The best activities during a stopover at Bordeaux Mérignac Airport

It's never pleasant to have a long layover at an airport between flights. Regardless of the airport's quality, passengers generally prefer to arrive at their destination as quickly as possible. When it's a short layover of less than an hour, there's barely enough time to get off the plane before having to prepare to board the next one. However, if the layover lasts more than an hour, you're left in a bind.

1. What to do at Bordeaux airport? 🛩

You have to find a way to occupy yourself without straying too far from the airport for fear of missing your connection. What should you do when this situation arises at Bordeaux airport? What should you do inside an airport when you have two, three, or even four hours to spare? Don't worry: Bordeaux Mérignac airport may not be the largest airport in France, but it has many places where you'll love to wander.

Regarding the shops, you can buy all the usual Duty Free products at the Aelia Duty Free store. At Relay, you'll find a wide selection of French and international magazines and newspapers, as well as a selection of books and novels. But whether you're a passing tourist or a true Bordelais, you won't be able to resist the Baillardran shop. Here, you can get the famous Bordeaux cannelés. These small cakes can be similar to rum and vanilla custard. They have been the pride of the Bordelais for almost a century. The Baillardran shop makes more than 20,000 cannelés a day and sells them in different formats, individually or in gift boxes.

If you want to eat, you'll also find many establishments at Bordeaux-Mérignac airport. Le Café Marchand, Le Grand Comptoir, or Ostréa will offer you drinks and fresh products from the Bordeaux region and Aquitaine. But the most famous restaurant at Bordeaux airport is certainly the Ritazza restaurant. Here, you can enjoy Italian dishes while admiring the planes landing and taking off. When the planes are so close, you feel very small.

2. Activities to discover around Bordeaux Mérignac airport 🛩

If you have time during your layover at Bordeaux Mérignac airport, you may want to take a walk outside the airport enclosure. Once you've made sure of the exact time you have before your connecting flight, you can freely venture into the immediate surroundings of the airport. Without going to Bordeaux, you can enjoy different facilities and activities in the town of Mérignac.

• Those who have the soul of a pilot can, for example, get behind the wheel of a dream car on the Sprint Racing circuits. Lamborghini, Ferrari, Porsche, or Audi, there's something for everyone.
• For a fun time with friends or family, you can also visit the Real Escape Room in Mérignac. Here, you'll have to solve different puzzles to get out of a room. Only cooperation will allow you to find the solution before time runs out.
• For those who prefer outdoor activities, the Tépacap adventure park in Mérignac offers a wide choice of attractions for families, from the biggest to the smallest. If you want to do some sports or experience the sensations of free fall before your flight, the Tépacap park will satisfy you and your children.
• If you came to the Bordeaux region to taste wine and discover its incomparable wine heritage, then you can visit Lafitte Wine Tours or Ateliers de Bacchus which are less than 10 kilometers from Bordeaux Mérignac airport.
• Finally, located in the neighboring town of Pessac, the Château du Pape Clément is an oasis of beauty and culture in the midst of the vineyards of the famous Grand Cru de Graves.

3. In case of a prolonged layover, take a walk in Bordeaux 🛩

Sometimes, you have no choice: you find yourself taking a flight interrupted by a very long layover of five, ten, or even fifteen hours. What should you do when you have to wait half a day or a full day at Bordeaux Mérignac airport?

In such an exceptional situation, you can go spend a few hours in Bordeaux. If you're on a layover, you can easily get to the city center by using public transport. The TBM network (Bordeaux Métropole Transport) connects Bordeaux airport to Bordeaux Saint-Jean station in 45 minutes with bus 1. With the special shuttle Navette 30'Direct, you can make the same trip in 30 minutes. If you prefer to take the tramway, bus 39 will allow you to easily reach trams A and B.

It may also happen that your plane is delayed and you have to wait several hours at Bordeaux airport before boarding. In this case, don't hesitate to entrust your vehicle to a Blue Valet valet before going for a walk in Bordeaux. Since 2007, the historic city center of Bordeaux has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site because of its historical significance and neoclassical architecture. Some emblematic monuments of this architectural trend are among the main buildings of Bordeaux, such as the Grand Théâtre or the Place de la Bourse. It's no coincidence that Bordeaux is the second city in France with the largest number of classified monuments after Paris. Inaugurated in 2016, the Cité du Vin is a must-visit building that further cements Bordeaux's status as the world capital of wine.

 

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