Heading to Bordeaux with kids? Here's what to know about pharmacies.

What to Know

Bordeaux's city center has pharmacies on most major streets, with a concentration around Rue Sainte-Catherine and the area near Place de la Victoire. The historic center is compact enough that you're never far from one. Look for the green cross on the building front. Most pharmacies open from about 9:00 to 19:00 on weekdays and Saturdays, often with a break at lunch, and close on Sundays.

Cost

Common medications are cheap. A box of Doliprane (paracetamol), rehydration sachets, antihistamines, and basic first-aid supplies cost a few euros each. Antibiotics always need a prescription (une ordonnance). A call to 3237, the national on-duty pharmacy line, is a paid service. The website 3237.fr gives the same information for free.

Practical tips

The Pharmacie des Grands Hommes at 1 Place des Grands Hommes is central and well-stocked. The pharmacy says it opens every day from 8:00 to 20:00, but the official directory lists shorter hours, so call 05 56 81 70 90 before a Sunday visit. During summer, when Bordeaux gets hot, pharmacies sell electrolyte sachets (sachets de réhydratation) that are useful for kids who get dehydrated. Mosquito repellent and after-bite cream are also pharmacy items in France.

Language

English is less widely spoken in Bordeaux pharmacies than in Paris. Having your request written down or using a translation app speeds things up considerably. The word for prescription is ordonnance, and a pharmacist is un pharmacien or une pharmacienne.

Where to go

For a night or a Sunday, go to the Pharmacie des Capucins at 30 Place des Capucins, next to the Capucins market (tram B, Victoire stop). It is open 24 hours a day, every day of the year. Between 22:00 and 8:00 the door is closed and the pharmacist serves you through a night window on Cours de la Marne. Phone: 05 56 91 62 66. SOS Médecins Bordeaux also lists the Pharmacie Tourny on the Allées de Tourny as open around the clock. Call before you go, because night rotations change. Elsewhere in Gironde, dial 3237 or check 3237.fr for the pharmacie de garde of the night.

With kids

French pharmacies are excellent for children's health needs. Doliprane (paracetamol) comes in weight-based dosing for kids. Pharmacists will ask your child's weight and age before dispensing anything. Baby formula, diapers, and rash cream are widely available.

Hopefully you won't need any of this. But if you do, travel-er.app finds the closest care to your location, with the local emergency number on top.

This page is for informational purposes only and is not medical advice. Information may be outdated or inaccurate. Always call ahead to confirm. See our full disclaimer.

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Sources: SOS Médecins Bordeaux: pharmacies de garde · Pharmacie des Capucins · 3237.fr: pharmacies de garde · Services de l'État: le 3237 (tarif) · CDC Travel Health: France