Bordeaux-Merignac Airport is about 12 km from the city centre. Before any numbers, the single most important correction: the tram goes to the airport. Line A was extended and opened on 29 April 2023, terminating at a stop called Aéroport. Any cost guide built around "there is no tram, so take the bus" — and there are a lot of them — is pricing the wrong city.
Tram line A
The cheapest way into Bordeaux. Line A leaves from the terminal, runs every 10 minutes, and reaches place Pey-Berland in the city centre in about 35 minutes (Bordeaux Métropole's own figure). It runs on a standard TBM ticket, bought from the machines in front of the terminal, at any tram stop, or in the app.
We are not printing a ticket price. We could not confirm the current TBM fare from TBM itself, and it has changed more than once in recent years — so check infotbm.com rather than trusting a number in a guide. What we can tell you structurally: a TBM ticket covers transfers within the network for a set window, so one fare should normally carry you to your final stop rather than just to the tram terminus.
30'Direct shuttle to Gare Saint-Jean
The fast link to the train station, and the one option here with a fare we can state precisely. It runs airport to Gare Saint-Jean in about 30 minutes, non-stop, every day including public holidays. The operator's tariff, in force since 31 March 2025:
- On board: 10 EUR
- Online e-ticket: 9 EUR (full) / 8 EUR (reduced)
- Online return: 16,20 EUR (full) / 14,40 EUR (reduced)
- Children under 5: free
If you are connecting to a TGV, this usually beats the tram on time and hassle.
Uber and rideshares
Uber is active in Bordeaux and often cheaper than a taxi. The app shows your price before you confirm and it moves with demand — surge applies at peak hours and when it rains, which in Bordeaux is not rare. The number in the app is the only real one; we are not going to invent a range for a price that is set by an algorithm.
Taxi
Here is where most guides — including the previous version of this one — get Bordeaux wrong. Airport taxis are metered. There is no regulated flat-rate zone system.
What the airport does publish is an indication: approximately 35 EUR to the city centre during the day and approximately 45 EUR at night, with the explicit caveat that prices are "given for information only" and "may vary depending on traffic". That is a useful order of magnitude and nothing more. If your flight lands into the evening rush and the rocade is jammed, the meter keeps running.
If you want a number that cannot move, you need a fixed-price booking, not a taxi.
Pre-booked private transfer
The price is locked when you book — for a sedan or a minivan, to the city or to the vineyards. It buys you a named driver, flight tracking, and no negotiation at the rank. For wine country (Saint-Émilion, the Médoc, Arcachon, Bergerac) there is no published tariff and no direct public transport, so a quote in advance is the only way to know the cost before you are committed. Get one rather than budgeting from a range on a website.
Cost comparison summary
| Option | Price | Time | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tram line A | Standard TBM ticket — see infotbm.com | ~35 min to Pey-Berland | Budget travellers |
| 30'Direct shuttle | 9 EUR online / 10 EUR on board | ~30 min to Gare Saint-Jean | Train connections |
| Uber | Quoted in app, moves with demand | 20-30 min | Mid-range, app users |
| Taxi | Metered — airport indicates ~35 EUR day / ~45 EUR night | 20-30 min | Quick, no app needed |
| Pre-booked transfer | Fixed at booking | 20-30 min | Families, groups, wine regions |
Fixed-price private transfer
BOD Blanquefort
From€61for 2 passengers
Other destinations
Hidden costs to watch for
A TBM ticket includes transfers within the network for a set window, so a single fare should cover tram-plus-connection to your final stop — check the current terms with TBM. Taxis are metered, so traffic is genuinely your financial risk here, not just an inconvenience. Rideshare prices fluctuate with demand. If you are arriving during a major event (Vinexpo, the Bordeaux wine festival), expect all road-based transport to take longer and rideshare prices to spike — which is exactly when a tram running every 10 minutes on its own right of way stops looking like the budget option and starts looking like the smart one.