A Saint-Émilion day trip from Bordeaux starts with a TER train from Bordeaux Saint-Jean. The fastest trip takes 29 minutes, about 16 trains run each day, and tickets start at €9.50 ($10).
The Jurisdiction of Saint-Émilion, eight villages including Saint-Émilion and about 5,000 hectares of vines, has been on the UNESCO World Heritage List since December 2, 1999. The listing cites the medieval town, its monolithic church and its underground quarries.
This page covers the trip there and back, the underground tour of the monolithic church, when to go, how château visits work and what the day costs.
Getting there
The fastest option is the TER on line 33 (Bordeaux–Sarlat) from Bordeaux Saint-Jean to Saint-Émilion station, at 29 minutes. The first train leaves Bordeaux at 5:50 a.m. and the last at 9:34 p.m.
Tram line C connects Bordeaux Saint-Jean with the city center. A TBM single ticket costs €1.90 ($2) and is valid for one hour.
| Option | From | Time | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| TER line 33 | Bordeaux Saint-Jean | 29 min fastest | From €9.50 ($10) |
| Coach line 4617 | Bordeaux Quinconces (Orléans stop) | Leaves 9 a.m., 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. | €4.50 ($5) round trip |
| Car | Bordeaux | About 35 min | Parking €2 ($2) an hour or free lots |
| Bordeaux tourist office half-day tour | 12 Cours du 30 Juillet | 5 hours in all | €55 ($59) |
From the station to the village
Saint-Émilion station is about 1.5 km from the village. The walk takes about 20 minutes, uphill, with sidewalks only in parts, and the station has no water point. Public toilets at the station cost €0.50 ($1) in coins.
The Tuk-Tuk des Cordeliers runs transfers from the station between 10:30 a.m. and 6 p.m., at €5 ($5) per person. eDog shared electric scooters are booked in the eDog app. Taxis must be booked in advance.
Regional coach
Coach line 4617, run by Citram Aquitaine, leaves Bordeaux Quinconces (Orléans stop) every day at 9 a.m., 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. It calls at Arveyres and Libourne Gare Routière and reaches Saint-Émilion (Bourg stop) at 10:05 a.m., 12:05 p.m. and 2:05 p.m.
In high season the coach stops about 100 meters on foot from the village center. A single ticket costs €2.50 ($3) and is valid for 2 hours. A round-trip ticket costs €4.50 ($5) and is valid for the day. Trams B, C and D stop at Quinconces.
By car
Allow around 35 minutes from Bordeaux, depending on traffic. The A89 Libourne exit is 12 km from Saint-Émilion.
The Gendarmerie parking lot, Espace Guadet and the station parking lot are free, and spaces are limited, so arrive early at busy times. Paid parking near the collegiate church, at the top of the village, and on Place Bouqueyre, at the bottom, costs €2 ($2) an hour from 9 a.m. to noon and 2 p.m. to 7 p.m., for 5 hours at most.
Vehicles over 2 meters wide or over 6 tonnes cannot drive through the village.
Getting back to Bordeaux
The first train back leaves Saint-Émilion at 6:11 a.m. and the last at 8:50 p.m.
Return coaches leave Saint-Émilion (Bourg stop) at 12:10 p.m., 4:10 p.m. and 6:10 p.m. and reach Bordeaux Quinconces at 1:15 p.m., 5:15 p.m. and 7:15 p.m.
Coming from Paris
The high-speed line puts Paris 2 hours 4 minutes from Bordeaux, with 33 round trips a day; from Bordeaux Saint-Jean, change to the TER. The TGV also stops at Libourne, 7 km from Saint-Émilion, with tickets from €25 ($27). See Paris to Bordeaux by train for that leg, and Bordeaux to Saint-Émilion for every way to make the short trip.
What fits in one day
The tourist office suggests half a day for the essentials of the village and a full day for the village, the underground heritage and a wine tasting or château visit.
The monolithic church tour
The monolithic church can only be visited on the tourist office's guided underground tour, Saint-Émilion Souterrain. It covers four monuments: Émilion's hermitage, the Trinity Chapel with its medieval paintings, the catacombs and the monolithic church.
The tour lasts 45 minutes to 1 hour and starts on Place de l'Église Monolithe at the time on your ticket. Tickets are sold in the tourist office's online shop, or on site if places remain.
The standard tour is in French. Printed translations in English, German, Spanish, Italian, Chinese, Japanese and other languages are available at the tourist office reception before the visit. The online shop also sells an English-language Underground Saint-Émilion tour for 1 to 35 people.
Photography is not allowed underground. The bell tower is a separate ticket, at €2 ($2) per person from the tourist office.
The village tour
The tourist office's guided village tour lasts 1 hour 30 minutes. It covers the old streets, the cloisters, the city gate, the fortifications, a viewpoint and the underground monuments, and it starts at the tourist office, Le Doyenné, on Place des Créneaux.
Around the village
The village streets are cobbled, narrow and sometimes steep. The tourist office advises booking restaurants in advance, especially on weekends and in peak season.
When to go
The Saint-Émilion tourist office is open all year, with seasonal hours, and closes on certain winter days and on December 25. Its guided village tour runs all year except December 25 and January 1.
The grape harvest generally takes place in September, with dates set each year by ripeness and weather.
The direct coach runs only from August 29 to November 1, 2026, then from April 10 to June 25, 2027. Outside those dates, take the TER.
Château Villemaurine closes from mid-December to mid-January and during the week of the en primeur tastings, and it closes on Wednesdays, and on Sundays from December to the end of April.
Visiting the estates
The Saint-Émilion tourist office lists 155 estate visits. Conditions vary from one estate to the next, and some estates receive visitors only by reservation. Visits usually include the vineyards, the cellars and a tasting, and you can book directly with an estate or through the tourist office.
Each day the tourist office's château-of-the-day list shows 2 to 4 estates open to the public for a tasting session. Reservations with these estates are currently mandatory and are made directly with each one.
- Clos Systey, Saint-Émilion: open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., visits of 1 hour to 1 hour 30 minutes. Organic and Demeter labels. Booking required.
- Château Carteau Côtes Daugay, Saint-Émilion: one visit at 2:30 p.m., 1 hour. Booking required.
- Château de Roques, Puisseguin: tours at 10 a.m., 11 a.m., 1:30 p.m., 2:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m., plus 4:30 p.m. on high-season weekends, 1 hour. Booking required.
- Château Villemaurine, Saint-Émilion: a Grand Cru Classé with underground quarries. The Visite Patrimoine lasts 1 hour, in French at 11:30 a.m. and in English at 4:30 p.m. Visits are by appointment only, booked online or by email.
- Château Troplong Mondot, Saint-Émilion: overlooks the village. The Getaway visit lasts 1 hour 30 minutes, with a vineyard walk and a tasting of 2 wines, in English. Book on the estate's visits page.
Château Figeac runs visits of 1 hour or 1 hour 30 minutes that end with a guided tasting of two or three wines, in English and Spanish. For lead times and booking at estates across the region, see booking Bordeaux château visits.
A guided half day from Bordeaux
The Bordeaux tourist office runs a half-day Saint-Émilion tour by coach. It leaves the office at 12 Cours du 30 Juillet at 1:30 p.m. and returns at 6:30 p.m., with a professional guide, entry to the underground church and a visit with tasting at one winery.
Guides lead it in French and English. Children under 5 are not admitted, and each person needs an e-ticket to board. Arrive 15 minutes early.
What it costs
On the tourist office's estate-visit listing, prices start at €7 ($8) at Château Cadet Pontet, for 1 hour. On the château-of-the-day list, Château Carteau Côtes Daugay charges €5 ($5), and Château de Roques and Domaine des Quatre Vents in Puisseguin charge nothing.
Visit fees at other estates:
- Clos Saint-Julien: €10 ($11), 45 minutes.
- Clos Systey and Château Cadet Bon: €15 ($16).
- Château Guadet and Château Balestard La Tonnelle: €20 ($22).
- Château Villemaurine: €25 ($27) for the Visite Patrimoine.
- Couvent des Jacobins: from €28 ($30).
- Clos Badon-Thunevin – Le Garage: €30 ($32), 1 hour.
- Château Troplong Mondot: €50 ($54) for the Getaway visit.
- Château Figeac: €80 ($86) per person.
On the underground tour, children under 6 go free but need a ticket, and a reduced rate applies to ages 6 to 17, students, job seekers and disabled visitors. Ticket prices are shown in the tourist office's online shop.
The Bordeaux tourist office's half-day tour costs €55 ($59) per person.
The village has no currency exchange; the nearest is in Libourne.
Before you go
- Book château visits and the underground tour in advance: places are limited, and the château-of-the-day estates take visitors only by reservation.
- Arrive well ahead of the underground tour. Once it has begun and the gates are closed, latecomers cannot rejoin the guide and get no refund.
- Outside the coach season, the year-round coach stop is Libourne, 7 km away, where you continue by taxi.
If you are driving, spit at tastings or choose a designated driver. For more on the region, see Bordeaux and Bordeaux city.
Frequently asked questions
What time is the last train from Saint-Émilion to Bordeaux?
The last train from Saint-Émilion to Bordeaux leaves at 8:50 p.m., and the first leaves at 6:11 a.m. About 16 trains a day run between the two, and the fastest trip takes 29 minutes. The last return coach leaves at 6:10 p.m. in coach season.
Can I visit the monolithic church without a guide?
No. The monolithic church opens only on the tourist office's guided Saint-Émilion Souterrain tour, which also covers Émilion's hermitage, the Trinity Chapel and the catacombs. It lasts 45 minutes to 1 hour and starts on Place de l'Église Monolithe.
Is the underground tour in English?
The standard tour is in French, with printed English translations available at the tourist office reception before the visit. The tourist office's online shop also sells an English-language Underground Saint-Émilion tour for groups of 1 to 35 people.
Do I need to book a château visit in Saint-Émilion?
Reservations are currently mandatory with the estates on the château-of-the-day list, some estates receive visitors only by reservation, and Château Villemaurine takes visitors by appointment only. Book directly with the estate or through the tourist office.
