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Cruise port guideFRBOD

Bordeaux

Bordeaux is the home port for cruises on the Garonne, Dordogne and Gironde through wine country.

3 things to do1 airport connections4 ships

Your day ashore, at a glance

Find something worth your timePlan the airport transferRead the safety guidance

Peak season: May, Jun, Sep, Oct

Make the most of your stop

Things to do in Bordeaux

3 recommendations

Choose an easy wander, a local highlight or a bigger day out. Compare practical details before you head ashore.

Getting to your ship

Airport to cruise port

Bordeaux's Quai des Chartrons moorings are about 12 km from Bordeaux-Mérignac Airport, 25 minutes by taxi or the 30'Direct shuttle bus. River lines usually include or sell a transfer from the airport to the ship; book it with the cruise, since river moorings can change with water levels.

BOD

Bordeaux-Mérignac Airport

To Bordeaux · one way

Airport lounges

Verified transfer prices from BOD have not been published yet. Check the transport operator before booking.

Rental cars: Useful for the vineyards before or after.

Know before you go

Safety ashore

Women travelers

Extra caution advised

Canada recommends heightened caution because of terrorism and frequent theft in tourist areas and transport. UK advice warns about drink spiking; keep drinks in sight and plan the return to the berth. Editorial assessment for women visiting the port, based on country-level advice; no women-specific terminal incident rate has been verified. Local conditions and individual routes may differ.

Reviewed 2026-10-25

LGBTQ+ travelers

Extra caution advised

Same-sex relationships and LGBTQ+ events are legal, but the French interior ministry records anti-LGBT+ offences. Plan evening transport and seek help if harassed. The wider heightened terrorism precautions also apply. Editorial assessment based on the cited sources; conditions may vary by route, time and individual circumstances.

Reviewed 2026-10-25

Editorial guidance reflects the cited advice and review date. Laws, attitudes and conditions can differ within a destination. No rating guarantees personal safety.

Pick your moment

When to go

  1. Jan: Low season
  2. Feb: Low season
  3. Mar: Low season
  4. Apr: Shoulder season
  5. May: High season
  6. Jun: High season
  7. Jul: Shoulder season
  8. Aug: Shoulder season
  9. Sep: High season
  10. Oct: High season
  11. Nov: Shoulder season
  12. Dec: Low season
● High season○ Shoulder season◌ Low season

Spring and the autumn harvest are the best times.

Who else is in port?

Port crowding index

100 is average. 150 means 50% more ship passenger capacity than this port’s observed hourly average over the past 30 days; 50 means half the average.

Checking ships in port…

Estimate for tracked catalog ships, based on published passenger capacity, not actual passengers ashore. Port areas are approximate circles around published port coordinates. Only positions reported within an hour at 1 knot or less are counted; ships at anchor may be included. Missing AIS reports and untracked ships can understate crowding. Quiet observed hours count toward the average; collection outages do not.

Set sail

Ships sailing from Bordeaux

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AmaDolce in Regensburg, 20134.0 ★AmaWaterwaysAmaDolce2009 · 140 guestsAmaDolce is a 110-meter AmaWaterways ship from 2009 that now cruises the Bordeaux wine region on the Garonne, the Dordogne and the Gironde estuary. She carries 140 guests in 71…Scenic Diamond under way near Cologne, Germany, 20113.8 ★Scenic Luxury Cruises & ToursScenic Diamond2009 · 2,721 GT · 147 guestsScenic Diamond is a 2009 Scenic Space-Ship based in Bordeaux, where she sails the Garonne and Dordogne through the region's wine country. She shares her layout with Scenic…The ship as River Royale in Arles, France, 2012, before its 2019 conversion into S.S. Bon Voyage4.0 ★Uniworld Boutique River CruisesS.S. Bon Voyage2006 · 124 guestsS.S. Bon Voyage is a 124-guest river ship, 361 feet (110 m) long, based in Bordeaux for cruises on the Garonne and Dordogne. It entered service in 2006 as River Royale and was…Viking Forseti in Cologne, 20133.7 ★Viking River CruisesViking Forseti2013 · 3,138 GT · 190 guestsViking Forseti is a four-deck Viking Longship for 190 guests that joined the fleet in 2013. Forseti, the namesake, is the Norse god of justice who hears and settles the disputes…

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Bordeaux cruise port: activities, safety & transfers