Getting There -- The local airport, Bordeaux-Mérignac (tel. 05-56-34-50-50 for flight information), is served by flights from as far away as London, Dublin, Madrid, and Barcelona. It's 15km (9 1/3 miles) west of Bordeaux in Mérignac. Paris is an hour's flight away. A shuttle bus connects the airport with the train station, departing every 45 minutes from 7:45am to 10:45pm (trip time: 40 min.) and costing 7€ ($9.10) one-way. Children ride free. A taxi (tel. 05-56-97-11-27) between the airport and the rail depot costs about 40€ ($52).

The railway station, Gare St-Jean, is on the west bank of the river, within a 30-minute walk (or 5-min. taxi ride) of the center of the old town. Some 15 to 25 trains from Paris's Gare Montparnasse (trip time: 3 hr. by TGV) arrive each day. They stop, en route, at Paris Charles de Gaulle airport to pick up additional passengers. The one-way fare is 77€ ($100). For train information and schedules, call tel. 36-35 or 08-92-35-35-35 from outside France.

Bordeaux is easy to reach by car. From Paris, follow A10 south through Orléans, Tours, and Poitiers into Bordeaux (trip time: about 5 hr.). Be aware that the streets of Bordeaux are fraught with hazards: narrow 18th-century alleys, massive traffic jams on the quays beside the Garonne, and simply too many cars and people. Easily available parking within the city's historic core is scarce. Whenever possible, head for one of the blue-and-white P signs that indicate public garages.

Visitor Information -- The Office de Tourisme is at 12 cours du 30-Juillet (tel. 05-56-00-66-00; fax 05-56-00-66-01), with a branch office in the Gare St-Jean (tel. 05-56-91-64-70).