Getting There By Road

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Traffic drives on the right and the minimum driving age in Bordeaux and in France is 18 years. Speed limits in and around Bordeaux are 130kph (81mph) on motorways, 110kph (68mph) on dual carriageways, 90kph (56mph) outside built-up areas and 50kph (31mph) in built-up areas. A national driving licence, the car's registration documents and a red warning triangle must be on hand at all times. EU nationals taking their own cars to France are strongly advised to obtain a Green Card, without which insurance cover is limited to the legal minimum.

Emergency breakdown services
Tel: 17 (from roadside boxes).

Routes to the city
Bordeaux is well connected with major highways running through. The A10 connects Bordeaux with Paris, via Poitiers, Tours and Orleans. The A62 connects with the Mediterranean via Toulouse and Agen and the A63 runs to Spain via Bayonne and Dax. The A89 connects with the East via Lyon and Clermont Ferrand. All of these highways connect with Bordeaux's ring road ('la Rocade').

Coach services
The main bus terminal in Bordeaux is the Halte Routière, allée des Chartres, off Esplanade des Quinconces. Citram Aquitaine (tel: (05) 5643 6843; www.citram.fr) operates the buses in the Gironde region, and has an office at the bus station. Eurolines (tel: 0892 899 091; www.eurolines.fr) runs buses to the main cities in Europe from their office opposite the train station on rue Charles Domercq.