My Trip: Paris to Bordeaux by Bus
Alright, so I needed to get from Paris down to Bordeaux a while back. Checked the trains first, as you do, but man, the prices were a bit much for my budget that time. Or maybe the times just didn’t work out, I forget exactly. Anyway, I thought, let’s try the bus. Heard it was cheaper, figured I’d give it a go.
Booking was pretty simple. Went online, looked up companies doing that route. Found one, paid for my ticket, got the confirmation email. Easy peasy. Saved it on my phone, didn’t bother printing anything.
Getting Started in Paris
The day came, had to get myself over to the bus station in Paris. Which one? Depended on the company, mine was leaving from Bercy Seine. Took the Metro, lugging my bag. Stations are always a bit hectic, aren’t they? Found the right spot, plenty of other folks waiting for various buses going all over the place. Signage was okay, found my platform number without too much fuss.
Waited around for maybe 20 minutes before the bus pulled up. Showed my phone ticket to the driver, tossed my bag in the storage underneath, and climbed aboard.
The Long Haul
Found my seat. It was alright, nothing fancy. Decent legroom, better than some flights I’ve been on, actually. The bus was pretty full.
And then we were off. Now, here’s the thing: it’s a long ride. Really long. We’re talking hours. Left Paris in the morning, got into Bordeaux late afternoon, early evening kinda time. You gotta be prepared to just sit.
- Comfort: Seat was okay for the first few hours, but honestly, after about hour four or five, my backside was feeling it. Got up and stretched in the aisle once or twice when I could.
- Stops: We did have one proper break stop somewhere along the motorway. Maybe 20-30 minutes? Enough time to grab a coffee, use a proper loo, stretch your legs outside. Needed that.
- Onboard: There was a toilet on the bus, small but functional. Supposedly had WiFi, but it was patchy. Worked sometimes, other times not at all. Don’t count on it for anything important. Mostly just watched the French countryside roll by.
Arriving in Bordeaux
Eventually, we rolled into Bordeaux. The bus station there wasn’t smack bang in the city centre, a little bit out. Had to figure out the trams or local buses to get to my final destination. Felt pretty stiff getting off the bus after all that time sitting down.
So, yeah. That was my Paris to Bordeaux bus experience. It did the job, got me from A to B without breaking the bank. It’s definitely the budget option. But you trade money for time, a lot of time. If you’re young, broke, or just really not in a hurry, it’s perfectly fine. If you value your time or your comfort more, maybe look at the train again or split the journey. Would I do it again? Maybe, if the price difference was huge. Otherwise, probably not. It’s just a long, long time to be sat on a bus.
