
Limoges	ok	ok	ok	ok	go	go	×	×	go	go	ok	ok
France (country-wide)	ok	ok	ok	go	go	go	ok	ok	go	go	ok	ok

Go: the good monthsFair: workable, mixedPoor: heat, rain or hazeAvoid: storms, floods, closuresno data yet

Computed from each country’s own data; hover a country name for the source. Advisory countries are left out.

Climate strip

Month by month

Zone	J	F	M	A	M	J	J	A	S	O	N	D
Atlantic coast (Bordeaux, La Rochelle, Biarritz)Bay of Biscay shore	cool	cool	ok	best	best	ok	hot	hot	best	best	cool	cool
Inland (Dordogne, Limousin)Massif Central edge	cool	cool	ok	best	best	ok	hot	hot	best	best	cool	cool

best: dry, mildok: workablecool: jacket, greyhot: short walking windows

Atlantic coast (Bordeaux, La Rochelle, Biarritz): Mild and ocean-tempered; summer can still hit 35 °C (95 °F)+ inland, and the coast is busy in July–August.Mild and ocean-tempered; summer can still hit 95 °F (35 °C)+ inland, and the coast is busy in July–August.
Inland (Dordogne, Limousin): Warmer summers, colder winters; spring and autumn are the quiet, good-value months.

May–June and September–October are the best balance of weather and crowds; July–August is peak coast season.

Getting in and passes

Arrival times and regional passes

Open Getting in and passesClose Getting in and passes2 partsGet in · Passes

Get in

Door-to-door p50, 2026 estimate

From	To	How	p50	Note
Paris (Gare Montparnasse)	Bordeaux Saint-Jean	TGV	2 h 4	Also stops at Poitiers (1 h 18) and Angoulême (1 h 59).
Paris (Gare d'Austerlitz)	Limoges	Intercités	3 h 14	For the eastern part of the region.
London	Bordeaux	Eurostar + TGV via Paris (Metro Line 4, Gare du Nord to Montparnasse, ~30 min)	5 h 30	Change of stations in Paris; allow the transfer time.
Bordeaux Mérignac (BOD)	Bordeaux Saint-Jean	Shuttle bus	check	Main regional airport; European, Maghreb and seasonal Montreal flights.
Biarritz Pays Basque (BIQ)	Biarritz	Bus or taxi	check	Small airport with European links including London Stansted.

Regional passes

Verdict first

TER Nouvelle-Aquitaine tickets

buy

Covers most town-to-town travel; buy per journey or check regional day fares.

TGV / Intercités

check

Book ahead for the long runs (Paris–Bordeaux, Paris–Limoges); walk-up fares are higher.

Eat and move on

Regional food and where to go next

Open Eat and move onClose Eat and move on2 partsFood · Go next

Regional food

Where and when it works

Dish	Where	Timing / trap
Confit de canard and magret de canard	Gascony, Dordogne, Landes	Duck is the regional staple; magret is often served rare.
Cassoulet	South-west menus	Sausage, beans and sometimes duck; purists point to Occitanie.
Foie gras	Dordogne, Landes	Duck or goose liver; production involves force-feeding.
Fruits de mer (oysters, mussels, langoustine)	Atlantic coast: Arcachon, La Rochelle, Royan	Excellent but pricey; sharing platters are the usual order.
Jambon de Bayonne	Pyrénées-Atlantiques	Cured 7–10 months; Basque cooking adds tomatoes, beans and peppers.
Lamb in sauce bordelaise	Gironde	Red-wine sauce also used for fish, oysters and mussels.
Cheese (vache, chèvre, brebis)	Region-wide	Many small appellations; bleu d'Auvergne and cantal are the well-known marks.
Truffles, mushrooms, nuts, beans	Dordogne, Périgord	Vegetarian options are limited in rural areas; Bordeaux has more.

Go next

France

Plan the wider trip

Country overview and other regions.

Île-de-France

TGV from Bordeaux ~2 h

Paris and the surrounding region.

Paris

TGV from Bordeaux ~2 h 4

The main rail hub for onward travel.

Lyon

Intercités / TGV via connections

Gateway to the Alps and the Rhône valley.

Planning aids

Built from this guide's own data

Open Planning aidsClose Planning aids2 partsIn numbers · Going in…

Region in numbers

Where to sleep: 3 bases
Day trips: 3, 40 min to 1 h
Nights suggested: 4–7 nights
Ways in: 5 listed
Best months: Apr, May, Sep, Oct (all zones)

Going in…

Pick a month for the weather in each zone of the region, plus the country-wide rating and holidays.

Pick a month.

Plan your trip to France Up to France

Deep dive

Photos, reading and every source

Open Deep diveClose Deep dive1 partSources

Sources

officialNouvelle-Aquitaine regional portal
officialSNCF / TER Nouvelle-Aquitaine
officialBordeaux Mérignac Airport
officialBiarritz Pays Basque Airport
officialVinci Autoroutes
secondaryWikivoyage: Nouvelle-Aquitaine, revision 5193724 (CC BY-SA 4.0)

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