Guides & Tours in Bordeaux — 5 of Our Favourites

An on board commentary in available in several languages including French, English and Spanish. You have the option to buy a ticket for the train only or one that includes stopping off at a Chateau for a wine-tasting and to find out more about the wine making business.

Le Train des Grands Vignobles runs regularly throughout the day from the first weekend of April to mid-November. Each tour lasts around 35 minutes, or 1hr20 if you stop off at Chateau Rochebelle.

In summer the small train will take you around the Citadel and point out some of the attractions and tell you about the history of the town. It is the perfect way to explore the area, especially for those with small children or problems with mobility. The tours still go ahead in the winter and off season although they are less frequent so it is worth checking the times in advance with the tourist office.

Along the docks and the famous Place de la Bourse, then into the heart of Old Bordeaux, passing through the Porte Cailhau and the longest pedestrian shopping street in Europe, the Rue Sainte Catherine. The audio commentary will ​​tell you the history and secrets of Bordeaux's exceptional heritage with simple words and stories. Did you know for example that the golden lion on top of the Great Bell turns to the river in good weather? It is common belief in Bordeaux that this is because he is thirsty...

Commentary is available in several languages, including French, German, English, Spanish, Italian, Japanese and Dutch.

The train is set on a 600mm narrow gauge track and was first operated in 1879 and was originally pulled by a horse. It became engine powered in 1925 and service was stopped in 1935. It was reinstated once more in 1952 and eventually in 1989 the train was acquired by the commune and has been run by them ever since.

It travels a distance of 2km and takes around 12 minutes for each journey between Plage de l'horizon on the Atlantic coast with the jetty at Jetée de Bélisaire on the Arcachon Bay.

It operates during the summer months between April and early November and runs around every 30 minutes or so. Generally the service is only run in the afternoons, however during peak times the trains are more frequent and there are some morning services.

Although the line is largely situated along the road side, the trains are operated by open-sided coaches hauled by diesel locomotives, so it feels like a real treat and a fun way to travel across the peninsula.

The PGVS liaises Pointe de Grave to Soulac-sur-Mer (les Arros). At 7km long, this railway allows tourists to discover the forest at a slow pace, the Atlantic Ocean, and to see, in good weather, the lighthouse of Cordouan.