The VCUB (V3) service was unveiled in February this year and provides the residence of Bordeaux a simple and effective way to get around town. There are 1545 bicycles and 139 stations throughout the city and surrounding areas.

The way it works is that you pick up a bike at the station of your choice and return it to which ever station is the closest to you. Each station is equipped with a information terminal (English available), where you enter in a code given to you when you register and pay for the bike. Not every terminal has credit card capabilities, so you’ll need to find one that does before you register your details.

You register your account by using your credit car, the network takes a deposit of €200 straight up which is charged if the bike is stolen or lost. Then your credit card is debited a €2 per hour until you return the bike to a station (first 30mins are free).

The service is a great way to get around town on short journeys and sure beats the peak hour on the trams.

www.vcub.fr

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With destinations including Lacanau, Cap Ferret, Le Porge, Montalivet, Hostens and Hourtin your dreams of spending the day catching some rays could be a possibility.

The city is offering a promotional rate of €2 for a day round trip on the TransGironde lines.

The catch.
Only people under 20 and families (1 adult + 1 child minimum) living in the CUB can qualify for the set tariff. Children under 5 ride for free. The lines 601 (Bordeaux – Lége Cap Ferret) and 702 (Bordeaux – Lacanau) are accessible to people with disabilities, although they will need to make a reservation by telephone prior the day before travelling (Info Service: 0974 500 033).

How does it work?
If you commune participates you’ll need to visit your Town Hall to get your own Beach Bus card. You’ll need proof of residence and photo identification to purchase your ticket on board.

If you don’t fit into the categories listed above, the full price is around €11 each way.

When: 2nd July until the 4th September, 2011
Where: Buses leave from either from Place Gambetta, Quinconces or the Gare St Jean. For timetables visit their website.
Cost: €2 return!

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One thing that you’ll notice when you arrive in Bordeaux is the efficient use of the tramway which was installed in 2003. The use of its ground level power supply means that there is absence of over-head wires, which doesn’t obstruct the charm and view of the old city.

Tram D: Is the newest line and connects Carle Vernet et Mairie du Bouscat. Tram stops: Mairie du Bouscat, Calypso, Courbet, Barrière du Médoc, Croix-de-Seguey, Fondaudège Museum, Quinconces, Place de la Bourse, Porte de Bourgogne, Saint-Michel, Sainte-Croix, Tauzia, Gare Saint-Jean, Belcier, Carle Vernet.

Even if the tram is a clean and easy way to get around town, for new comers to the city it may or may not be obvious as to what to do.

Firstly, you’ll need to purchase a ticket to ride on the tram as there are inspectors that jump on and surprise the general public with a fine if a valid ticket is not produced.

Ticket kiosks can be found at all tram stops where you are able to buy an array of different types of tickets. The ticket machine is defaulted in French but there is a button to convert the language into English or Spanish. Once you have selected your language you can select your ticket by rotating the wheel in the center of the panel, click the center button to choose and then select the total number of tickets you wish to purchase.

To pay you will need to either pay by coins or credit card (notes are not accepted).

Ticket Types & Price: 

(After validation the ticket is good for 1 hour)

Type of ticket	Uses	Price
Tickarte 1 trip	For just 1 trip (Change as many times during 1 hour)	€1.60
Tickarte 5 trips	Occasional travel. No expiry date.	€6.50
Tickarte 10 trips	Occasional travel. No expiry date.	€12.00
Tickarte Relay Park*	Combine car – tram – bus (One day)	€4.50
Tickarte 1 day	Unlimited trips for a day	€4.30
Tickarte 7 days	Unlimited trips for a week	€12.00
City Pass	Unlimited transport access and provides access to museums, and other establishments (only available at the Tourist Offices)	€25.00 – 1 day €30.00  – 2 days €35.00 – 3 days
Evening Ticket (Pass Soirée)	Unlimited transport access from 7pm until 7am the next morning,	€2.00

* To be used in conjunction with the Park and Ride stations on the outskirts of the city.

* Prices may vary since this article was published. Check here from updated information.

Once you have boarded the tram there are two small yellow machines where you can validate your ticket.

Official TBC tram website: www.infotbc.com

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• Seguinaud: Tram Stop “La Gardette-Bassens Carbon-Blanc” – Capacity: 243 places (Motorbike   36 places) – Location: Grand Came, Lormont.
• Les Lauriers: Tram Stop “Lauriers” – Capacity: 190 places (Motorbike 40 places) – Location: Avenue de la Résistance, Lormont.
• Buttinière: Tram Stop “La Buttinière” – Capacity 603 places (Motorbike 52 places) – Location: Avenue des Quatre Pavillons,  Lormont.
• Galin: Tram Stop “Galin” – Capacity 399 places (Motorbike 36 places) – Location: Avenue Thiers, Bordeaux Bastide.
• Stalingrad: Tram Stop “Stalingrad” – Capacity 250 places (Motorbike 20 places) – Location: Corner of Quai Deschamps and Rue Letellier, BordeauxBastide (near the Fire Station).
• Arlac: Tram Stop “Fontaine D’arlac” – Capacity 395 places (Motorbike 32 places) – Location: Avenue François Mitterrand, Merignac.
• Quatre Chemins: Tram Stop “Quatre Chemins” – Capacity 398 places (Motorbike 38 places) – Location: Avenue de la Marne, Merignac.

Tram Line B:

• Bougnard: Tram Stop “Bougnard” – Capacity 187 places (Motorbike   48 places) – Location: Avenue Bougnard, Pessac.
• Unitec: Tram Stop “Unitec” – Capacity 249 places (Motorbike  54 places) – Location: Avenue du DocteurAlbert Schweitzer, Pessac.
• Arts & Métiers: : Tram Stop “Arts & Métiers” – Capacity 594 places (Motorbike  50 places) – Location: Avenuedes Facultés, Pessac.
• Brandenburg: Tram Stop “Brandenburg” – Capacity 207 places (Motorbike  20 places) – Location: Rue Joseph Brunet,Bordeaux.

Tram Line C:

• Les Aubiers: Tram Stop “Les Aubiers” – Capacity 246 places (Motorbike 40 places ) – Location:  Avenue de Laroque, Bordeaux.
• Ravezies-Le Bouscat: Tram Stop “ Place Ravezies-Le Bouscat” – Capacity 369 places (Motorbike 26 places ) – Location:  Alléesde Boutaut, Bouscat
• Carle Vernet: Tram Stop “Carle Vernet” – Capacity 206 places (Motorbike 20 places ) – Location:  Rue Carle Vernet, Bordeaux.

• Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays, Sundays / Holidays: 5am ​​to 1am
• Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays: 5am to 2am

• Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays, Sundays / Holidays: 5am ​​to 12:30am
• Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays: 5am ​​to 1.30am

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Essentially, this is why we’ve thrown a ginger bearded Australian in front of the camera to try to shed some light on that extremely user friend dial that needs to be turned to purchase a ticket.

Thanks to Derek Rose for the professional and fun video shoot.

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The extension will create four to five new stations, and a Park and Ride with a capacity of 250 places.

Currently, the airport is only connected by shuttle and local buses. Alternatively, taxis and car parking can be considered to be a costly form of getting to the airport.

The tram line A will be extended by 4.7 km. This will run from ‘Les Quatre chemins’ directly to the airport.

The planned route will run along:  Avenue de la Somme, Avenue Matosinhos, Avenue Kennedy (crossing the ring road), then avenue René Cassin.

The launch of the works is scheduled for June 2019 and the delivery date is set for 2022.

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The airport has seen approximately 6.2 million travellers make their way through the terminals. This represents a growth of around 7.7%,  which lands them in the upper range of provincial airports. “Bordeaux has become an international airport,” said its director Pascal Personne, with 112 regular lines, 87 destinations in 2017 and the presence of 31 companies.

Increases to the shuttle run between BDX – Paris have also increased to 14 per day, a frequency that will be maintained in 2019. Along with connection to the airport by a highly maintained bus service and and eventually the tramway being connected in 2021, expectations that the airport services will only increase in the coming years.

Low Cost Terminal Expansion

New developments and a more adapted parking system will be kick started for 2019. The “45th parallel” project has also made it’s way out of a limbo state. With the creation of an upscale hotel and international conference center expected to get off the ground in 2019.

Other projects see the development of a boarding pier in Hall A. The idea is also to build an architectural layout that will link halls A and B and will also provide more commercial space.

However, the major project planned for the low-cost terminal Billi (acronym of Bordeaux Illico) is the doubling of the current size. It is planned that more than 5,000 square meters will be laid out with better planing and organisation for check-ins. This will also see the possibility of accommodating nine aircraft, instead of the current six.

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Four companies, including SNCF and Eurotunnel, have signed an agreement to launch a feasibility study.

With all this said and done, it would still be necessary to fit out the Gare St Jean of Bordeaux as an international terminal.

According to this France Blue article, the project is moving forward in any case. Eurotunnel, the company that manages the Channel Tunnel, Lisea, which operates the Tours-Bordeaux line, HS1, the British high-speed line, and the SNCF have all just agreed to launch a feasibility study.

This link would connect the British capital in five hours bypassing Paris, using the Bordeaux-Lille line. For the key stakeholders, with or without Brexit, the potential is there. Seeing as approximately a million passengers flew between Bordeaux and London last year, they estimate that 20% of them would be prepared to travel by train .

They project isn’t only aimed at the tourist market but also all the British nationals who live in France, with over a quarter of them living in Aquitaine.

More renovations for the Gare Saint Jean

The aim would be to make one return trip per week, with 900 seats available. However, before all this could be possible Bordeaux’s main train station needs to be kitted out as an international terminal. This would need to be in line with something you find at the Gare du Nord in Paris (Eurostar). This means, along with infrastructure modifications they would also require passport control and customs officers.

The study is previewed to take at least 5 months to complete. If all goes according to plan, a direct TGV line between Bordeaux – London could be put into operation by 2021 – 2022.

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The project will see the deployment of a new commuter train system by 2028.

This new type of transport will significantly reduce travel times for residents across Gironde, and also will aim to decongest the major accesses into Bordeaux and surrounding areas.

The future Regional Express Network will consist of TER metropolitan and express bus lines. It will serve the main access points laying on the outskirts of the region, as well as the center of the city. This will be carried out with the implementation of two lines: one between Libourne and Arcachon, the other between Saint Mariens and Langon.

By the autumn of 2019, the Region will launch a first experimental express bus line between Créon and Bordeaux. From 2020 onwards, the first direct TER services between Libourne and Cestas will follow. The Region also intends to increase the frequency of peri-urban TERs.

However, it will be necessary to wait until 2025 for the direct links to be established between Libourne and Arcachon. Following another lengthy wait (2028) for the services between Langon and Saint-Mariens to be active.

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