Car Hire: Take advantage of the special easyJet inflight rates. Visit the Europcar desk on arrival or call +33 (0)5 5634 0579. Open from 8am-8pm Monday-Friday and 9am-6pm Saturday.

Airport Transfer: Pre-book your door-to-door transfer with easyJet’s transfer partner, Holiday Taxis—from home to the airport, then city or resort (easyjet.holidaytaxis.com).

Taxi: The fare to the centre is about €30-€40.

Bus: A bus goes to Gare St Jean station every 45 minutes from 7.45am-10.45pm. Tickets: €7.

Café Creme
( 4 Rue des Remparts. Tel. 05 5644 6385 )
Unassuming from the outside, this place offers an excellent array of very well-priced lunches.

Ed Wood Café
( 8 Rue Castelnau d'Auros. Tel. 05 5648 2781 )
Opposite the exit to the UGC cinema (the easiest place to see international films in their original language), this American-style diner is complete with juke box and ice-cream colours. Not cheap for burgers and hot dogs, but good fun.

La Villa du Parc
( 2 Rue Carnot, Cauderan. Tel. 05 5602 2027 )
Next to Parc Bordelais on the boulevards, this chic restaurant has recently been refreshed inside. A good romantic choice.

La Grande Vigne
( Chemin de Smith Haut Lafitte, Martillac. Tel. 05 5783 8383 )
About 20 minutes from the city centre you'll find the gourmet restaurant of the Sources de Caudalie hotel and wine spa. More than 16,000 bottles of wine in the cellar and a chef that works magic.

Le Comptoir de Catherine
( 30 Rue Ste Colombe. Tel. 05 5644 7608 )
Intimate and stylish wine bar that's the little sister to a lovely restaurant four doors down.

La Casa Latina
( 59 Quai de Chartrons. Tel. 05 5787 1580 )
As you might expect from the name, this is all about fun, energising Cuban music and salsa—it's usually live and, if not, there's still plenty of dancing.

Sénéchal
( 57 Quai du Paludate. Tel. 05 5685 5480 )
There's no holding back on the 1970s vibe in this club that draws0 a fun-loving crowd in their late-twenties.

Darricau is a small but beautifully formed chocolate shop that always has good tasting-plates on the go (7 Place Gambetta. Tel. 05 5644 2149).

While walking around the historic centre, don’t forget to look up and admire the mascarons—carved stone heads that look out from the the façades of many buildings. Dating back to the 17th and 18th centuries, their purpose was to chase evil spirits away and ward off bad fortune.

Base Sous Marine is one of few in Europe that still remain from the Second World War. The enormous concrete hangar provides a spooky location for an exhibition about the submarines, as well as hosting an adjoining art gallery (Boulevard Alfred Daney. Tel. 05 5611 1150).

The Novart contemporary arts festival takes place in Bordeaux every November. Exhibitions and street art are dotted across the city (Tel. 05 5610 2046).

Pauillac – Stock up on wines for Christmas in this famous wine town, about 50 minutes away by car. Bages village has a gorgeous shop that sells carafes and table settings. By car take the D1 road, or go by train from Gare St Jean to Pauillac station.

With one of the deepest city-centre harbours of any European major centre, dozens of cruise ships call in at Bordeaux every year.

Compiled by Jane Anson