Private or Small-Group in Bordeaux France: Which Wine Day Suits You?
The short answer. Book a small-group day if you want the tastings paid up front at the lowest fare: $86 to $292 a person, in a van of six or eight. Book a private day if you want your own pickup, your own pace, or children with you. For four to six people, a van priced per car can cost less a head than a shared day. Either way, check who pays at the château.
Private or small group, side by side
The two formats reach the same villages and often the same kind of château. What changes is the fare basis, who pays for the tastings, and who else is in the car. Checking Bordeaux France ticket prices across both? The table puts the differences in one place.
| Small-group day | Private day | |
|---|---|---|
| Fare | $86 to $292 a person | $286 to $878 a person, or $673 to $878 a car |
| Tastings | In the fare on every shared van day | In the fare on some; paid at each château on others |
| Pickup | A fixed kerb in the centre | Your hotel or flat; some take the cruise terminal |
| Group | Usually six or eight people at most | Your party only |
| Children | From 4 on one half day; 16 or 18 on most | Several take them, some from age 3 |
| The plan | Fixed; the châteaux vary by day | Set with you after booking |
| Cancellation | Free up to 24 hours on all but one | Free up to 24 hours |
The case for a small-group day
A shared day costs less, and it settles the tastings before you leave. Every shared van day puts the château visits and the tastings in the fare, so the price you see is the price you pay, bar tips. On the Saint-Émilion day with lunch, that covers three wineries, eight wines and a picnic, at $178.
The company is part of it, too. One traveller watched six strangers in the van end the day as friends; a solo traveller among couples was made welcome from the first minute. If you travel alone, a shared day is the simple choice. Every short option is on half-day wine tours.
The case for a private day
A private day is built around you. The guide collects you at your hotel, and on several days you shape the plan after booking. Choose small family estates or classified names, a long lunch or none. On the Médoc day in a 1973 Citroën DS, you choose the châteaux and the length of the day.
Private days also solve the problems a shared day cannot. They take children, some from age 3. Several have WSET-trained guides who teach as they pour. And some will collect you from a cruise ship. Every one is on private tours from Bordeaux.
The per-car sum: when private costs less
A few private days are priced per car, not per person. The premium sedan costs $673 for up to three people, about $224 each when the car is full. The luxury van costs $878 for up to six, about $146 each for a full van. That is less a head than $178 on the shared day with lunch.
But read the next line before you book. On both vehicles, the fare covers the car, the driver-guide and bottled water; the château visits and tastings are extra. One traveller in the van was asked for EUR 400 of tastings on the morning, on a fare of about $900. Add the tastings to the sum before you compare.
Tasting fees: the line to read first
This is the fact a price comparison hides. Here is how the fares split:
- In the fare: every shared van day; the private Grand Cru days with WSET guides; the private half days that collect you in the Médoc or Saint-Émilion; the 2CV day.
- Paid on the day: the sedan and the van; the private full days in Saint-Émilion and the Médoc that set the plan with you; the DS day, typically EUR 10 to 60 a person a château.
- Ask first: the cruise-port Médoc day, whose terms say both.
Do both: one shared day, one private
With two days, you can have both. Take the half day with a Grand Cru Classé in Saint-Émilion, at $97, and the DS day in the Médoc, at $333 a person. That is $430 a person before the DS tastings, for a classified château, the village and the châteaux road. Put the shared day first: it shows you what you like, so you can choose your estates on the private day. Pick your dates on when to visit.
Pickup, kerbs and timing
A shared day starts at a fixed kerb in the centre: the Monument aux Girondins, 18 Place des Quinconces, 2ter Rue Mably, the tourist office or the Cité du Vin. Each one is marked on the Bordeaux wine tours map. Arrive ten minutes early, because the vans leave on time and a late arrival cannot join the day with lunch.
A private day comes to you instead. Most collect you anywhere in central Bordeaux, and the Olala Bordeaux private days set a pickup radius of about 3 km. If you are staying further out, check the radius before you book; where to stay compares the areas. The short answers on pickup, cancellation and ages are in the FAQs.
Which to book, by traveller
- Travelling alone: a small-group day, for the company and the lowest fare.
- A couple on a first visit: the shared day with lunch, or the half day if the evening matters.
- A family with under-16s: a private day that takes children.
- Four to six friends: the van priced per car, with the tastings added in.
- Cruise passengers: a private day that collects you at the terminal.
- Wine buffs: a private day with a WSET-trained guide.
Still unsure? Compare the two banks on the vineyards page, then choose the format.
One shared day and two private ones to compare
A day in St-Émilion and its Castles in private tour (Van Luxe)
The same private day for a group of up to six, in a van with wifi, collected at your hotel or the tourist office. The fare is for the van; tastings and meals are paid on the day.
From $878 per group, up to 6
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From Bordeaux: St-Emilion Day Tour with Tastings and Lunch
Seven hours from Rue Mably with three wineries, eight wines, a picnic lunch at a château and a walk in the village, all in the fare, in a van of eight.
From $178 per person
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Médoc luxury wine tour aboard a Citroën DS Limousine Convertible
A private half or full day on the Médoc's châteaux road in a 1973 Citroën DS convertible, collected in Bordeaux. You choose the tastings and pay each château, typically EUR 10 to 60 a person.
From $333 per person
Check AvailabilityNext: Pick your dates with the wine year month by month. Every fare sits side by side on Bordeaux France Tours.