do_it

In May, I'm planning to fly to Bordeaux (France), rent a car and drive around the Dordogne region for a week. I want to see all the caves and as many towns and bastides I can fit in. My great fear is driving from the airport. Is the traffic fearsome? (Traffic in Paris I consider fearsome) Is the route difficult to follow?
I'm travelling alone, and have no one to navigate. Home base will be in Sarlat or Beynac. Is parking a problem? Rick Steves suggests Le Manoir d/Aillac in Sarlat. Has anyone tried it?
Guess I'm trying to work up some courage.

llamalady

......Oh,do it, do it, Do it !The
drive from the airport is no problem
and parking should easy in May. The
roads are just fine - the only thing
is to keep your itinerary manageable
and realize although the towns look
close together it can take quite a
while to get from one place to another.

Everything is very well signposted and
you really don't need a navigator - the
'local' Michelin maps are the ones we
used and they are really clear and
explicit.

It's a wonderful part of France!

tedgale

Both your possible staging points (Beynac and Sarlat) are north of the Dordogne River but do NOT fail to go south of the River -- not just to Domme and the well-travelled bits but a bit further downstream (West)-- to see the bastide-towns of Monpazier and the Moliere, the hilltown of Belves, the Chateau de Biron (fabulous) the abbey cloister of Cadouin, the abbey church of St Avit Senieur and more.

I was a Dordogne doubter after initial visits to the overcrowded Beynac, Sarlat etc but discovered the itinerary laid out above during a trip a couple of weeks ago.

I have long been a fan, too, of the less-known and very, very beautiful towns further up-river: Martel, Turenne, Collonges-la-Rouge, Beaulieu sur Dordogne, St Cere and more. Martel, the nearest, is about 1 hour from Beynac -- alas you have to pass through dull Souillac to get there but after that it is all gravy........

uhoh_busted

You will be there in May -- We were there in May in 2003. It was wonderful and not at ALL crowded. We stayed at one of Steve's recommended hotels in Beynac and there were only about 7 guests there total. Driving is easy and the scenery is extraordinary. I'd stay in one of the smaller towns and visit the larger ones on day trips. While I'm not usually a big Rick Steves' advocate, his tips for this region were good. And because May isn't "in season" we weren't bothered with crowds of people. Even Domme, which is supposed to be "overrun" was quite lovely, quiet and enjoyable. We strolled around the market talking to various vendors, sampling cheeses, sausages, etc. We ended up with provisions for a wonderful picnic plus some lovely souvenirs as well. I wish we'd had more time there (we only stayed two nights). Parking was a bit of a pain in Sarlat, but no where else.

uhoh_busted

We stayed at Hotel Bonnet (had to look it up.)http://www.virtualtourist.com/m/21363/21006/
There are some pictures and tips here you might find helpful.

ira

Hi doit,

I am planning a similar trip.

You will want to have Michelin Map no.337 "Lot, Tarn-et-Garonne", 335 "Gironde Landes", and 329 "Correze, Dordogne.

Also, if you can find it, read "Three Rivers of France".

Good route planning aides are www.viamichelin.com and www.mappy.com. Use them both, as they do not often recommend the same routes.

Thanks for the link, uh-oh

StCirq

do it:

If you get the proper Michelin map ahead of time (see ira's tip), and study it, navigating should not be a problem. It's a bit unnerving on the route from the airport to the ring road around Bordeaux, but once you get around the city, the drive is pretty manageable, and the scenery just gets more and more beautiful as you get into the Dordogne. If you're really scared about driving, why not take a train to Périgueux and pick up your car there? From there, driving is a piece of cake.
Parking in Sarlat is horrendous any time of year these days, and on market days it's just awful. I would not stay in Sarlat, anyway. Better to stay in one of the smaller towns like Domme or Baynac or Le Bugue or Montignac or St-Cyprien.
I'm a little curious about the Manoir d'Aillac, as I've never heard of it and I've been hanging around the Sarlat area now for more than a dozen years, plus Google doesn't bring up much of anything on it at all, nor does it appear in any of the tourist office brochures I have from Sarlat and other towns in the area. If you do decide to stay there, I'd definitely do some further research.

Michael

When going to Monpazier, stop by the chapel in the Monferrand cemetery.

I like to push the Rouffignac cave, wich is geological and artistically different from the others.

MAC1

Bonjour,
I prefer trains-let them
do the driving! I travel to France
every year alone and it's easier for
me that way. Then I relax and
enjoy the scenery!

do_it

Thank you to everyone for your thoughtful and helpful responses! You have given me the confidence I needed.
ira--thanks for proceedural info.

lmf1212

From the airport to the loop around the city is not a problem. You will encounter more traffic as you approach the Pont D'Aquitaine as they still have some construction going on there. You will find even more as you drive farther east as there is still construction on route 89. You can rent a car from Citer at Bordeaux airport with a GPS navigation system and it can be quite helpful. Just make sure the navigation system is in English as I ended up with one in German.

cigalechanta

Hotels / Accomodations
Hi, just back from Paris and SW France, with good memories and a few problems at one hotel listed in the guidebooks. First, the Paris hotels. The Hotel Castex was great - - clean, safe, simple, a good deal in a good neighborhood. At the Grand Hotel Leveque, I reported money missing from my room. Before I left Paris, I left a note with all the phone numbers / emails of the hotels where I would be staying in France, and my home email / phone as well. No word after a week and a half, so I contacted the Leveque and was told that guests are responsible for belongs in their rooms. Other than that, Rue Cler was nice, and the Paris Guidebook was a good mini-introduction to the museums. For anyone heading to the Dordogne, the Manoir d'Aillac in Sarlat was wonderful. Very inexpensive, a large and comfortable room, private bath (just across the hall, true, but only by about three steps), and the town and countryside are lovely.
Adrienne Ross <email>
Seattle, WA USA 07/20/02
from Rick Steves site

Michael

MAC1--Please tell us how you traveled by train to the small towns and caves within the Dordogne. Public transportation might be an intriguing alternative, but it needs to be explained.

klondike

DO IT! Bordeaux Airport is a cinch with car rentals right outside. Follow the signs to the autoroute (rocade) and in about 2 roundabouts you are on the peripherique. In theory, it shouldn't matter which direction you take (look at a good map first, but your exit for Bergerac -exit 21?- is directly opposite your airport entry -exit 11- round the peripheriuqe loop) but I have found the southern route very manageable anytime after morning rush hour (from 9:00 on). If you're hungry upon arrival there is a sign for a centre commercial on your right at the second round about which has a Courte Paille and a Seafood restaurant.

In Beynac would recommend the Hotel/Restaurant du Chateau (rooms 1-4 have a private patio over looking the Dordogne and food is great, adequate public parking across the street) or the Hotel Bonnet (good food and has private parking). This year we tried the Hotel Maleville in Beynac. Room was ok but the shower was so small my husband literally could not fit in it! We are firm believers in Logis de France, but the Maleville was our only disappointment in 5 weeks of travel. They have a lovely restaurant, but food was just marginal. With so many other excellent choices in Beynac, we won't give them a second try.

For a quieter stay, you might think of staying further on down the road at La Roque Gageac (Like so many others, can't say enough about La Belle Etoile-friendly owners, fantastic food) or Domme. We visited the grottos at Domme and thoroughly enjoyed the tour.

PS-I hate Paris driving too, but Bordeaux isn't a problem if you've done any city driving at all. Good Luck!

ira

Hi klondike,

Do the rooms at Hotel/Restaurant du Chateau have ensuite facilities?

klondike

Yes, Ira, they do. If you want pix I can email them to you.

ira

Thanx Klondike,

Pix not necessary. Their website didn't mention the facilities.