WayUpNorth

We are hoping to visit Lascaux II in mid June when we stay in the area for 4 nights. I believe we have to purchase the tickets at the office beside the Montignac tourist office, and that they do not take reservations for June (I emailed [email protected]
over a week ago inquiring about reservations but didn't hear back). The Rough Guide I have checked out from the library indicates that you can buy tickets a day or so in advance - can anyone confirm this as I don't see it mentioned on their website? http://www.culture.gouv.fr/culture/arcnat/lascaux/en/. We arrive at the Brive train station at 10:30am and are renting a car and staying in the Beynac area. I'm thinking of stopping by on the way to the hotel to see if we can get tickets for the next day, or maybe get lucky and get tickets for that same day. But if they usually sell out in the morning and don't let you buy for the next day, I'd likely wasting our time by stopping on the way to the hotel and should just go first thing the next morning... Thanks.

StCirq

Have you faxed or called Semitour? That's what I'd do. Email hasn't caught on all that well in the Périgord.

But generally speaking, yes, you can stop by and get tickets for the next day. Getting them for the same day, if you need an English tour, is a possibility but by no means certain. At any rate, I'd call or fax, as Montignac isn't exactly on the way from Brive to Beynac, and though it's a not a long distace, those roads are tiny and busy, and it will take longer than you think it will.

Plan2GoSoon

We were there in September. Got there early, after a 5 hour drive (my spouse is a saint), got tickets easily and took the English tour. I loved it but I wished I could have seen the real thing. This was very brief.

schweetpea

We were in that region last year, and I suggest you skip the Lascaux cave since it is just a replica and go to a real one. I suggest you go to GROTTE FONT DE GAUME instead. Very nice and yes it's still the real one. It is not far of a drive from Lascaux. It's by Les Eyzies de Tayac. You can go there in advance and buy your tickets (they only give out number of tickets in a day) and make sure to ask for the English tour.
Really worth a visit!

StCirq

While it's true that Lascaux is a replica, that's part of the wonder of it. In learning how they built it, you learn all about how the chromatic caves came to be and how the artwork was created.

Font-de-Gaume and Combarelles are both excellent.

Michael

For the fast route, Michelin advises going by Souillac, in other words, south and then west. Slower because there is no autoroute stretch would be to take D1089 and D6089 (same road) west from Brive and then go to Beynac via Montignac. But on the map the distances look about the same. In fact, viaMichelin takes you on a stretch of A89 and estimates the time to be about the same as going via Souillac.

WayUpNorth

Thanks for your help. I'm going to try faxing them tomorrow for a reservation. We hope to visit both Lascaux II and Font de Gaume. If we can't see Lascaux II the day we arrive on the way to the hotel, we will hopefully see both caves the next day. I already have reservations at Font de Gaume for 3pm. They both come so highly recommended that I want to see both!

Langcraft

I visited Lascaux II in September 2004. I had no problem getting tickets. I went after a wonderful 2 1/2 hr lunch at a terrific restaurant/inn: La Table du Terroir in nearby La Chapelle-Aubareil. I took the tour conducted in French which lasted about 1 hour. Even though it is a replica of the original cave, it is still amazing and awe-inspiring, to see what our ancestors were doing 17,000 years ago.

WayUpNorth

Just to follow up for the benefit of those who try to reserve tickets...I wrote another email in French requesting reservations for our June trip. The ticket office wrote back and I emailed back my credit card informaton for the tickets. We will be seeing Lascaux at 10am and Font de Gaume at 3pm, so it will be a cave day! Thanks

sauna_man

Hi WayUpNorth, can you still clarify from which email address (and what ticket office) did you get help for this reservation? We have the same plan on one Sunday on June, and very little time due to tight schedules. We'd like to reserve everything beforehands. Thanks!

sauna_man

.. [email protected], of course! got help already from there - thanks

SheriAllenFawkes

I too am planning a trip to Lascaux II for the summer of 2010 and could not find clear information as to how to get tickets. I e-mailed the tourism office in lascaux ([email protected]) and received this reply. I thought I should post it so that everyone wondering about this doesn't have to e-mail the office.

"Hello,To get tickets for Lascaux II it is not that difficult. The ticket office is next to the tourist office. They are open from 9am to 7pm every day.
To be sure to get tickets for the same day, you can either:
- get them at the office before noon
or get them in advance at the office (3 or 4 days before)
or book them over the phone 3 or 4 days ahead calling +335 53 51 96 23.
There are at least 6 english speaking visits a day but yours will depend on the time you get/book the tickets."

mr_go

WayUpNorth: <i>We hope to visit both Lascaux II and Font de Gaume.</i>

Good for you. I'd strongly recommend doing both.

pavot

Almost a year later, now: does this advice still hold true?

(I had the idea I'd better try and book now for July. I wonder where I read that?)

pavot

I'm sending this to the top because I've seen -- on a link provided on another thread -- a poster is trilling about securing cave reservations for the coming summer.

My family will be in the Dordogne for two weeks in July. What do you say: Do I need to book any cave reservations already?

Betty1

I have a reservation for Lascaux II (8 people)for a tour in English May 18 which I obtained by emailing [email protected] (Pascal). My original email was to [email protected] but I was passed to Pascal for the reservation. I chose the date and time, sent my cc info and received a voucher. I was told that I should show up at the cave 15 minutes beforehand and present the voucher. I'm not sure if it works the same way later in the season. And I wrote in French but I'm sure someone there could handle a request in English.

Similarly, I got a reservation for Font-de-Gaume for May 16 by emailing [email protected]. Again I sent cc info and received a confirmation. Was told that my tour should be in English ("en principe") or if not the guide would give me time to translate for my group.

I felt I needed to book these tours in advance, especially with a group. If you know when you want to visit I see no downside to doing so even for 2 people.

pavot

Thanks so much, Betty1. Planner that I am, I think I'd feel happier knowing we had reservations, especially for those two caves. And there will be five of us, so it's probably best to try for some reservations.

I appreciate your help. Your gang is lucky to have you!

winnick

We also were able to obtain reservations for Lascaux II for mid June. We booked from [email protected]. They sent us a list of times and we chose the date and time (as Betty1 mentions) gave them our cc information and received a voucher.

Good luck!

jewel1

I am also trying to get tickets in mid June for 4 of us. Can you advise what times they run the English tours and how long they take. I have had no success to date in finding this information.

We are taking the train to Brive on Wed 15June and should get our rental car by 2.30pm - not sure if there would be a tour available and if we would make it this day.

My only other day is Friday 17June and we are booked on an English tour 12.30pm at Font de Gaume for a 1.00pm tour. Would have been better having this at the start or end of the day but at least I could confirm somthing and they were very helpful and efficient.

I hope we can fit Lascaux in somewhere on one of these days. Any info would be appreciated. Thanks

Carlux

Tours at Lascaux take 20 minutes, and are usually, at least in the tourist season, every 20 minutes. There is often one in English around 11, and there are probably more - if you write (or call) and ask for a tour in English, or en anglais they will understand. You don't usually have to book more than a day or two in advance, especially in June.

The site is open until from 9.00 to 6, with the first tours at 9.30. So you might be able to make it the day you arrive, but there is no guarantee that there would be an English tour late in the day.