Travel + Transport

Travel Documentation

  • Passports:
    In order to travel to France, it’s required to have a valid U.S. passport. As a general rule, PASSPORTS MUST BE VALID FOR SIX MONTHS BEYOND THE DATES YOU TRAVEL OUTSIDE OF THE U.S. This rule is known to be enforced in France. For example, if you plan to travel Sept. 8 to Sept. 15, 2024, your passport must have an expiration date of Mar. 15, 2025 or later in order to travel for our wedding. Passport renewal processing can take up to 10-13 weeks (but usually takes less), so we recommend either getting a passport or checking/renewing your passport immediately after you read this sentence.

Flying to France

  • Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG):

    Flights to Paris CDG are some of the most affordable in Europe for travelers coming from the U.S. There are several airports offering direct flights to Paris from our guests’ nearest airports, including Denver (DEN), Chicago (ORD), Detroit (DTW), Boston (BOS), Miami (MIA), New York (JFK, EWR), Los Angeles (LAX), and Seattle (SEA). Expect the travel time to be 7+ hours. Nearly all options will be overnight flights, so plan to leave one day prior to when you want to arrive. We recommend leaving on either Saturday, Sept. 7 or Sunday, Sept 8 (at the latest) in order to ensure you arrive in time for the event date.

  • Paris Orly Airport (ORY):
    You will likely only fly into Paris Orly airport if you are flying the budget airline, French Bee, from Los Angeles (LAX) or Newark (EWR), or if you’re connecting from another airport in Europe. There are direct trains from Orly to Bordeaux Saint-Jean train station and travel time is 2 hrs.

  • Bordeaux Mérignac Airport (BOD):
    You can choose to book a flight itinerary directly into Bordeaux, however, you will likely need to connect in Paris CDG first, or another European airport. Sometimes, there are cheaper options when you buy your transfer from CDG to BOD separately with Air France, so keep this in mind when building your itinerary. Flight time from Paris to Bordeaux is about 1.25 hrs.

    Please note that any accommodations in France or Europe outside of Sept. 9-12 will be your responsibility. Please also keep in mind that the Paralympics will be hosted in Paris for 2024, and the event officially wraps up on Sept. 9. We anticipate this shouldn’t much affect flight prices or travel conditions, as most athletes/spectators will have trickled out of Paris by this time. However, we did want to mention this in case you’re traveling to Paris before the wedding.

Transferring to Bordeaux

  • For the efficient/nervous traveler: Cut to the Chase and Fly into BOD Airport

    As mentioned above, you can fly into Bordeaux Mérignac airport, which is closest international airport to the venue (about 45 mins away). There are several options to rent a car once you arrive at the airport (Enterprise, Hertz, Sixt). Uber is widely available in urban France, so that is always an option after you land, or you can hire a taxi from the BOD airport. It is important to note that Uber is not available when traveling from the chateau back to Bordeaux, as it is located in the countryside. If you’d like the most flexibility in your travels, we would recommend renting a car in Bordeaux, but it is not absolutely necessary. (Drivers also drive on the right side of the road in France, so don’t worry about that.)

  • For the adventurous traveler: French Countryside Road Trip

    If you are arriving in Paris CDG, you can choose to rent a car from there and drive across the countryside to Bordeaux. Hertz, Avis, etc are widely available in Paris at reasonable rates, just make sure to check reviews on the businesses. The total driving time is estimated to be just over 5 hours. Although this road trip is a longer option, the drive through Western France is said to be absolutely beautiful. You will pass through the Loire Valley, which boasts some of the most famous chateaux in France, along with many vineyards, BnB’s, and authentic restaurants. If you’re the adventurous type and hoping to explore more of France, this is a great option.

  • For the practical/savvy traveler: Ride the Trains

    Another option is to take advantage of the rail system in France and book train travel from Paris to Bordeaux. The train system in France is much different than the U.S. The trains are affordable, efficient, clean, super fast, and some even have a bar inside. High-speed “bullet trains” are available and indicated with the label TGV - Trains à Grande Vitesse. This is a great experience to try if you are interested and very affordable. There are a multiple options for traveling from Paris to the venue:

    • Option 1: From Paris CDG, transfer to Paris Montparnasse Hall, near the city center of Paris. From there take the TGV train to the Bordeaux Saint-Jean station. There are several car rental options near the station to drive to the chateau, or you can request an Uber or taxi. The drive is just under 1 hour to the venue. Pre-booking is recommended.

    • Option 2: From Paris CDG, transfer to Paris Montparnasse Hall, which is near the city center of Paris. Next, take the train directly to Angouleme Gare SNCF. The ride is approximately 2.5 hours. From there, you can rent a car at the Angouleme station, or hire a taxi to the venue. The drive is just under 1 hour. Pre-booking is recommended.

    • Option 3: From Paris Orly ORY, take the high-speed train directly to Bordeaux Saint-Jean station. Travel time is approximately 2 hours. There are several car rental options near the station to drive to the chateau, or you can request an Uber or taxi. The drive is just under 1 hour to the venue. Pre-booking is recommended.

    • Option 4: The closest train station to the venue is Saint-Aigulin La Roche Chalais. If you are savvy with trains, you can research a route to take there that works on your time table. From that location, it is a 7-minute drive to the venue. You could likely contact one of us to get a ride to the venue!

    • To reserve your train travel, please visit: https://www.sncf.com/en

Staying in Bordeaux Before the Wedding

If you plan to arrive in Bordeaux before Sept. 9 (at least one day is recommend in case travel plans get disrupted), we will be staying at the FirstName Hyatt near the city center of Bordeaux in the Meriadeck district. Click here to view their website. We selected this hotel because it is in a good neighborhood for tourists, easy walking distance to major tourist spots and dining, and also offers guest parking on site. There are several hotels in this area, so if you wish to stay close, there are likely cheaper options without on site parking. Other recommended areas to stay in Bordeaux include:

  • Saint Pierre and Saint Paul: The historic center / ‘old town’ of Bordeaux and the heart of all the action (narrow streets mostly for walking only)

  • Pey Berland and Meriadeck: The shopping and administrative district of Bordeaux, bordering the old town and still in walking distance with drive-able streets

  • Quinconces and Triangle d’Or: The more upscale areas of Bordeaux, just north of the old town

  • Chartrons: A beautiful “posh” area just outside the city center that runs along the river with tree-lined streets

  • Gare Saint-Jean: The district of the major train station, St Jean, which is a 30-min walk from the city center but offers more affordable options and train travel convenience. If taking the TGV from Paris, you will arrive in this neighborhood when arriving in Bordeaux.

  • Les Sources de Caudalie - If your looking for a 5-star luxurious spa retreat in the French countryside, this is the place. And yes, THE Caudalie skincare products that are sourced straight from their vineyard.

Arriving at the Venue

  • The chateau is located in the village of La Roche-Chalais, a commune in the Dordogne department in Nouvelle-Aquitaine in southwestern France. The town itself has several options for groceries and a gas station. The town is in the French countryside, about 60 minutes away from Bordeaux.

  • Chateau de La Valouze has ample parking on site for any guests that choose to rent a car.

  • We will have a complimentary shuttle from Bordeaux St. Jean train station to Valouze for anyone that is not renting a car. It will leave at 3:30 PM on 9/9 and will arrive just before 4:30 PM, giving you a few hours to prepare for the welcome party. More details to be provided.

  • You can Uber to the chateau to get there, but will need to find alternative transportation to get back from the chateau.

 

Château de la Valouze,
24490 La Roche-Chalais,
France