Local Tourism Notes

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Local Tourism Notes

The staff at most tourist offices are able to speak competent English. You will find them very helpful with all tourism questions as well as questions on public transport and more. If you're in need of some help, they're always worth asking.

Tourist Offices are also able to provide general information on their area, much of it as appropriate to the resident as to the visitor. If you want to know about fairs, markets, concerts and other events in your area the Tourist Office is bound to have information, brochures and flyers.

• To find listings of all local tourist offices in South West France see The AngloFILE: Aquitaine Tourist Offices
• See the website of the French Government Tourism (in English).
• Regional Tourism authorities have comprehensive websites in English: see here

Airports in Aquitaine

• To find out about the airports serving the Aquitaine region of south western France, flight information, access or lost luggage, see this AngloINFO INFOrmation Page: Aquitaine Airport Contacts
• To find out about airlines flying to Aquitaine see this page: Airlines, Scheduled Flights & Charter 

Where To Stay

The region offers a wide variety of accommodation, with options ranging from camping to Bed & Breakfast accommodation, hotels and stays in private gîtes.

• See the INFOrmation Page on Holiday Accommodation Options to find out more about the type of accommodation available in France
• See The AngloFILE for Hotels & Holiday Accommodation

Food and Drink

South Western France is famous for its diverse cuisine. Eels, mussels and oysters are popular on the coast with salty lamb and goats cheese complimented by the wines produced in land. The Basque country around the Spanish border is heavily influenced by the more spicy Spanish cuisine. Goats' cheese is another product of the region. Truffles are expensive delicacies that grow in the wild in the forests of the Aquitaine along with various wild mushrooms. But above all the area is famous for fois gras; a pâté made from enlarged goose or duck liver.

Bordeaux is the world's largest producer of fine wine, the regions include the famous labels: Médoc, Entre-Deux-Mers, Pomerol, Graves and St Emilion. Many vineyards in the area open to the public and offer visitors the chance to sample the produce and buy directly from the producer.

Beaches

There are over 240km of sandy beaches on the Aquitaine coastline. The area has a strong sea tide which means that the scenery is constantly changing. The Aquitaine Tourist Board has a guide (in English) to all beaches of the coast. 

Surfing in Aquitaine

For the best breaks in France the beaches of the Côte d'Argent (the silver coast) are a must. The funnel shape of the Bay of Biscay provides consistently good quality waves for riders in the region. The two main resorts are Biarritz and Hossegor - with Biarritz regularly hosting international competitions - but the world famous Atlantic wakes break all along the coast. 

A map of the best surf beaches in Landes, Gironde and the Basque Country see this page of wannasurf.com and choose the region. It is a comprehensive guide with directions to the beach and what to expect when you get there. 

If you are a beginner or just want to join forces with like-minded surfers there are numerous clubs along the coast, see The AngloFILE: Aquitaine Surfing

To see what's happening in the Aquitaine world of surfing see the AngloINFO What's On guide.

Regional Tourist Offices

Regional tourism authorities have comprehensive websites in English providing much useful information. 

The main Tourist offices are:

• Aquitaine Tourism Board
  Tel: 05 56 01 70 00
  Fax: 05 56 01 70 07
  e-mail
  Website
• Tourist Office of the Atlantique-Pyrenees Department
  Tel: 05 59 46 52 52
  e-mail
  Website
• Tourist Office of the Dordogne Department
  Tel: 05 53 35 50 24
  Fax: 05 53 09 51 41
  e-mail
  Website 
• Tourist Office of the Gironde Department
  Tel: 05 56 52 61 40
  Fax: 05 56 81 09 99
  e-mail
  Website
• Tourist Office of the Landes Department
  Tel: 05 58 06 89 89
  Fax: 05 58 06 90 90
  e-mail
  Website
• Tourist Office of the Lot-et-Garonne Department
  Tel: 05 53 66 14 14
  Fax: 05 53 66 08 01
  e-mail
  Website

Further Information

• Some local interest sites can be found in The AngloFILE: Aquitaine Web Portals 
• French Web Portals (in The AngloFILE)
• Aquitaine Tourist Offices (in The AngloFILE)
• French Ministry of Tourism The facts about tourism in France (in French)
• Maison de la France International guide to tourism in France
• Tourism in France
• Fisher's Travel SOS is a small, pocket-sized print publication with local emergency numbers and addresses for the visitor to Bordeaux. Can be bought online for self-printing or in booklet form.