Arcachon without a car: arriving by train and getting around the bay

Arcachon has a station right in the town centre, a cycle path that follows the bay from one end of town to the other, and boats across to Cap Ferret all year round. So a holiday here without a car works very well, as long as you know how to organise it. Here is what we tell our guests who arrive by train.

Getting here by train

From Paris

Trains for Arcachon leave from Paris-Montparnasse, and the journey takes about 3 hours. Some TGVs run all the way to Arcachon without a change, and how many there are depends on the day and the season. The others stop at Bordeaux-Saint-Jean, where you change for a TER regional train to Arcachon. Compare both options on the SNCF website, and book early for summer weekends.

From Bordeaux

TER regional trains run from Bordeaux-Saint-Jean to Arcachon throughout the day and take about fifty minutes. On the way they stop at the bay’s stations, including Biganos, Le Teich, Gujan-Mestras and La Teste-de-Buch. Timetables are on the TER Nouvelle-Aquitaine website.

If you are bringing your own bike, check before you travel: from May to September, a bike ticket is compulsory for non-folding bikes on the Bordeaux-Arcachon line. Folding bikes travel free once folded.

From Bordeaux-Mérignac airport

The simplest route is to get to Bordeaux-Saint-Jean station and catch a TER from there. The 30’Direct shuttle bus runs straight from the airport to the station in about thirty minutes, every day of the year. Tram line A also serves the airport, but the journey to the station takes longer.

By bus: the Baïa network

The Baïa bus network serves Arcachon and its neighbours on the south side of the bay: La Teste-de-Buch, which includes Pyla, Gujan-Mestras and Le Teich. For a stay in Le Moulleau, line 3 is the one to know. It leaves from Arcachon station, runs via the Parc Mauresque, Pereire, Les Abatilles and Le Moulleau, then Pyla, and ends at the Dune du Pilat. Allow about twenty minutes from the station to Le Moulleau, and half an hour to the dune.

Line 3 runs all year, but not on Sundays and public holidays out of season, and the timetable changes between summer and winter. Check it on the Baïa network website or in the Modalis app, where you can also buy tickets.

By bike

This is our favourite way to get around. Arcachon has 27 km of cycle paths along the bay: the path starts at the Pointe de l’Aiguillon, crosses the town centre, runs along Pereire and Les Abatilles beaches and ends in Le Moulleau. The ground is almost flat, and self-service bike pumps are set up along the way, including one at Le Moulleau jetty. From Le Moulleau the path continues to Pyla and the Dune du Pilat: our guide to getting to the Dune du Pilat covers the route.

Further afield, the bay has more than 300 km of cycle paths. The loop around the bay is about 80 km, mostly on cycle paths. You can start it in Arcachon or at the Bélisaire jetty in Cap Ferret, and the boats between the two let you close the loop. La Vélodyssée, the cycle route along the Atlantic coast, also passes the Dune du Pilat before heading south into the Landes.

No bike? There are plenty of rental shops, both in the centre and in Le Moulleau, and some deliver. Before riding into the forest, bear in mind that access depends on the rules in force at the time, especially when the fire risk is high: check the current situation on the Gironde department’s website.

By boat

Union des Bateliers Arcachonnais shuttles cross the bay all year round between the Thiers jetty in central Arcachon and the Bélisaire jetty in Cap Ferret, in about thirty minutes. Bikes are allowed on board, on conditions: panniers and child seats removed, and e-bike batteries taken off. From mid-June to the end of September, another line runs from Le Moulleau jetty to Cap Ferret, in about twenty minutes. Check the timetables on the Bateliers Arcachonnais website and, in summer, book your return.

In recent summers, in July and August, a boat shuttle known as the “bus de mer” has also linked Arcachon’s Petit Port, the Thiers jetty and Le Moulleau jetty. See whether it is running during your stay: it is a lovely way to get into town.

On foot

Central Arcachon is easy to explore on foot, and it is pedestrianised in July and August. The seafront links the districts: from the town hall, allow about ten minutes to walk up to the Ville d’Hiver, around forty minutes to Pereire and about 1 hour 20 minutes to Le Moulleau. Our guide on where to stay in Arcachon describes each of these areas.

From Arcachon station to Le Moulleau

Le Moulleau is about 5 km from the station. You have three options:

• By bus: Baïa line 3, from the station to the Le Moulleau / La Jetée stop, in about twenty minutes. It is the easiest option with luggage.
• By bike: about twenty minutes on the cycle path along the bay.
• By taxi: taxis and private-hire drivers work in Arcachon. In summer, book ahead.

On foot with suitcases it is a long way: more than an hour.

Our flat, Cœur Moulleau, is 50 m from the beach and less than 100 m from the jetty and its boats to Cap Ferret. Two bikes are included, which takes care of getting around once you are here. Pack bags that are easy to carry: the flat is on the 3rd floor, with no lift. And if you end up coming by car after all, a space in the residence’s secure car park is waiting for you.