trippygirl

For a girls trip after spending time in Paris, we want a few days out of town. Here is what we're thinking-Friday take train from Paris to Bordeaux. Friday, and Sat. night in Bordeaux. We want to take the day long tour to the Medoc wine region offered by the tourist office on Sat. We have looked into staying at Quality Hotel St. Catherine. I think this has an Avis since we will be renting a car on Sunday. It looks like it is easy access to the tourist office. Any comments about St Catherine's? Sunday, we plan to rent a car and drive to Sarlat and spend 2 nights there. We want to stop along the way (st emilion or ???). Is this a good distance for one day without to much rush (125 miles)? Should we stay in Sarlat or an outlying area? Les Cordeliers looked like a good place. I think staying in Sarlat might be better for restaurant choices, and also wouldn't have to drive after dinner. We were then going to turn in the rental car in Bergerac, or Brive on Tuesday for the train back to paris. We were thinking Brive, so we can go to Rocamadour. Thanks!

trippygirl

Just looked at StCirq's post about Bordeaux, I'll check into Hotel Etche-Ona for Bordeaux. Any other hotel suggestions??

Ackislander

No suggestions on a hotel since we rented an apartment in Sarlat, but staying in town is a good idea. Lots of places to eat, and the buildings are dramatically lighted at night.

The drive from Bordeaux will be easy, but you should know that virtually everything on the way was closed on Sunday afternoon when we were there, at least on the most direct route. Finding something to eat or drink or more important, a place to use the toilet, was not simple.

ira

Hi TG,

It's about 2:18 hr to Sarlat on the highway - 3 hr by the D936.

I recommend the longer route, because you can see how the folks really live.

St. Emilion is well worth 1/2 day, but I don't know what will be open on Sunday.

Did you check with Avis to see if they will be open on Sunday?

Have you looked into renting a car from www.kemwel.com or www.gemut.com?

trippygirl

I'll check out the other car rental places, and we could pick up the car on Sat. as an alternative. Driving the slow route sounds great to us, to bad it has to be on a Sunday. We'll make the most of it. We're going in Oct., any comments about the weather?? Has anyone done a canoe trip down the Dordogne, is it to cold in Oct.??

tansay

The Église Monolithe in St. Emilion is absolutely amazing and well worth the price of admission! The sense of awe and wonder knowing that this was carved -by hand -hundreds of years ago is indescribable. The view from the high point over the surrounding country side is still vivid in my mind 3 years later. And by a macaron cookie - they are a great tasty treat.

We visited Sarlat, but stayed in a gite in a small small village just below Domme, on the Dordogne. From there to Brive driving was, if I remember correction at least 90 minutes....

For figuring out driving routes, I really recommend google maps and 'get directions' - they are fairly accurate for times and so can give you a good sense of what's possible.

Sundays in France are special. From our experience there is a big midday meal in many restaurants and then that's about it. But the Casinos (convenience stores) are always open in my experience and you can also grab a bite there.

Have fun, you will have such great memories.

Francophile from Calgary AB

StuDudley

The only comment I have to make would be to skip the Medoc tour and head straight for the Dordogne after a night & some wandering in Bordeaux. 1 1/2 days in the Dordogne is about 4 days too few. Nothing I've read in countless tour books, or heard on this forum has convinced me to spent much time (if any) in the Medoc at the expense of time in the Dordogne. The manager of the French Natl Tourist office here in San Francisco even talked me out of visiting the Medoc 30 years ago - and told me to visit Burgundy instead.

Stu Dudley

StCirq

Agree - fly through the Médoc and get to the Dordogne as quickly as you can and stay as long as you can. As you drive from Bordeaux you will actually "feel" the entire countryside getting more and more beautiful, until it gets so gorgeous you know you've arrived.

I very much doubt you'll even find a canoë operator to rent you a canoe in October. Maybe in the center of Beynac. But most of them are closed by mid-October (as are plenty of small local businesses). It's still a lovely time of year to be there.

ira

I think that tg done been and gone.

StCirq

Ooops!

StuDudley

Gee Ira - you had to spoil the party.

Stu Dudley