kessdarln

Been to Sarlat before and will stay a few nights. Because we'll take a day trip to Hautefort - what do you think of Orandour-sur-Glane and sights along the way? Also, best base towns to stay in Provence and Nice area for 7 nights. Interested in Chateaus, architecture,culture, wine, interesting and unique scenery and events.

We'll take the train to and rent a car in Carcassonne, spending 3-4 nights in Sarlat and then go to to Provence and Nice. (We're starting in Barcelona)

Thanks for your advice.

kessdarln

Sorry, I spelled that wrong...Oradour-sur-Glane

Gretchen

We visited Oradur from Limoges on a trip. It is an unforgettable experience --which will truly eventually go "away" in its extant form, since it rusts away each year. But for a story and a physical experience, it is unforgettable.

StCirq

It's totally unclear how your itinerary is unfolding. You're starting in Barcelona? Then to the Dordogne, then the Côte d'Azur? That's nuts.

StuDudley

If you only have a "few" days in Sarlat with a visit to Hautefort - Oradour is pretty far out of the way and would certainly consume a lot of your "too little" time in the Dordogne area.

Bases:
Provence - St Remy or the Luberon near Gordes
Nice area - Nice, Hotel Windsor.

Stu Dudley

kessdarln

I know, crazy. I want to visit Sarlat, Bordeaux and Carcasonne.. my friend wants Marseille and Barcelona... I'm trying to figure it all in.. something like Barcelona(3),Carcasonne(1), Sarlat(3 - Canoe one day, Oradour the other) Provence(2-3), Nice(3). It will be more of an on the go tour. Sounds like it might be a good idea to cut out Barcelona, Nice or Oradour. We need to stick around 2 weeks.

StCirq

Cut out Bordeaux. Cut out either Marseilles or Barcelona - they are a full day apart on any form of transportation. Carcassonne deserves a half-day at best. You do NOT go to the Dordogne and visit Oradour. Five hours in a car when you only have 3 days????

It's not an "on the go tour" It's an illogical one. I would fix it or go by myself or with a different friend.

kessdarln

StCirq, that's sort of what I wanted to hear, Thanks. What do you think of this.. no Oradour. I think this should be doable with time to get over jetlag.

Fly into Bordeaux(3)
Sarlat(3)
Carcassonne(1)
Provence(3)
Fly out of Nice(3)

StCirq

Why do you want to go to Bordeaux?

Gretchen

Another, why Bordeaux.

kessdarln

Having been there for a few hours passing through (and it has an airport) I think Bordeaux would be a great base starting location to get over jetlag, do some wine tasting and stop at Saint Emilion on our way to Sarlat. I do not want to start at a key location when it will take a day or longer to recover (traveling from the West Coast of the USA). Do you have a better, just as easy recommendation?

StuDudley

I'm a west-coaster too and have flown into Bordeaux several times to begin a vacation - including last year & the year before. However, I've never stayed in Bordeaux for three nights.

- Sauternes for 4 nights
- Gers Dept for 3 nights
- Bordeaux for 1 night
- St Emilion for 1 night.

Stu Dudley

StCirq

You'll really be wasting precious time by taking the train to Bordeaux, then to St-Emilion, then Sarlat. Any one of the other places you plan to visit is more interesting than Bordeaux, and St-Emilion is way overhyped, IMO. I'd just take the train from Paris to Brive. Spend the first night there; you can pick up a car and visit Hautefort the next day, then drive to Sarlat.

kessdarln

I should have been more clear. Taking Barcelona out of the mix, we would fly into Bordeaux and rent a car from there. Your plan makes sense and we'd really gain a day we could use elsewhere.

kessdarln

StuDudley - a tour of the Sauternes region is the reason I want to do my wine tour in that area. I fell in love with the wine on a tour that stopped at Maison du Sauternes a few years ago. We're not fans or reds or drys. Where did you stay?

StuDudley

>> Maison du Sauternes<<

Yep - we purchased about 1 1/2 cases there. Drank most of it in France (6 week trip), and brought a few bottles home. The B&B where we stayed in '12 is no longer a B&B - but I would strongly recommend that you stay in the Sauternes area instead of in Bordeaux. Lots of chateaux in the region & a few interesting villages. We did a day-trip to Arcachon, which exceeded our expectations.

Here was our itinerary

June 11 Mon
Lv SF @ 3:45

June 12 Tues
Ar Bordeaux @ 5:15
Drive to B&B Les Acanthes 90E/night + 10% discount for 3 or more nights
16 route de Mounic, Fargues 05 56 63 05 33
Dinner in Sauternes
Saprien XX red man 25/37 05 56 76 60 87 view outside confirmed outside if nice

June 13 Wed
Mich Drive Cotes de Bordeaux pg 149
Cadillac/Chateau 9:30-12:30 2-6 Cad pg 197
Sadirac, Creon - market day in Creon Cad pg 193
Mich GG drive pg 150 Entre Deux Mers
Ch Cazeneuve** 2-6
Ch Malle* 2-6 Cl S, Su winery pg 153 gardens + 30 min guided tour/tasting
Dinner in Langon Claude Darroze Confirmed
95 cours Gen Leclerc XXX* 42/85 05 56 63 00 48 outside

June 14 Thursday
St Macaire* pg 149 Cad 198
La Roel, Monsegur Cad 199, 195
Mich GG drive pg 153 Sauternes & Barsac Cad pg 204 – Excellent description
Ch Villandraunt 2-6 guided 1 hr – get there at 1:30
Ch Roquetaillade** tours @ 3 & 4 guided 1 hr - call to confirm pg 106 05 56 76 14 16
Bourideys Cad 207
Dinner in St Macaire
Abricotier RN 113 XX red man 20/40 05 56 76 83 63 confirmed

June 15 Fri
Arcachon & surrounds 1 ¼ hrs to get there pg 76 & 80 Get map at TI
Ch La Brede* 2:30-5:50 call to confirm
Dinner in La Cadillac
Du Chateau de la Tour ave de la Liberation 05 56 76 92 00 confirmed

June 16 Sat
Bazas* pg 105, Cad 207 market day
Labastide d’Armignac Pg 150 Cad Gascony
Bazas to Labastide – 3/4 hr, 2 hrs to Sare
Bazas to Gite in Sare 2 ½ hrs

Stu Dudley

kessdarln

Thanks Stu, I'll check it out. I want to buy a case to drink on the trip too. Old town and mainly Sauternes was my reason I felt so strong about going to Bordeaux. Roquetaillade... wow I forgot that one, and Bazas.. it was raining so hard on the day we went to those places. I'm going to research more now since it would be nice to show my friend Roquetaillade.. I loved the story there. I have such lovely memories of that trip but it was so fast, seemed every day was a holiday and I had a bad head cold, I want to go back and revisit the area before moving onto a new area (Provence and Nice)

kessdarln

(Stu, I don't know how to PM someone but I want to hear about your Nice/Provence trip when you return since we're not going for almost a year.)

StuDudley

I have a 27 page itinerary already written for Cote d'Azur/Provence. If you would like a copy, e-mail me at [email protected] & I'll attach one to the reply e-mail. We leave Thurs AM.

Stu Dudley

kessdarln

Thanks for your help everyone. Your experience and feedback was very helpful. Finally decided on:

Brive-la-Gaillarde (1)
Sarlat-le-Candeda (3)
Saturnes (2)
Carcassonne (1)
St Remy (2)
Nice (3)