Best way to get to Perigeux/Montignac, Dordogne
Oct 4th, 2013, 04:41 PM
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2003
Posts: 1,003
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Best way to get to Perigeux/Montignac, Dordogne
We will be travelling from Dubai to Montignac on Fri, 2 May next year and am having trouble weighing up the various options.
Having only ever travelled by car in Europe, I am a complete novice when it comes to train travel which is adding to my confusion. I am assuming that if I can get us to Perigeux our friends who we are meeting up with will be able to collect us from there as they will have a car, so at least we do not need to get to Montignac itself.
It seems to me we could fly into Paris and then catch a plane down to one of the regional airports but we would still then need to catch a train and it seems very messy and expensive. (Very few flights go direct into Perigeux and they seem to be very small planes which my hubby is not a fan of.) We could fly into Paris and then train down to the south of France and, if so, what would you suggest would be the best routing.
At the present time, I am thinking the best option is to fly direct from Dubai to Lyon on Emrirates and then we could catch a train from Lyon to Perigueux. We've never stayed in Lyon so would consider spending a night there if you think that is a good idea and, might even be necessary, depending on timetabling.
Incidentally, we have no wish to spend time in Paris on this trip at all, so if we went the Paris route it would defintely be straight in and out.
Your suggestions on the best websites to use to book trains would also not go amiss.
Having only ever travelled by car in Europe, I am a complete novice when it comes to train travel which is adding to my confusion. I am assuming that if I can get us to Perigeux our friends who we are meeting up with will be able to collect us from there as they will have a car, so at least we do not need to get to Montignac itself.
It seems to me we could fly into Paris and then catch a plane down to one of the regional airports but we would still then need to catch a train and it seems very messy and expensive. (Very few flights go direct into Perigeux and they seem to be very small planes which my hubby is not a fan of.) We could fly into Paris and then train down to the south of France and, if so, what would you suggest would be the best routing.
At the present time, I am thinking the best option is to fly direct from Dubai to Lyon on Emrirates and then we could catch a train from Lyon to Perigueux. We've never stayed in Lyon so would consider spending a night there if you think that is a good idea and, might even be necessary, depending on timetabling.
Incidentally, we have no wish to spend time in Paris on this trip at all, so if we went the Paris route it would defintely be straight in and out.
Your suggestions on the best websites to use to book trains would also not go amiss.
Oct 4th, 2013, 05:43 PM
#2
Join Date: Apr 2004
Posts: 4,508
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I am not expert - there are some folks on here who are very familiar with that region and how to move around in France.
But I just checked on sncf.com. There are numerous options but none of them is really speedy.
From Paris Montparnasse to Libourne (just outside Bordeaux) on a TGV train is 3+ hours.
Then you must change trains to a TER train to backtrack to Perigueux, which takes another hour. Overall time is 4h45.
Alternatively, you can take an Intercite train from Paris Austerlitz to Limoges, then take a TER to Perigueux. That is slightly faster.
Other routings are via Brive la Gaillarde and Bordeaux.
There is also the option of traveling direct from CDG airport, via TGV, to Limoges or Bordeaux, where you transfer for Perigueux.
Unless you want to pay the fierce markups that Rail Europe charges for booking TGV tickets, there is really only one website: SNCF.
Do a search here for information on booking rail tickets online at SNCF. It can be very tedious for those who want to pay with a NA credit card, as I have learned to my cost. Moreover, if you try unsuccessfully 3 times with the same card, that card is banned forever on sncf.com, I believe.
But I just checked on sncf.com. There are numerous options but none of them is really speedy.
From Paris Montparnasse to Libourne (just outside Bordeaux) on a TGV train is 3+ hours.
Then you must change trains to a TER train to backtrack to Perigueux, which takes another hour. Overall time is 4h45.
Alternatively, you can take an Intercite train from Paris Austerlitz to Limoges, then take a TER to Perigueux. That is slightly faster.
Other routings are via Brive la Gaillarde and Bordeaux.
There is also the option of traveling direct from CDG airport, via TGV, to Limoges or Bordeaux, where you transfer for Perigueux.
Unless you want to pay the fierce markups that Rail Europe charges for booking TGV tickets, there is really only one website: SNCF.
Do a search here for information on booking rail tickets online at SNCF. It can be very tedious for those who want to pay with a NA credit card, as I have learned to my cost. Moreover, if you try unsuccessfully 3 times with the same card, that card is banned forever on sncf.com, I believe.
Oct 4th, 2013, 05:47 PM
#3
Join Date: Apr 2004
Posts: 4,508
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
From Lyon -- whether the central Part Dieu station or the airport TGV station -- the trip is longer.
Lyon is a great little airport but you are not simplifying the trip to Perigueux by flying into there, it seems.
Lyon is a great little airport but you are not simplifying the trip to Perigueux by flying into there, it seems.
Oct 4th, 2013, 05:49 PM
#4
Join Date: Mar 2003
Posts: 22,984
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I took the train from Lyon to Périgueux a long time ago. Things may have changed, but we spent 8 hours on a noisy diesel <i>micheline</i>.
Better would be to fly to Paris, take the train to Brive-la-Gaillarde where your friends could pick you up. Ordering the train tickets three months in advance will reduce the price considerably. http://www.voyages-sncf.com/billet-train
Better would be to fly to Paris, take the train to Brive-la-Gaillarde where your friends could pick you up. Ordering the train tickets three months in advance will reduce the price considerably. http://www.voyages-sncf.com/billet-train
Oct 5th, 2013, 03:20 AM
#5
Join Date: Aug 2008
Posts: 2,784
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
A newcomer to French trains should delve into the advice at www.seat61.com
It's all there including alternative ticket sites. High-speed trains can match planes for convenience, particularly when all the dithering around at airports is added into the itinerary. Even prices can be comparable when purchased far enough in advance. To anticipate a follow-up question, don't even think about rail passes until you have priced out point-to-point tickets, as seat61 will explain.
It's all there including alternative ticket sites. High-speed trains can match planes for convenience, particularly when all the dithering around at airports is added into the itinerary. Even prices can be comparable when purchased far enough in advance. To anticipate a follow-up question, don't even think about rail passes until you have priced out point-to-point tickets, as seat61 will explain.
Oct 5th, 2013, 04:37 PM
#6
Join Date: Jul 2006
Posts: 56
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I agree with Michael re. fly into Paris and then take the train to Brive where your friends can pick you up. Other than just picking a car up at CDG and driving down it's about the most straightforward and relaxing approach - especially compared to routing through to Perigueux or, heaven forbid, Lyon.
Oct 6th, 2013, 02:42 AM
#7
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2003
Posts: 1,003
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Many thanks for your input. I hadn't actually worked out how long the train trip is from Lyon to Perigeux and, no, it isn't worth it. I am now intending to go with the fly into Paris option and take TGV down to Brive.
Oct 6th, 2013, 06:19 AM
#8
Join Date: Dec 2005
Posts: 1,707
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
First of all, it isn't a TGV ( train a grand vitesse to Brive. Not a slow train, but not a TGV. Just a clarification.
Another option would be a flight to Brive. Check out the aeroport de Brive site. Depending on your requirements, it might be a god option.
Another option would be a flight to Brive. Check out the aeroport de Brive site. Depending on your requirements, it might be a god option.
Oct 6th, 2013, 06:40 AM
#9
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 49,560
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Fly to Paris and take the train to Brive (or fly there) and have your friends pick you up there. If it MUST be Périgueux (and note the correct spelling), you can take the TGV from Paris to Bordeaux and then the regional train to Périgueux. But Brive would be far easier.
Oct 13th, 2013, 11:14 PM
#13
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2003
Posts: 1,003
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Thanks for your help. It will be fly into Paris and take the train down to Brive.
However, I am still somewhat confused. When I do a search on the SNCF and de Bahn site for trains from CDG to Brive, they both give timetables which involve one or two changes (depending on the time of day) as you need to go into Paris proper and then catch the train down south. If I do a search for the same date (just a random date as the actual date we will want to travel is too far into the future) on Rail Europe it offers a time without any changes,so presumably it does not go into Paris itself. This doesn't make sense to me. Am I missing something? As previously mentioned I am complete ignoramus when it comes to trains in Europe.
By the way I am aware, that when it comes time to actually buy tickets, to steer clear of Rail Europe as the tickets will be more expensive.
Once again I look forward to your great advice.
However, I am still somewhat confused. When I do a search on the SNCF and de Bahn site for trains from CDG to Brive, they both give timetables which involve one or two changes (depending on the time of day) as you need to go into Paris proper and then catch the train down south. If I do a search for the same date (just a random date as the actual date we will want to travel is too far into the future) on Rail Europe it offers a time without any changes,so presumably it does not go into Paris itself. This doesn't make sense to me. Am I missing something? As previously mentioned I am complete ignoramus when it comes to trains in Europe.
By the way I am aware, that when it comes time to actually buy tickets, to steer clear of Rail Europe as the tickets will be more expensive.
Once again I look forward to your great advice.
Oct 14th, 2013, 01:26 AM
#14
Join Date: Apr 2010
Posts: 2,552
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I don't know what info you're entering on the RailEurope site but just forget that site altogether and realize that you need to go from CDG into Paris and take a train from Gare d'Austerlitz to Brive. Direct trains (no transfers) between Paris Austerlitz and Brive take between 4 hours and 4 hours 15 minutes.
Oct 21st, 2013, 03:09 AM
#15
Join Date: Apr 2004
Posts: 200
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
The last response is correct. I'm just chiming in to reiterate. From CDG, get yourself to Gare Austerlitz and take the train to Brive (AKA Brive La Gaillarde).
The airport (CDG) is actually in a suburb of Paris, Roissy, on the north side. There is electric rail service into town, as well as an Air France bus, taxis, etc.
Give yourself AT LEAST 1-1/2 hours to get from CDG to Gare Austerlitz, considering mode of transport and time of day. Personally, I would take a taxi, especially with bags.
The airport (CDG) is actually in a suburb of Paris, Roissy, on the north side. There is electric rail service into town, as well as an Air France bus, taxis, etc.
Give yourself AT LEAST 1-1/2 hours to get from CDG to Gare Austerlitz, considering mode of transport and time of day. Personally, I would take a taxi, especially with bags.
Oct 21st, 2013, 06:54 AM
#16
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 49,560
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Yes, you need to get to the Gare d'Austerlitz. And to get the best prices on train tickets, go to www.voyages-sncf.com (put Antartica in as your home country to avoid getting shunted over to Rail Europe, which you do NOT want to use!) or www.capitainetrain.com. Do this starting 3 months out from your dates of travel to get the cheapest tickets. The closer you get to your travel dates, the more you'll pay.
