Hi kazd ... this page of the Bordeaux Airport website may help you:
http://www.bordeaux.aeroport.fr/en/flight-destinations

David

Thank you, just looked at Air France very expensive, bit nervous of the budget airlines though

kazd wrote:

bit nervous of the budget airlines though

Why's that? They are perfectly safe to fly with. Apart from Bmi Baby who's future is a little uncertain in terms of take overs and ownership (not in terms of going under), they're fine. I'd fly with them tomorrow! Easyjet are a great A - B airline (also try Liverpool) and Air France if you want the full fare experience via Paris, albeit it a cost.

Darren

Dont know what dates you are looking for Kazd but easyjet have just announced Gatwick-bordeaux as a new route for summer 2010. Had an email last week.

http://www.easyjet.com/en/book/cheap_flights_new_routes.html

I've no complaints about easyjet . Always been really impressed with them for what you pay and never been dealyed on any flight we have taken with them .

My parents flew Easyjet several times, its just the horror stories you hear about the delays etc. BMI baby was one that I was looking at, the downer though was having to travel from Manchester.

I have also priced up Easyjet.

I am trying to work out the best way to get to Aquitaine, I have considered driving to Dover, Eurotunnel and then driving down so approx 12 hours travelling. Then I looked at ferry to St Maolo or Cherborg but you only save a couple of hours on the drive. Then I looked at ferry to Bilbao as its only 3.5 hours drive to Sanguinet but the cost was about £1250. I have also looked at a straight ferry to calais but then you have to debate whether to stop over half way so you have the cost of the ferry, the petrol, two hotel rooms x 2 (out and in) and two evening meals for 5.

Last time we stayed in a place called Paizay-Le-Tort which was about six hours drive from Calais, we stayed in Rouen on the way down and were supposed to stay there on the way back but I was actually quite desparate to get home so we cancelled our booking and did the whole journey in one day, we left at 4am and were home in Northamptonshire by 4.30pm.

That time we used Speedferries who now seem to have gone out of business. If we drive we can probably save a couple of hundred pounds but then its a long drive. Decisions what to do.

You do seem to have covered all the options there - except one.

Try http://www.ldlines.com and more specifcially http://www.ldlines.co.uk/bienvenue_norman_arrow.php - it might save some time or at least balance the time better and make driving easier.

You could also try Eurostar but perhaps not today! Their website lets you book through connecting fares from London to main station in France. The big catch is that it only lets you do it 3 months in advance and often goes off in a sulk when the French computer is slow.

Am I missing something here, how come the cost jumps from approx £70 to £440 when instead of crossing to Calais you cross to Le Havre which is only about 170 miles down the coast.

It's called free market economics - companies charge what they can not what it's worth. The £79 is probably a promotion with no profit on a route with a variety of competition.

I've just received a list of sample Eurostar connections for next year. At weekends you could leave London at 08:57 and with a casual connection with time for coffee at Lille be in Bordeaux at 18:03, on Sundays there is also an 11:57 from London to Lille with connection arriving Bordeaux at 20:52. A good northbound example is (any day except Saturday) depart Bordeaux 10:57, coffee break in Lille, arrive London 18:05.

When you say casual connection what do you mean. My understanding was that the car transporter train from Calais had been cancelled. Also you mentioned going back on a Saturday might be a problem, is that because there aren't any trains.

By casual I mean no running and time for coffee, they have about 40-60 minutes spare time (coming back that's spare time on top of Eurostar check in at Lille).

Calais motorails have finished - this service is by Eurostar and TGV, when you asked about flying I assumed you didn't have to take the car. There's no way a car train would get you from Bordeaux to London in 8 hours!

These are just some sample times, I haven't had chance to study details. There will be Saturday services but not at that specific time. What dates did you have in mind?