Castles & Palaces
Château de Villandry
The last of the great Renaissance châteaux built along the Loire, famed for its spectacular ornamental and vegetable gardens.
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Road trip route · France
Paris to Bordeaux drive time, distance, costs & the best stops
- Drive time
- 6 hr 9 min
- Distance
- 585 km
- Fuel (est.)
- €76
- Tolls (est.)
- €38
The Paris to Bordeaux drive
The drive from Paris to Bordeaux covers 364 miles (585 km) and takes about 6 hr 9 min without stops. That's a long day, but doable in one go with a couple of proper breaks. If you'd rather split it, Châtellerault is about halfway.
Most of it is one road: the A10 carries 95% of the distance. On the way you go past Antony, Orléans and Blois, and you'll be near Châtellerault roughly 3 h 12 min in.
Expect gentle hills rather than climbs. The high point is around 178 m near Poitiers.
Expect fuel for a typical petrol car (~40 mpg) to cost around €76 one-way plus roughly €38 in motorway tolls. Prices shift monthly, so treat these as ballpark figures.
At 364 miles this is longer than 88% of the 144 routes covered here, so it is worth treating as a trip in itself rather than a transfer. Split across 2 days it works out at about 3.1 hours behind the wheel each day, which leaves most of the daylight for the places in between.
The road, kilometre by kilometre
Towns within a few kilometres of the fastest route, with the time it takes to reach them without stopping.
- StartParis
- 17 kmAntony11 min in
- 128 kmOrléans1 h 21 min in
- 181 kmBlois1 h 55 min ingood place to stop
- 238 kmTours2 h 30 min in
- 305 kmChâtellerault3 h 12 min in
- 336 kmPoitiers3 h 32 min ingood place to stop
- 471 kmSaintes4 h 58 min in
- 585 kmBordeaux
How high it goes
Roads you'll be on
- A10557 km · 95%
Best stops between Paris and Bordeaux
Within ~30 km of the driving route, worth the detour.
Castles & Palaces
Chateau d'Azay-le-Rideau
A jewel of French Renaissance architecture set on an island in the Indre River, reflected perfectly in its surrounding moat.
Landmarks
Futuroscope
French technology-based theme park near Poitiers with cutting-edge visual experiences and multimedia attractions.
Racetracks
Autodrome de Linas-Montlhery
Legendary 1924 banked concrete speed bowl south of Paris where dozens of land-speed and endurance records were set; its steep bankings still host classic-car festivals like Les Grandes Heures Automobiles.
What you need for this drive
Rules for each country on the route, in the order you meet them.
France
- Motorway
- 130 km/h · 50 in town
- Tolls
- Autoroute à péage
- Must carry
- warning triangle, hi-vis vest
- Winter tyres
- 1 November - 31 March
Low-emission zones: ZFE (Zones à Faibles Émissions) — needs a Crit'Air (Certificat qualité de l'air).
Checked against national road authorities and the ECB reference rates. Rules change — confirm before you travel.
Famous drives in France
Legendary routes you could bolt onto this trip, with real distances and stop counts.
Verdon Gorge: Route des Crêtes
Europe's deepest canyon, turquoise water 700m below, and a clifftop road with no barriers
104 km · 3h driving · 5 stops · 2 days
Route Napoléon: Cannes to Grenoble
The road Napoleon took from exile back to Paris, now a 325 km drive through pre-Alps
325 km · 5.7h driving · 7 stops · 3 days
Paris to Bordeaux FAQs
How long is the drive from Paris to Bordeaux?
Driving from Paris to Bordeaux takes about 6 hr 9 min nonstop, covering 364 miles (585 km). Add time for breaks: most drivers stop every 2 hours.
How much does it cost to drive from Paris to Bordeaux?
Fuel for a typical petrol car (~40 mpg) costs roughly €76 one-way. Expect around €38 in motorway tolls. Estimates are indicative: prices change monthly.
Can I drive from Paris to Bordeaux in one day?
Yes, though it's a long day: about 6 hr 9 min of driving. Plenty of people do it in one go with two or three proper breaks; if you'd rather split it, Châtellerault is about halfway.
Which roads do you take from Paris to Bordeaux?
The fastest route uses the A10 (about 557 km). It passes Antony, Orléans, Blois, Tours.
Where should I stop on the way from Paris to Bordeaux?
If you stop every couple of hours, Blois comes up about 2 h in, and Poitiers comes up about 4 h in. All are just off the main road.
What other drives can I plan on Plan Your Road Trips?
We publish drive times, distances and fuel estimates for 144 routes across Europe and beyond, including 19 other drives in the same country. Browse them all on the routes index.
What are the best stops between Paris and Bordeaux?
Top-rated stops in the drive corridor include Château de Villandry, Chateau d'Azay-le-Rideau, Futuroscope: see the full list of 4 stops on this page.
More drives from Paris & Bordeaux
Bordeaux → BarcelonaBordeaux → BiarritzBordeaux → San SebastiánLondon → ParisParis → AmsterdamParis → BarcelonaParis → BrusselsParis → CalaisParis → GenevaParis → Lyon
Planning a bigger trip? Try the free France road trip planner, browse every destination we cover, take it with you on the road, or read the driving in France guide.