Upon arrival, you will exit the hall and see a tram stop in front of you. Trams depart from there every five minutes during peak hours and every twenty minutes on weekends, taking you to the central Hotel de Ville stop in about 30 minutes. There, you need to transfer to tram line C and travel 4 more stops to the train station.
A faster and more expensive option is a special shuttle bus that runs directly between the airport and the Saint-Jean train station, several times a day including weekends and public holidays. You can find the timetable here.

From Gare Saint-Jean station, trains to Arcachon run daily from morning to evening, usually every hour. You can find the timetables online here, where you can also buy a ticket online. The price is cheaper for children and also decreases depending on the number of people.  

After a 50-minute ride, you will get off at the beautiful train station of the spa town of Arcachon.
Originally, this city was built by Louis XIV in the 18th century as a military port. The period of prosperity begins only after the construction of the railway, when the city became easily accessible. The first tourists arrive and two districts are created - the summer and winter city. In summer there are casinos, among which the neoclassical Casino de la Plage stands out, boats, yachts, a fishing port, and winter is protected by pine trees from the wind, has many parks, residential areas and is its own spa center - it also has the healing spring of des Abatilles.

Check in and then take a walk along the main beach, Plage Thiers. If the weather permits, you can take a dip in the sea, which is calmer thanks to the bay, and the waves are only gentle here. You can refresh yourself in the restaurants located along the promenade. Don't forget to taste the main local specialty - oysters - farmed directly in the Bassin d'Arcachon lagoon. They are served fresh, often with white wine or a piece of lemon, and are one of the most authentic experiences in local restaurants.

You can start your city tour in a quieter area, in Mauresque Park, which is a few minutes' walk from the main beach. It is a beautiful,  extensive park full of palm trees, exotic plants and flower beds, and is located on a hill directly above the city center. In addition to the picturesque paths, you will also find gazebos, fountains and playgrounds for children. The viewpoints offer a wonderful view of the sea and the roofs of buildings. In short, an ideal place for relaxation and a romantic walk.

A short distance from the park, via an iron footbridge, is the metal Sainte-Cecile Observatory, whose design was co-created by Gustave Eiffel. Admission is free, and after climbing the narrow and steep staircase, you will have a beautiful view of the entire city and the entire bay. In the middle of the bay you can also see the so-called oyster houses.

Next to the park lies the Ville d’Hiver district, the so-called winter city, a historical villa district from the 19th century, when the city became a popular spa resort. Narrow streets are lined with dozens of beautiful villas, each with a distinctive style – from neo-Gothic to Moorish inspirations to Swiss chalets. A walk through this district is like a journey through time, when Parisian aristocracy and artists met in Arcachon. Moreover, the viewpoints offer beautiful views of the city and the lagoon.

Among the most famous villas are:
Villa Teresa, built in 1882 in the Spanish-Moorish style.

On the other side of the park on Allée du Moulin Rouge is the stunning Villa Toledo. As its name suggests, it is built in the Spanish style and has beautiful latticed wooden balconies.

Villa Alexandre Dumas on rue Alexandre Dumas is an impressive villa with patterned glazed bricks, stylish windows, and many ornamental features.

Villa Carmen on allee du Docteur Lalesque has nice stone and brick walls and large, ornate wooden balconies. This villa has accommodated several famous people, including the Spanish Queen Mother.

Villa Vincenette is a particularly ornamental villa. It has a lookout, carved balconies, patterned brickwork, and some beautiful Art Nouveau windows.

If you don't want to walk, it is also possible to see the winter city from the tourist train, which has one of the circuits focused on the winter city, see here 

After a pleasant walk, it's time to taste local specialties in one of the restaurants in the center. 

If your legs are already hurting from walking, you can use public transport to explore other beauties of Arcachon, while those who are more physically fit can continue on foot. From the center, after about 3 km of walking or by bus No. 7, you will reach the second largest Atlantic port in France. The port can accommodate 2,600 ships and covers 21 hectares. 

On the hill next to the port is the Saint-Ferdinand church, visible from the entire port due to the large statue of Christ on the church - it's a small version of the statue that guards Rio de Janeiro. The church was originally built as a chapel in 1855, then replaced by a church around 1900, and the clock tower was added in 1927.

At the very end of the port is a large monument called the Monument des Péris en Mer dedicated to people who died at sea. It takes the form of a large stone anchor on an elevated grassy area.
In the evening, the promenade around the port turns into a beautifully romantic place made for a walk - with the scent of the sea, the lights of the boats, and a view of the sunset over the lagoon. And if you're hungry, you'll find cozy restaurants nearby, of course with fresh oysters.

After setting sail, you can already see the dominant feature of the peninsula from afar - a lighthouse, which offers a wonderful view of the entire peninsula, Arcachon Bay, and the Atlantic Ocean on the opposite side. About 3 km south of the lighthouse, you can reach the southernmost tip of the peninsula, where you can see the ocean meeting the calm lagoon. In the distance, you can also see the Dune du Pilat sand dune. Access to the beach is not allowed here due to the significant erosion of the beaches.
The most breathtaking views await you if you head to the western part of the peninsula, where the rough waves of the ocean wash over endless sandy beaches.
There are so many beautiful places on this peninsula that I recommend spreading out the activities according to the weather and your mood over two days and thoroughly exploring the peninsula and its beauties. 

You can reach the top of the lighthouse by climbing 248 steps. But the effort is worth it! You will be rewarded with magnificent views of the entire peninsula, the calm shores of the lagoon, and the opposing waves of the Atlantic Ocean. You will also see the largest sand dune in Europe, Dune du Pilat. There is an entrance fee to the lighthouse. Please note that there is a lunch break from 12:30 to 2 p.m. and the lighthouse is closed. Next to the lighthouse is a bunker where you can watch a projection on its walls.

Today, you'll explore the western side of the Cap Ferret peninsula. An endless stretch of beaches washed by mighty ocean waves, kilometers of walking on fine sand, and a sense of freedom that only the open sea offers – this is a paradise for surfers and lovers of long walks away from the hustle and bustle of the city. Here, you'll discover the true face of the ocean: wild, untamed, and immensely impressive.
Kilometers of wild Atlantic beaches, however, hide more than just waves and an endless horizon. Among the dunes and sea foam stand forgotten bunkers from World War II, now half-swallowed by sand and whipped by waves. They appear as mysterious fortresses, slowly being consumed by the ocean. 

If you don't want to sink your feet into the sand while walking along the coast, you can use the tourist path that lines the coast from the southern tip of the peninsula for several kilometers to the public beach, Plage de l'Horizon. It is guarded by lifeguards, so we recommend swimming here for safety reasons.

The bus stop is right at the entrance to the complex, where you will find food stalls and an info center. There you can watch a film about this highest dune in Europe. Admission to the dune is free.
For the ascent, you can use the wooden stairs, or walk barefoot on the heated sand. The effort is definitely worth it, you will be rewarded with wonderful views at the top. You can walk and enjoy the dune for quite a long time, it is almost 2.7 km long. If you have enough strength and energy, I definitely recommend running down to the sea and refreshing yourself in the waves.

You can get directly to Le Moulleau by bus. However, I recommend getting off a little earlier, at the Plage Pereire stop, and enjoying a walk directly on the beach, or along the promenade that leads in the shade of pine trees to the center of the Le Moulleau district. Along the way, you can buy refreshments, have a picnic on the beach, and watch as the tide reveals small sand dunes. Finally, you can walk through Le Moulleau, and especially don't miss the ascent to the Notre-Dame des Passes church, from where you can enjoy beautiful views of the sea. 

From Arcachon, you can reach the train station in Bordeaux in less than an hour. From there, take a tram to your accommodation and then start exploring the most interesting places in this city.

There are many attractions in Bordeaux, but we were most impressed by the exhibition: Bassins des Lumières

You will find yourself in a former World War II submarine base with an area of 45,000 m² and a length of 235 meters, where the largest digital art center in the world is located: monumental walls, ceilings and the water surface are transformed into a huge canvas on which the works of famous painters and modern artistic projections are projected. The visitor literally finds himself inside the painting – surrounded by colors, music and an atmosphere that takes your breath away.
You can get there by tram (C) or bus (No. 9), Brandenburg or Base Sous-Marine stop, and from there a few minutes on foot. Tickets can be bought online, but also on the spot. We were there in September, i.e. out of season, and we didn't wait in any queue, but in season the situation may be different and it's probably worth booking tickets online.
I recommend booking around 2 hours for the tour, it is a truly breathtaking experience that even children will enjoy.

Not far from the submarine base is an interesting bridge, Pont Jacques Chaban Delmas. It is the longest vertical lift bridge in France. It offers a magnificent view of the city of Bordeaux and the Garonne River.

The bridge cost almost 4 billion Czech crowns. Conservationists ordered that it must not be higher than the surrounding buildings. The architects solved this by making its middle part move upwards, and when a ship passes through, it returns to its original position. It is the highest lift bridge in Europe. The four 77-meter-high pillars, along which the platform rises, light up in different colors at night. The level of the Garonne rises and falls due to the tides of the nearby Atlantic by 6 to 8 meters. When it is high, thousands of LED lamps in the pillars light up blue, and when it falls, they turn green.
From the bridge, you can also see the nearby wine museum, whose building from the outside resembles the movement of wine when poured into a glass. Inside, there are twenty themed spaces where you will discover wine in all its forms and, of course, taste it. If you have enough time, be sure to visit the museum.

You can take a tram from the bridge back to the center, where many more attractions await you. One of them is Place de la Bourse. Here you will find the world's largest water mirror, Miroir d'eau. It is approximately the size of a small football field and consists of a set of granite slabs. The entire mechanism operates in two specific cycles. When the slabs are almost dry, they resemble one solid slate. In a few minutes, however, a misting process begins. When the haze recedes, two centimeters of crystal-clear water remain on the granite ground. The reflection in its surface conjures up an image of three palatial buildings surrounding Place de la Bourse. This place is especially appealing to children, who enthusiastically run through the water mist.
From this place we can also see the Pont de Pierre bridge. It is a stone bridge over the Garonne River in Bordeaux, France. It was built between 1810 and 1822 by order of Napoleon Bonaparte and served to connect the left and right banks of the river. The bridge has 17 arches and is 486 m long.
A pleasant walk will take you to the Porte Cailhau gate. It is a historic city gate, built in the early 15th century as a triumphal arch in memory of the victory of King Charles VII in the Hundred Years' War.
If you have enough time, you can also admire the beautiful St. Andrew's Cathedral or the Basilique Saint-Michel church

Most of the sights are located in the center, so a nice evening walk will allow you to see many historical buildings and monuments. The center of Bordeaux has even been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Take tram A directly to the airport (if your flight is very early in the morning, you'll need to take a taxi), and then enjoy one last look at the city of Bordeaux from the plane, this time from a bird's-eye view.