A direct rail link between London and Bordeaux is given the green light by the ORR (Office of Rail and Road) in the UK - an important step forward in the logistics and planning of the new service. As the era of cheap airfares has past and air travel feels ever more like a rather demoralising ‘herding’ process, many people are looking for an altogether more civilised, relaxing and greener way to travel across the continent. Ever since the pandemic, rail travel has been growing in popularity and some major changes in the international train network are coming this year.
Eurostar have also spotted the trend and are expanding their network of high-speed rail links that connect France, Germany, The Netherlands, Belgium and the UK and this includes their Nightjet trains that are well worth taking a look at.
However, development of the rail links between the UK and France are certainly gaining momentum and a big step in the right direction came at the end of 2025 when Virgin Trains Europe (VTE Holdings) were given the green light to proceed as quickly as possible in finalising an arrangement to make the promise a reality. Along with a number of other new services, they have plans to launch a direct London to Bordeaux high-speed train service that bypasses Paris and has a journey time of around 5 hours.
This new route will almost certainly expedite the move away from being reliant on air travel and with over one million passengers flying between London and Bordeaux annually, this new route could be a bit of a game changer. Finally, the journey from A to B can become an enjoyable part of the experience again.
Once in Bordeaux, there is an excellent rail service east, providing a great service to the towns and villages all along Dordogne river valley. If you are interested in being able to hop to-and-from your pied-à-terre in south-west France, without entering the fray at the airport, this could be a really interesting area to explore. Electric mopeds or a run-around car kept at the property for use while there, completes the logistical plans.
We have a selection of properties in the Dordogne valley that would be ideally placed for the owners to make the most of the new direct train route from London to Bordeaux. Do get in touch to discuss your property search criteria and we'd be more than happy to see if we can find properties that might fit the bill. Our full portfolio of properties can be found here:
Do feel free to tell us about your plans at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and one of the team will be in touch.
Beautiful 17th Century farmhouse & gîte. 25 mins from Libourne TGV / 50 mins from Bordeaux
