Solo Trip to Bordeaux, France

The first time I solo traveled, it wasn’t just for a weekend trip.

The first solo trip I ever took meant packing my belongings into a giant suitcase and an overpriced back-pack. It meant moving across the ocean in an attempt to find myself. For me, solo travel was the first and only way to get acquainted with the wider world. As a un-adventurous city girl, that’s how I wanted to seek my ultimate thrill.

Fast forward a few years later. As a married woman, I now have a constant travel companion, someone to share my experiences with and to share the adventure with, 100%. We’ve seen so much together and that experience is amazing and the best thing a couple could share in my opinion. It’s only normal, but I started traveling less and less on my own these past few years.

Six years later, the thought of solo travel was daunting in a way it never was before. So, last year I had an urge to meet my 21-year-old self again, the person who could be completely alone in a city and 100% at ease; I traveled to Cologne by train and ending up loving the feeling. The days were mine and so were the experiences.

Now that Laurens and I have been in Europe for almost two years, it would be crazy not to take advantage of how central we are to other amazing places. To jumpstart this year, I picked Bordeaux as my next solo trip destination. It’s a city I always romanticized in my mind, a perfect autumn location in a country I really enjoy. Belgium in March can be a dreary place. and I was impatient to shake winter off me.

April it was. I booked a roundtrip under 100€ with EasyJet and off I went on a Friday afternoon.

With a bit of luck and fortune, I arrived to a sunny afternoon and pleasant. My Airbnb host welcomed me to her apartment complex situated behind and old wine castle. I set out into the city as fast as I could, taking photos of the sunset and finding the most lively streets to take in.

(Transport in Bordeaux is super convenient with modern trams connecting all parts of the city.)

Suddenly, there were no more photos to take, complete darkness meant it was time for dinner, and wine of course! In Bordeaux, there’s no shortage of trendy, hip, and inviting wine bars and restaurants to dive into. I picked one with a DJ spinning vinyl records and a laid back crowd. It was soul, hip, hop heaven, so I sat at the bar with my amazing wine and hearty meal, watching people and reading my guide book for the next day. But then I remembered – no plans are sometimes the best plans.

Bordeaux is a breathtaking classicly French city, the second most well-preserved in terms of architecture after Paris. It also happens to be an amazing city to solo trip in. Bordeaux is the kind of place that invites you to wander the streets, and when you get tired of wandering, grab a glass of red, some cheese and find a terrace with a view, like Chez Fred for instance. 😉

What do you think of solo travel? When was the last time you took a trip all on your own?