JulieVikmanis

Short version:
I need advice on towns to base in near Rodez which is starting to sound like a less than perfect choice as I read posts here.

Long version:
We will be in the Dordogne and Auvergne areas of France from late May to Early June this year. We fly into Bordeaux and out of Lyon with 16 nights in between. Here's how I've allotted them: 2 nights in Brantome area, 5 in Sarlat, 4 in Rodez, 1 in Le Puy-en-Velay and 4 in Lyon. I think I'm fairly comfortable with everything except the 4 nights in Rodez. Please help me decide what to do with that time.

This is my chance to see deepest France and aligot country--the potato,garlic, cheese dish that I've been fascinated by over the years. I want to eat it at the source. That led me to the area encompassing Aurillac, Conques, Figeac, Laguiole, Aubrac (apparently the heart of the matter) which also led me to a multitude of reports here that have caused me to have an interest in seeing Cahors, Villefranche de Rouergue, Albi, Millau and maybe even some of the Gorges du Tarn.

I selected Rodez because it seems to be in the middle of this conglomeration of places I've marked on my map. But then I read that Stu Dudley is not fond of the place (although he likes a restaurant there) and someone else seemed to feel it was kind of grimey with industrial smoke. Perhaps not so great a place to spend 4 nights.

Someone else, St. Cirq, I think, warned another poster about the slow going within the triangle made up of Rodez, Cahors, and Albi which confused my thinking that Villefranch de Rouergue might be a good alternative to Rodez--it's in the middle of that triangle and would presumably add a lot of time to all the day trips we'd be doing. Figeac is praised a lot but a bit far to the West and North of several other places I want to drive to. We do want to be in a town, not a country B&B and one with a little interest besides one church and a single restaurant.

Would Conques fill the bill? Or does its position on a "white road" rather than a red or even yellow mean we'd be slowed down a lot on our way in and out of town each day? Does it have good lodging options in town? (This seems to be an area where the nicer choices are out rather than in towns--and I do want some activity nearby.) Should we look to split the time into two 2 night stands instead of using a single base? If so, which two? Figeac to the West and what to the East? La Canourgue?

All advice gratefully listened to. Thanks for any light that can be shed here. I'm pretty much on overload and total indecision is creeping in.

StuDudley

When we stayed in that regioin for 2 weeks a few years ago, we stayed in a Gite north of Rodez on the Lot river between Espalion and St Geniez. We thought that this was a perfect location. We visited Rodez on many occasions, the Aubrec region, other "most beautiful in France" villages on the Lot, and we were less than 1 hr from the fantastic Gorges du Tarn. We also visited Conques, Gorges de la Truyere, Aurillac, Lagouile (great restaurants - town not really worth a visit), and also the town of Aubrac (for dinner). The countryside is beautiful. I think this would be a great location. Many of the towns along the Lot (St Geniez, St Eulalie, Espalion (good market), and Estaing) have hotels. We dined at several of the restaurants associated with these hotels. Espalion has a hotel that seemed to be quite popular.

We've also stayed a couple of hours west of there in a gite near Caussade for 2 weeks, and also north of there near Salers for 1 week. Beautiful area. Salers is quite charming, as is the Volcano area around it.

Do you have my 35 page Languedoc itinerary? It describes all the restaurants where we dined in the Lot/Espalion region (plus other areas in Languedoc/Roussillon), and also the sites we visited. E-mail me at [email protected] & I'll send you a copy.

Stu Dudley

JulieVikmanis

Thanks Stu. I already have your Roussillon itinerary. My geography in this area is so poor that I hadn't recognized that I should be looking at it rather than--or in addition to, the Dordogne info I also have. Ok, I'm off to do that and will see if I can solve my dilemma. Thanks for steering me in the right direction.

JulieVikmanis

After more hours searching hotel sites, I think I've gotten myself ok with my choice of the Mercure on the maint square right by the cathedral in Rodez. We'll just have to trust our Garmin to get us in and out of the town past the industrial sprawl. But I did bump into this fabulous looking place in the Gorges du Tarn--Hotel de la Muse et Roziers that has taken my fancy. I'm thinking we'll do 3 days with Rodez as a base, then move on to 1 at this place not far from Millau, and then move from there to 1 in Puy en Valey before 4 last days to pig out in Lyon. Any comments, reactions, other advice before I do something potentially stupid. Thanks.

StuDudley

Rodez wouldn't be my choice of a plavce to stay in that region - but "to each his (her) own".

Stu Dudley

Michael

Lagouile = Laguiole ? as in the knife.

JulieVikmanis

Yes. They make them there.