texasdebb

We will be explorimg the Loire region and on to Dordogne. Any recommendations or favorite spots for us to explore?

mamcalice

Have you done a search on this forum for trip reports from the Dordogne or the Loire? There are many excellent ones and you might get ideas of things that appeal to you from the reports. It is hard to make recommendations beyond the obvious (Loire = chateaux, Dordogne = caves) as we know nothing about your interests, how long you will be travelling, when, etc.

Both are lovely destinations but a little help from you will make it easier to suggest stops.

texasdebb

We will be in the Loire Valley and Dordogne for about a week. And of course we will do the obvious. New to the forum. I'll check the trip reports. Thanks for pointing me in the right direction. We like to step off the beaten path and find new adventures-- sights, restaurents, markets etc.

Michael

Take a look at the Michelin Green Guides for the respective areas.

http://www.thesavvytraveller.com/ins...een_guides.htm

FrenchMystiqueTours

I'll suggest you need to get Michelin maps. The best way to get off the beaten path (without even knowing where you are going) is to pull out your map, learn how to read the icons and then go get lost wandering on country roads and driving through little villages. I do this all the time in France and usually I use nothing more than a Michelin map and tourist office websites to plan all my vacations in France. Here is my standard advice about Michelin maps and tourist office websites:

"Get your hands on the Michelin maps. You want the ones of the scale 1:200,000 (regional maps) or 1:150,000 (departmental maps, more detailed, cover slightly less area) for whatever regions you visit. A nice feature of the 1:150,000 maps is they show the starred attractions in the corresponding Michelin Green guidebooks. The Michelin maps have icons for all kinds of historically/touristically interesting things such as châteaux, ruins, churches, abbeys, scenic view points, caves, Roman sites, megaliths, designated scenic roads and many other things. Usually when I'm exploring various regions in France I just look at the map and I am able to plan interesting and scenic drives just reading the map. For instance, I usually look for a designated scenic road, which are highlighted in green, and I especially look for towns with the historic church and/or château icon. I also try to make sure the route goes through as many small villages as possible. Usually putting all these things together I find interesting and scenic drives without even knowing where I am going and with no assistance from a guide book. Often these places are never mentioned in guidebooks and remain completely unknown to many tourists.

You can buy the Michelin maps from their website and here is a link to the page that shows you the 1:200,000 scale maps of France: http://tinyurl.com/4bt96ev

And here is a link to the page that shows you the 1:150,000 scale maps of France:
http://tinyurl.com/6mt4n64

You could also buy them here but then you can't do research beforehand. The maps can be bought in many places such as bookstores, news stands, magazine stores, larger supermarkets, department stores, hypermarkets and in the full service rest areas on the autoroutes, just to name a few.

You need good guidebooks for whatever region in France in which you will be traveling. I like The Michelin Green Guides. If you need restaurant info then get The Michelin Red Guides, which cover restaurants.

And speaking of Michelin, you can go to the website viamichelin.com and get info on drive times and distances, toll and fuel costs and suggested routes (i.e. scenic routes). The drive times given do not consider stops (fuel, food, bathrooms) nor do they consider bad weather and bad traffic. I find the drive times very accurate when these factors are accounted for. The time estimates can break down when you are driving in congested urban areas, like in or near Paris, due to the unpredictability of heavy traffic or traffic jams. They can also be affected on peak travel days, specifically on autoroutes leading to/from popular destinations.

You should also acquaint yourself with rules of the road in France and road signs and such and this website will give you some useful tips:

http://www.nickbooth.id.au/Tips/FrenchDrive.htm

Here is some other general advice for you. You should google the tourist office websites for any region, département, city , town or village you may want to visit. You will find loads of info on these websites including hotel/accommodation and restaurant info as well as what to see and do in the area. Occasionally the websites have English versions. In doing a google search enter the words "office de tourisme" followed by the name of your region, département, city, town or village and this will bring that place to the top of your search."

FrenchMystiqueTours

Also, this thread has links to all the major tourist office websites in the Loire region:

http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...-de-france.cfm

StuDudley

Do you have my 20+ page itinerary for the Dordogne??? We've vacationed for 10 weeks in that region. I've sent my various itineraries (I have others - but not the Loire) to over 5,000 people on Fodors. If you would like a copy, e-mail me at [email protected] & I'll attach one to the reply e-mail.

In the Loire - it's all about Chateaux.

Stu Dudley

StCirq

If you are new to the Loire and the Dordogne and have only a week, there is no point in seeking out "off the beaten path." It will ALL be off your beaten path.

You need guidebooks and maps for starters. And you might want to reconsider getting to the Dordogne by car, which will eat up a day of that week. If you have to get back to Paris to fly home, there goes another day, leaving you 5 - barely enough to make a small dent in either area.

texasdebb

thanks frenchmystiquetours for lots of good info. i've got lots of homework. already have maps and guidebooks and very famaliar with driving in France. we planned for a full weelk to explore that don't include travel days. stu-would love to look at your itinerary.

Carla_Jung

http://southweststory.com/dordogne-v...ousand-castles

http://southweststory.com/prehistori...e-river-valley

HTH

Carla