Hi, I'm new to the site. I currently live with my husband, Shaun, and our dog, Fern, in South Somerset but we are planning to move to Bordeaux at the end of October this year. We're looking to rent initially whilst we try to get our business in Physical and Emotional Wellbeing up and running so are looking for a medium to long-term let.
We've only ever visited Bordeaux on holiday and whilst we fell in love with it immediately, we could really use some advice on the areas that are good to live and the areas to avoid.
We'll be travelling over from the UK in early September to house/apartment hunt and would really appreciate the experience of someone who knows how the system works and preferably speaks French (our French is a work in progress and is barely adequate at the moment!) to help us out.
Our criteria is quite basic. Really all we need is two bedrooms and dog friendly accommodation. Preferably in the city, if not as close as poss. Don't really want to pay any more than the equivalent of £700 per month until we have a steady income. That's it really, we've started looking at long-term holiday lets. :-)
Thanks so much for all your replies guys, we've really made some headway from your advice and hopefully we'll be able to meet some of you when we make the move. :-)
Hi to all 3, if there are no cats, gold fish et al...;)
I live about 1 hr away from Bordeaux - know of Gites as was mentioned above run by friends of mine so that may be of interest and they are about 20 mins from Bordeaux. This may be a better option with the dog so that you can really find somewhere comfortable for him/her!
I am also looking for a property in Bordeaux 3 of the children are going to boarding school so I'd rather be with them and perhaps you could rent my place? - big garden (2500m²) next to the forest and 15km from the Ocean - km of beaches for the walks with doggie... ;)
Hmmm think on that ...
call 0033631525725 viber if you have it or skype or hangout - all brilliant and freeeeeeeee
Forgot to mention Bordeaux itself , avoid Gare St Jean / MIN (wholesale market area) : prostitutes corner. St Michel unless you're really into North African culture. St Pierre is part of the historic part but then you're going to get all the problems that go with old buildings : no square corners/ straight walls, maybe dodgy electrics and/or plumbing. but that can always be put down as quaint to begin with.
Hi again, really interested to know more about the properties that are coming up for rent, although we are not in a position to move until the end of October. I tried to message you but wasn't allowed!?!?!? :-S
Really grateful to have so many people willing to offer their advice and experience :-)
Not sure what sort of money you're looking at spending...my French boyfriend is just finishing building a large-ish house in Montusson, a suburb of Bordeaux on the rocade (ringroad), a nice suburb, very peaceful, nice big-ish garden (plot is about 1/2 acre), we're working hard at getting it finished in the next couple of months.....think he/we would be happy to discuss prices if you want to come have a look?
my email is funatlepuy@gmail.com.....I've been here since last November, my French is ok (has to be, he speaks no English!!), so if I can help (via him, he's lived in Bordeaux for around 25 years), please shout.
All the best in any case - and would love to hear more of your idea - I worked in an addiction rehab for many years before coming out here - would love to link up?
I've lived about 40 minutes from Bordeaux in various places for about 20 years, honestly I think you'd be best looking for a long term gite rental until say April or May which will give you time to look around and see what area suits you best. There are a lot of gite owners who are prepared to do a reasonable rate (not the rates on the website) if you want to rent during the winter for two or three months. Surprisingly it's often the French owners, not the English ones, who will drop their prices to get a long let during the off season, judging from my daughter's experience who has short term contracts all over France and rents gites if she can. Email me through the site and i can give you the name of a gite complex 20 minutes from Bordeaux where a friend rented a gite from October to May nearly every year. I don't know the owners but they have a lot of English clients so must be able to speak it.
Hi there, I live in a holiday rental in Bordeaux during term time and near la Reole when schools out. Through my daughters school I know of a few properties coming up for rent (one in Bruges, one in Merignac and one near barrier judaique).
Try both the international club of Bordeaux and also the Bordeaux women’s club for more possible lets. Both are nice groups and all english speakers.
If you can email me thru this site please do and I will pm you my mobile number. More than happy to chat/help out.
Bordeaux centre is very expensive. If you want to be on a tram route avoid at all costs "Les Aubiers", Pessac Mérignac are quite nice as is Bègles . If you want to go as far as the right bank (totally snobbed by born & bred Bordelais ) La Bastide is up a coming & starting to become hip. Cenon is quite nice but don't go any further up the line than that. As with any area you're always going to find one or two rough streets or blocks. If you're looking more up market then there is Caudéron or Le Bouscat. Bordeaux does have a reasonable bus service, there is what they call the "Liane" lines, these buses tend to be mainly on roads with bus lanes & are a bit quicker han an ordinary line. There are even a few that are able to change red lights green to keep the flow of traffic going.
All this information has been gleaned while working in Bordeaux centre & mixing with the "natives" with over the last 4 years
