2018 Primetime Emmy
& James Beard Award Winner

Probably the only major challenge visitors will face is learning how to pronounce Wi-Fi in French.

Wi-Fi is not a problem in Bordeaux. In fact, probably the only major challenge visitors will face is learning how to pronounce it in French, which is Wee-Fee, only very fast, so it actually sounds like Wiffi. Once you get that down, you’re grand.

There is free Wi-Fi at the airport, although you have to get one of those annoying codes emailed to you, meaning you have a few minutes online access, and then it is cut off unless you have actually checked your email and put the code into the web page form.

In town, almost all cafés, restaurants, hotels and bars are happy to let you use their on-site Wi-Fi. There are also a number of free ‘Wifi Bordeaux’ points, and you can either check online for a map or ask at the Tourist Office (which also has free Wi-Fi) for more details.

For those who prefer to buy a local SIM card (with the main networks being Bouygues, Orange or SFR, all of which have outlets on Rue St Catherine, the main shopping street in the town’s center) you can also turn any Apple iPhone into a portable Wi-Fi station by turning on the ‘Personal Hotspot’ option in Settings. For Android users the option is even easier: Turn on Wi-Fi.

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