Bordeaux and Biarritz in Southwestern France are about a 2-hour drive from each other and either locale is worth visiting on its own, but together they make a great week-long trip.

Bordeaux is a charming city with Michelin-starred restaurants and beautiful architecture and is a great home base for visiting the vineyards of the storied Bordeaux regions such as St Emilion and the Medoc. My husband enjoys wine and was thrilled that through my travel contacts I was able to get us appointments at Cheval Blanc, Chateau Latour and Chateau Mouton Rothschild for tours of the vineyards and tastings.

On the way from Bordeaux to Biarritz is the Bay of Arcachon, which was fascinating to visit. The bay is a summer vacation spot for the French. We had lunch at a very chic restaurant overlooking the largest sand dune in Europe, Dune du Pilat, and then went out on a boat on the bay to explore the cabins on stilts for which the bay is known. We then made a stop at a fishing village for local white wine and oysters that had just been pulled from the sea.

Biarritz is a beach resort which got its start when Napoleon III built a summer house there for his wife Eugenie in the 1850’s. That “summer house” is now the grande dame hotel in Biarritz, the Hotel du Palais (153 rooms and suites - quite the summer house!). Biarritz has a wonderful mix of old-school elegance with a laid-back California vibe because it has some of the best surfing in Europe. Its lovely beach, quaint town and great dining make it a wonderful destination, whether you are a surfer or not.