Le Verdon Cruise Port
Europe is home to some of the worlds very best cruise ports, but it is also home to some of its worst and sadly the port of Le Verdon is one of the latter, but is Le Verdon-sur-Mer Europe’s worst cruise port? Possibly.
It is often said that a port has nothing at it when things are limited but the port of Le Verdon literally has nothing there.
There are no buildings, no facilities and nowhere for visitors to go. So just why do cruise ships call in there?
The simple answer is to share overly expensive excursions to the city of Bordeaux and to the vineyards and wineries that are found throughout the Gironde region of South-West France.
Cruises To Le Verdon
Le Verdon Cruise Guide
Le Verdon Cruise Port Facilities
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( votes)If you have booked on a cruise that visitors the port of Le Verdon-sur-Mer and want to know what your options are, this is the guide for you.
Type of Cruises Available
For those wanting to visit the port, you will have to start your cruise from a turnaround port in the region as this is only a port of call.
On the plus side is the fact that the port sits close in the Bay of Biscay and on the main route between the North of Europe and the Mediterranean and that means there are plenty of ships sailing in the region.
On the negative side, only a handful of ships do actually call into the port, with many choose to visit nearby ports that have something more to offer visitors.
Le Verdon Cruise Port Location
The port of Le Verdon sits in the entry to the Gironde estuary which is where the Garonne River and its tributaries meet the Atlantic Ocean.
It is around 64 miles from the port to the city of Bordeaux that so many cruise lines bill the port as been, with no way to get to the city on your own.
Le Verdon is to the south of La Rochelle and to the north of the Spanish border and the port of San Sebastian and Bilbao- all of which are much better options for those wanting to visit the region.
The port itself, such as it is, is around a 25-minute walk from the small town of Le Verdon-sur-Mer, with nothing other than scrubland in between.
The remoteness of the port means that there are no taxis, buses, trains or other modes of transport for those wanting to explore on their own.
That leaves visitors either staying onboard the ship, heading on an excursion or having to go on a long walk with little return on your effort at the end.
Le Verdon Attractions
There are no attractions in Le Verdon, with the only thing on offer been the views from your ship.
To one side is concrete and scrubland whilst the other side has relaxing views over the Gironde Estuary.
Le Verdon Shorex
This is the real reason why some ships call in there and that is to sell excursions. Unfortunately, with cruisers having no option but to pay over the top to explore the region with the ship or stay onboard.
If you do want to spend a day onshore, your options are quite limited with only trips to the city of Bordeaux or to one of the many wineries in the region offered, although it can be possible to do both on the same excursion.
When we visited the port shuttle buses to the nearby Soulac-sur-Mer were offered for a return price of $20 for the 10 minute journey.
Best Time To Visit
The main cruising season in Europe is between April and October and whilst ships do sail the region all year around, it is best to pick between those months.
With that said, for a port such as Le Verdon, you are limited to whenever a ship calls in there are there are only a few itineraries each year that visitors Le Verdon.
Transport
Aside from a pay shuttle bus that may or may not be offered when you visit, there is no transport to and from the port.
Le Verdon Cruises From UK
If you want to visit the port of Le Verdon, it is not only possible to set sail from the UK, but it is likely that you will need to set sail from these shores.
Le Verdon Cruises From Southampton
As is so often the case, the chances are that a cruise ship setting sail from the UK to Le Verdon will depart from the port of Southampton.
