m34aggie

Expect to take a National Geographic trip to the Dordogne and Altamira areas of France and Spain. Any tips or cautions? Thank you.

IMDonehere

Visiting caves with drawings is one of our favorite things to do. We were fortunate enough to see Altamira before it was closed to the public and have visited many of the larger caves in the Dordogne. We have not been Altamira II but have been to Lascaux II. The thought, care, and craftsmanship that went into the creation of Lascaux II is beyond reproach.

Even though I was sure the people from NG will be more than expert in the field, I would do some research before I go. I have one book that is a wee bit scholarly but it is highly instructive, The Nature of Paleolithic Art by R. Dale Guthrie, Chicago Press.

I am long been enthralled with the fact that here are people from 15,000 to 19,000 years ago communicating with us. The techniques and perspectives for the time are highly advanced and the styles are oddly similar.

Have a sensational time.

StCirq

I'm sure NG does a highly professional job on that tour, but $7,000????? You could do it yourself for half that. You can hire Christine in the Périgord and have her all to yourselves for about 300 euros a day. Rooms at La Roseraie are under 100 euros for a double, even in high season. Renting a car so you could actually get around and see and do a zillion things besides the prehistoric sites wouldn't even make a dent in your budget.

And they don't even guarantee you'll get in to see Font-de-Gaume. They seriously should be able to do that. Offering Rouffignac as an alternative is lame - it's not a chromatic cave; it's a bear-cult cave with no paintings, just skulls and bear scratchings that you access with a hokey petit train. It's not even close to on a par with Font-de-Gaume (or Combarelles for that matter).

I guess what draws people in is the chance to interact with local experts, but the fact is those local experts are perfectly accessible to the average person. If you go to Castel-Merle, for example, you'll always be met and guided by a member of the Castanet family. It's not as though NG has some special connections, though they'd like you to think so.

And no Abri du Cap Blanc? No Roque-St-Christophe? No Village Troglodytique de la Madeleine? No Musée de la Préhistoire? You're only getting the barest taste of the myriad prehistoric sites in the region. Shame, as with a car and some research, you could see ten times as much for half the price.

I've only addressed the Périgord part of the tour, as I'm no expert on the Spanish caves, but extrapolating from what they offer in the Périgord, I'd have to imagine the Spanish portion is equally overhyped and overpriced.

jaja

Bookmarking

IMDonehere

We appreciated Rouffignac because the drawings were monochromatic and also liked Font-de-Gaume. Like many things it what you value and acknowledge.

Altamira is in part of Spain where few Americans go. It is near the seaside town of Santander which is favored by some Spanish as summer retreat. The cave is closer to Santillana del Mar, a small but interesting town but is not on the water as the name implies.

We have never been on any organized tour that was longer than a day on any of our travels. And although the Parador in Santillana is well-regarded seven grand is an awful lot for that tour. On the other hand, we have been traveling independently for over 40 years and we are getting to the point of schlepping luggage and moving about is becoming a bit wearing.

historytraveler

Just a short comment to say that The National Geographic tours are certainly v. expensive, but after having done three of them, I wouldn't tour with anyone else. I mostly travel independently and only on special occasions do I book a N.G. Tour. Usually it's an expedition that I could never have managed on my own.If one can afford them, I strongly recommend their tours. One important ( although not the only) consideration is that they have a number of highly qualified guides who give talks and provide a great deal of information about the places you visit and sites you see.

StCirq

And those highly qualified guides, in the Périgord, are local people you can engage on your own, at far less cost. That was my point.

m34aggie

Thanks to you all. I know from earlier forum exchanges that if anyone knows the Dordogne it is StCirq. We actually have visited Font de Gaume and Pech Merle on our own. We like NatGeo (did their luxurious Machu Picchu) and so are considering this one, with eyes wide open about cost. Was hoping to get reaction from someone who might have taken this particular trip. But thank you for your feedback.

IMDonehere

With some notable exceptions, this forum is more like an AARP meeting with train tickets. People have enough money and experience not to stay in hotels from where girls get kidnapped in bad movies nor rarely do you see someone stay at the Georges V.

I see 14 grand (two people) and I think i can go on multiple trips.