Parking in Bordeaux is governed by the ZFE-m low-emission zone, where Crit'Air 5 and 4 vehicles are banned 24/7 across the city centre, with Crit'Air 3 restrictions arriving by 2028. On-street zones are tariffed Mon-Sat 09:00-19:00 (Verte, Orange, Rouge), free on Sundays. Indigo, Q-Park and Effia run central garages, while four free Park & Ride lots (Stalingrad, Galin, Buttinière, on tram A) let you leave the car outside the ZFE and ride the tram into the centre for €1.80 (~$2.00).
ð Book Bordeaux parking in advance
Central Bordeaux garages fill on Wine Festival weekends and during Sunday morning markets. We use Parclick to lock in a fixed daily rate at Indigo and Q-Park garages with free cancellation up to shortly before arrival.
Check Bordeaux parking →| Zone | Where | Rate | Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Verte (Green) | Residential outer ring (Caudéran, Saint-Augustin) | €1.20/h (~$1.30), €1.80 from h2 | Mon-Sat 09:00-19:00 |
| Orange | Mixed mid-ring (Chartrons, Bastide, Saint-Michel fringe) | €1.80/h, €2.40 from h2 | Mon-Sat 09:00-19:00 |
| Rouge | Hypercentre (Triangle d'Or, Saint-Pierre, Pey-Berland) | €2.40/h, escalates to €5.40/h after h3 | Mon-Sat 09:00-19:00, max 2h |
| Yellow lines | Loading / taxis / bus stops | — | No parking, tow zone |
Closest covered park to the Chaértrons quays, CAPC museum and the Wine Festival site. ~€3.20/h, daily max ~€27 (~$29), 24h, height 1.90 m.
Big Mériadeck garage west of the historic core; the most competitive central rate. €2.90/h, €24/day (~$26), 24h, 1.90 m.
Directly under Bordeaux Gare Saint-Jean TGV station. Best for park-and-train days or arriving by car and switching to high-speed rail. €3.50/h, €19.50/24h overnight.
Stones away from the Grand Théâtre and Place de la Comédie. €3.60/h, €29/day, 24h, 1.90 m. Premium for premium location.
Under the medieval lanes. The default for visiting Saint-Pierre, the cathedral and the riverside. €3.40/h, €28/day, 24h, 1.85 m.
Across the river from the centre on tram line A. Buy a TBM ticket €1.80 (~$2.00, round-trip for ALL passengers if you keep the receipt) and you reach Sainte-Catherine in 12 minutes.
Bastide side. Same tram-A line to the centre. Convenient if you are arriving from the Paris-Bordeaux motorway.
East-side terminus of tram A. The biggest and most secure of the three; manned, with surveillance. Ideal for an overnight stay outside the city.
Every blue pavement meter shows a four-digit PayByPhone zone code. Open the app, enter the code, choose duration, pay. You can extend remotely without walking back to the meter.
Whoosh is a secondary mobile-payment app accepted across all on-street zones. Flowbird is the brand on the physical pavement machines — they take contactless card, Apple/Google Pay, and coins, and print a paper ticket to leave on the dashboard.
| Offence | Amount |
|---|---|
| FPS (unpaid or expired on-street ticket) | €30 (reduced €17 if paid within 96h) |
| ZFE non-compliance | €68 (~$74) car, €135 HGV |
| Blocking, sidewalks, disabled bay | €135 + tow €120 (~$130) |
Rouge zone, garages full by 11:00 on Saturdays. Q-Park Camille Jullian is the natural choice.
Wine-merchant district. Orange zone, Indigo Cité Mondiale covers the quays and CAPC museum.
TGV station. Effia Gare Saint-Jean is the safest overnight option, and useful as a park-then-tram base.
Cité du Vin area. Mostly Orange zone with surface lots; fills during Bordeaux Wine Festival weekends.
Northern waterfront. Free street parking still exists on Quai de Bacalan side streets, but ZFE rules apply.
ð Avoid the ZFE fine
Foreign plate? Order the Crit'Air sticker for €3.81 before you arrive AND prebook a central garage so you do not circle Saint-Pierre on a Saturday. Parclick shows all-in prices.
Reserve a space now →Yes. All on-street paid zones (Verte, Orange, Rouge) are free on Sundays and French public holidays. Underground garages charge their normal rate.
Yes. All rental cars from Avis, Hertz, Sixt, Europcar registered after 2011 are Crit'Air 1 or 2 and fully ZFE-compliant.
The three tram-A Park & Ride lots: Stalingrad, Galin and Buttinière. A single €1.80 TBM ticket covers driver and passengers round-trip.
PayByPhone is the primary app (enter the zone code on the meter). Whoosh works too. Or pay at any Flowbird pavement machine.
€68 (~$74) for a private car. Foreign-plate personal cars must order a Crit'Air sticker online at certificat-air.gouv.fr for €3.81 before entering the ZFE.
Yes — Indigo Cité Mondiale, Q-Park Mériadeck, Q-Park Camille Jullian, Indigo Allées de Tourny and Effia Gare Saint-Jean all operate 24/7.”}}, {“@type”: “Question”, “name”: “Are Bordeaux car parks open 24 hours?”, “acceptedAnswer”: {“@type”: “Answer”, “text”: “Yes — Indigo Cité Mondiale, Q-Park Mériadeck, Q-Park Camille Jullian, Indigo Allées de Tourny and Effia Gare Saint-Jean all operate 24/7.”}}]}
