If you looking for a leisurely itinerary that explores the best of what France has to offer — food, wine, local charm and wellness — but don’t know where to start, this trio of weekend escapes near Bordeaux is a great place to start your journey. Pair a few days at one of these all-inclusive weekends with a few days in Paris for a week-long French vacation, or just do one of these weekends on their own. Because Europe can be a long weekend trip from the East Coast!
French Country Living Weekend Escape
When it’s not cranking out four-day wedding weekends like ours, Chateau Rigaud opens its doors for French Weekend Escapes in the wedding off-season. Promising to “leave no French stereotype unturned,” these three-night weekends include multi-course meals prepared by the chateau chef using local Bordelais ingredients, excursions to nearby St. Emilion for a premier cru vineyard visit, shopping for antiques at the local brocante, and visiting the local market to pick up ingredients for dinner back at the chateau. We’re signed up for one this fall so we’ll report back with all the details. All-inclusive price for two adults for three nights starts at €1500. For more information, visit the Chateau Rigaud website.
Bages Escapade on the Left Bank
Owned by the Cazes family of Lynch-Bages and Ormes de Pez wine fame, Chateau Cordeillan-Bages is a Relais & Chateaux property about 45 minutes north of Bordeaux in between the Gironde and the Atlantic, where all the major Bordeaux wine vineyards are located. A five-walk from the hotel, a charming French village awaits a leisurely bike ride and a chef-packed picnic lunch for your to enjoy after a private tour & tasting at a nearby vineyard. All-inclusive price for two adults for one night starts at €475. For more information, visit the Chateau Coredeillan-Bages website.
Castle Life for Lovers
Nestled in the vineyards outside Bordeaux, Les Sources de Caudalie is a wellness hotel owned and operated by the same family behind the natural French skincare brand Caudalie. If Michelin-starred meals, a private tour & tasting at Château Smith Haut Lafitte and a half-day of spa treatments featuring the best Caudalie products sounds like your idea of a detox/retox heaven, the the Castle Life package is for you. All-inclusive price for two adults for three nights starts at €2565. For more information, visit Les Sources website.
