Poiteau and Aquitaine

It is five hours from Paris to Bordeaux by car, three hours by train (TGV).

Thirty minutes east of Bordeaux is St.Emilion, an ancient village and appellation of a fine red wine and home to several villages. Famous chateaux in the region include Figeac, Cheval Blanc, Margaux, and Ausane. The travel route from Paris puts you on the A10, then a62, and, finally, A89. The official website for St.Emilion is helpful.

There are eight villages ranging in size from just 212 citizens, St. Hippolyte, to over 2000, St. Emilion.

There are quite a few restaurants listed by the official website.

Photo 2007 by Monk-san, as posted by Trip-Advisor.

paris to bordeaux

Three days in Paris then two weeks to kill before Will and I have to be in Firenze, Italy on the 24th.

Here's the new itinerary: head west and south from Paris to Bordeaux. We have to decide if we will drive or take the train. The TGV is fast, it takes only three hours by train instead of the five hour drive. Raileurope.com makes the reservations.

The problem is - if we pick up the car in Bordeaux, can we drop it in Paris or LeHarve without a huge fee?

After Bordeaux we will travel by car to Northern Spain, then Madrid, Cordoba, Toledo, and Barcelona, and shoot across France to Italy.

This is all done on the fly, so the itinerary is subject to change daily.