There’s nothing like quality time with your squad and if your crew is anything like mine you’re likely to go through a few glasses of wine, so why not go directly to the source! I caught up with my girl Tamu photographer extraordinaire and mastermind behind blog, All the Pretty Birds and showed her how to do a Girls Get Away in Bordeaux. Check out a little preview below and head over to All the Pretty Birds to see how to spend 5 great days with your squad in the French countryside of Bordeaux.

entering into the old city walls of Bordeaux

Have you ever heard of noble rot? Maybe by it’s more elegant name, botrytis? It’s a form of grey fungus affecting wine grapes that has to be timed just right to develop a delicious sweet wine like the internationally renowned French sauterne. Timing, climate, moisture and picking-time has to be just so, or the whole harvest is ruined. There is no better time of year to visit Bordeaux and see this delicate process — pourriture or pourriture noble in French — in action and taste the delicious wines than autumn (so pencil in a trip for October now). And want a novel way to do it? Via a cruise along the Garonne river and it’s estuaries! This isn’t your grandmother’s way of cruising. A cruise is actually the perfect way to vineyard hop in style while in this picturesque region — and without any worries of “who’s going to drive!” Round up the squad, and let me show you how to have the perfect Girlfriend Getaway in Bordeaux.

How to get there:

Bordeaux is located in the Southwest region of France. You can fly into Paris catch a connecting flight into Bordeaux’s airport, Bordeaux-Merignac. OR you can take a lovely 3hr and 15minute train ride from Paris to Bordeaux. Great news though, coming in July 2017 there will actually be an even faster option: a 2-hour train from Paris to Bordeaux that’s sure to create an influx of visitors and commuters for this city that’s already gaining momentum as the place to be. Another great thing about booking with a cruise is they figure out a lot of these logistics for you in case planning is simply not your thing.

my Uniworld cabin in Bordeaux

Where to stay:

But let’s take a step backwards. Maybe you won’t have to figure out these logistics at all depending on your accommodations. My suggestion? Go with the cruise. Think of your favorite luxury boutique hotel, add a dash of that booze cruise you and the squad went on with an unending supply of rum punch and sprinkle in the elegance of when travel by ship was at it’s peak with the fun of a jazzy steamboat barreling down the Mississippi and you have Uniworld Cruises. Before this experience, I “didn’t do cruises” they were for my grandparents. Well come to think of it my Grandma Hazel was a woman who appreciated the finer things in life and knew how to live it up better than most people I know. Pack beautiful patterned silks for elegant dinners — you can even rent a private room and do a multi-course wine pairing and chef’s tasting — Instagram worthy looks for touring castles & biking through vineyards and your best sun hat for mornings on the deck. And if you’re Tamu fit, pack your work out clothes too because there is a gym and classes on board. Doing the Uniworld Bordeaux cruise is definitely a great option for exploring this region.

enjoying my afternoon Kir Royale in Bordeaux

The best thing about a cruise is that you can do as much or as little as you like in terms of activity and often times you’re docked over night giving you the chance to explore Bordeaux and other cities’ night life. I ended up at a hookah bar with a friend across the river from Bordeaux’s historical district! Here’s how to spend a great few days in the region of Bordeaux.

Wanna know how I spent my days? Head over to All The Pretty Birds to find out about my cooking classes, market visits and more!