Dordogne prehistoric sites

Old Jan 29th, 2015, 06:33 PM
  #1  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Oct 2006
Posts: 1,148
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Dordogne prehistoric sites

What are your thoughts on the prehistoric sites in the Dordogne area. we will only visit one and my husband is claustrophobic so he may not join me. areas that we are thinking of are: Grotte de Font de game, Lascaux, or Grotte de Rouffignac. are there English tours at any of these or one that you might recommend or another?
Thank you
tidy is offline  
Old Jan 29th, 2015, 11:21 PM
  #2  
kja
 
Join Date: Dec 2006
Posts: 23,101
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Maybe Lascaux, which is an extremely well-done reproduction and VERY easy to visit?

Fonte de Gaume is, IMO, outstanding, but not so easy for those with claustrophobia. JMO.

Enjoy!
kja is offline  
Old Jan 30th, 2015, 01:05 AM
  #3  
 
Join Date: Dec 2005
Posts: 10,169
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Fonte de Gaume advertise English tours but one was not actually available when we were there.

Les Colombieres, nearby was my favorite cave but it was wet, claustrophobic, and in French only, but the guide was a brilliant actor and mimic.

All these caves are admonish, and the permanent temperature is in the 50's F, delicious on a hot day but not a place for flip flops and tank tops.
Ackislander is offline  
Old Jan 30th, 2015, 01:07 AM
  #4  
 
Join Date: Dec 2005
Posts: 10,169
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
"Admonish" is the way my iPad understands the word "dampish", apparently not used among the college dropouts in Palo Alto who designed the software.

Sorry.
Ackislander is offline  
Old Jan 30th, 2015, 02:11 AM
  #5  
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 6,815
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
I agree with kja -- Lascaux is well done and does feel like an actual cave. We both loved Font de Gaume because it is the real deal and that moved us both no end. But as kja says, not for the claustrophobic.
progol is offline  
Old Jan 30th, 2015, 04:50 AM
  #6  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Oct 2006
Posts: 1,148
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Thank you so much, I will share this info with my husband and let him decide. How long should I plan for the visit at Lascaux.

ackislander, whew, thanks for the correction, I was wondering.love hate that spellcheck.
tidy is offline  
Old Jan 30th, 2015, 08:24 AM
  #7  
 
Join Date: Mar 2003
Posts: 22,947
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Rouffignac now offers an audio guide in foreign languages while visiting the cave, but if visiting only one cave, it should be Lascaux. Font de Gaume is definitely not for the claustrophobic, as it is narrow. Lascaux will be crowded, which might be a problem for the claustrophobic. If your husband wants to join you, Rouffignac might be the best bet, as one goes into the cave on a little electric train; there is less crowding than in the other two.
Michael is offline  
Old Jan 30th, 2015, 08:25 AM
  #8  
 
Join Date: Mar 2012
Posts: 4,047
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Do NOT go to Lascaux II if you are at all claustrophobic!

You have to crowd into the last room, we really had to squish together and the ceiling is of course slanted and not terribly high. I really began to feel panicked, and had to stand by myself behind the guide near the exit. Fortunately i was fairly close to her anyway, but it would not have been pretty if I was in the middle of the group.

FYI, I'm not terribly claustrophobic, it just rears its head once in a while, last time was a few years ago on a hot, crowded airplane, middle seat, everyone standing over me.

I had no problem whatsoever with Pech Merle or Gouffre de Padirac, both of which were fantastic. I realize neither are on your list. If you consider pech Merle, we booked the English tour ahead. There was only one available in about a ten day period.

Notwithstanding my little episode, Lascaux was our least favourite, we were aware the entire time we were in a reproduction cave, but we're in a minority, as most folks seem to love it.
sugarmaple is offline  
Old Jan 30th, 2015, 10:27 AM
  #9  
 
Join Date: Apr 2009
Posts: 1,849
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
We visited Lascaux II, Font du Gaume, Rouffignac and the Grotte du Sorcier. Although Lascaux is indeed a reproduction, it is an excellent one and the guide's commentary was a very thorough introduction that prepared us well for what we saw in the other caves. I was glad to have visited all these since each has its unique aspects. We did use the recorded English commentary in Rouffignac. It was not a great substitute for a good guide. The little Grotte du Sorcier has one of the rare depictions of a human. Font du Gaume was spectacular, but we didn't get an English tour so the good background information we had from Lascaux was very helpful.

We also visited the Gouffre de Padirac and enjoyed it, but it is not a cave with prehistoric art. It's a giant sinkhole with access to an underground river where you go by boat to an area of large caverns for a walking tour. It can get very crowded with very long waits for entry. Fodorites' experiences there have been very varied.
MaineGG is offline  
Old Jan 30th, 2015, 11:08 AM
  #10  
 
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 10,352
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like on 1 Post
You might consider Pech Merle, near Cahor. It's roomier than Lascaux, and the cave drawings are almost as 'good' as Lascaux.
tomboy is offline  
Old Jan 30th, 2015, 12:31 PM
  #11  
 
Join Date: Apr 2006
Posts: 9,624
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
I loved our tour of Pech Merle. We were in a small group and I much preferred seeing real paintings in a real cave as compared to our more croweded tour of Lascaux II.
KTtravel is offline  
Old Jan 31st, 2015, 12:33 PM
  #12  
 
Join Date: Oct 2005
Posts: 2,158
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Tidy, as I recall you are heading over to Provence after Rocamadour as are we. We have reserved tickets for the Eng. tour at Font du Gaume (last two hours of day) via online. Go into the Fr. Monuments website and it'll pop up. Email them, they'll reply and send a PDF which you'll scan back with your CC info or call them w/ CC info. Easy-peasey. 16E for two admissions in September. I wouldn't bank on an English tour but we did request this offer and have a ticketed time & date. We also hope to do Lascaux but right now they're not accepting reservations, I plan to check again at 6 mos before (March) and then every month or so until we go. We are considering Rouffignac, but think one will suffice, we'll see how we feel after Gaume. We are staying in Albi too, so might head to Peche Merle on the way down from Rocamadour. Good luck with ticketing. (Bird in hand worth two in bush to us!)
aliced is offline  
Old Jan 31st, 2015, 12:52 PM
  #13  
 
Join Date: Nov 2007
Posts: 396
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Any difference in crowds on these cave tours in October? We'll be in Sarlat the first week of October. Husband is somewhat claustrophobic... I was thinking of Font de Gaume, Lascaux, and Paddirac.
nola77382 is offline  
Old Jan 31st, 2015, 08:03 PM
  #14  
 
Join Date: Jun 2010
Posts: 225
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Hi Nola. if you husband is claustrophobic then Font de Gaume will be difficult I think, as it's very narrow and quite dark. To access Rouffignac (which you don't need to pre-book) you go in via a wide entry area, then hop on a small open tourist train which takes you about a kilometre into the wide central cavern, so it may be easier for him. And October will certainly be less crowded than peak summer months.
rosemaryoz is offline  
Old Feb 2nd, 2015, 07:51 AM
  #15  
 
Join Date: Nov 2007
Posts: 396
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Thank you, rosemaryoz. We'll aim for Padirac, Lascaux, and Rouffignac.
nola77382 is offline  
Old Feb 2nd, 2015, 01:46 PM
  #16  
 
Join Date: Sep 2007
Posts: 2,541
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Google roque st christophe ... It's a prehistoric site on a large ledge in a cliff... completely open so a person who is claustrophobic should be fine.
ParisAmsterdam is offline  
Old Feb 2nd, 2015, 04:25 PM
  #17  
 
Join Date: Mar 2012
Posts: 4,047
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Nola, please read my post up thread re Lauscaux II. I would not recommend it to anyone claustrophobic, unless you stay at the very back of the group, in which case you wouldn't see as much.

I didn't find gouffre de padirac to be a problem. We were there early October, and had a boat all to ourselves. There were only about eight in our group.

Have you considered Pech Merle? Our tour was full, but I had no issue with claustrophobia. We both preferred it to Lascaux, but I think I'm in a minority there.

Claustrophobia is always something I worry about. I think if you've experienced it in the past, it's always in the back of your mind.
sugarmaple is offline  
Old Feb 2nd, 2015, 06:21 PM
  #18  
 
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 10,352
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like on 1 Post
sugarmaple--we're in your camp.
I was surprised how roomy Peche Merle was; some of the cave rooms were like a gymnasium, compared to the subway car at Lascaux.
tomboy is offline  
Old Feb 2nd, 2015, 06:28 PM
  #19  
 
Join Date: Mar 2012
Posts: 4,047
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Lol....subway car, evocative analogy!
sugarmaple is offline  
Old Feb 2nd, 2015, 08:56 PM
  #20  
 
Join Date: Jun 2010
Posts: 225
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
ParisAmsterdam's suggestion of La Roque St Christophe is a good one, especially if someone is not comfortable in darkened caves, as it is out in the open air. Another site worth considering is L'Abri du Cap Blanc, not a cave but a ground-level shelter next to a rock face, which does not have drawings, but a beautiful large frieze of life-like horses carved into the rock. We bought tickets easily on the morning of our visit in late September last year, and our English-speaking guide was excellent.
rosemaryoz is offline  

Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Contact Us - Manage Preferences - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information -