I am also Canadian and have used Fodor�s forum for many trips in the last 5 years including a few in France and Spain along with other forums such as trip advisor. I have found the information gained from this site�s regular posters (Spain and France) extremely helpful and have found some real gems of suggestions. The responders don�t know you and you don�t know them and sometimes a response online can be interpreted as critical. Try to get past it- perhaps post again on a more specific question where you might find the information more useful to you. The regulars seem to have a wealth of knowledge and experience travelling in France and Spain. I too have been told that an itinerary didn�t make sense at times. The ultimate decision is always yours. I love researching trips and sometimes one suggestion on a site gets you researching a tip et voila you find a hidden gem! Good luck with your trip, I am sure it will be great. We actually flew from SAN Sebastian to Barcelona one time cheaper than the train would have cost on Vueling. Their hub is Barcelona.

I've been to all those places but on many separate trips so not really sure of the distances between places. But I would take a train to Lyon and pick up a car there, explore Burgundy, then drive to the Dordogne. I would base in Sarlat. Then to the Bordeaux area. Do you know where in that region you want to see? Then you could drop the car and take the bus to San Sebastian (I took buses from Biarritz/Bayonne to San Sebastian (and then Bilbao) last summer and it was a good way to travel that area, I think better than train. Check out busbud.com). You don't need a car in San Sebastian or Barcelona and you could take the train between them thus avoiding a second car rental in Spain. If you really want to see the wine region south of San Sebastian it would probably be better with a car so you could do a short rental for just a couple days in that area. I liked Laguardia better than Logrono.

That would be five or six bases so about 4 days each so not terribly rushed. For example I spent 4 nights in Sarlat on that trip, 4 in San Sebastian on that trip, 4 in Bayonne and felt those were decent amounts of time. Obviously depends on how thoroughly you want to explore an area. Barcelona could easily eat up a week or more but you could get a taste in 3-4 days.

As I said, I've been to those areas on numerous different trips but here are two recent trip reports that have some of those areas
Dordogne is in this one - Photo Safari to the south of France, the Italian Rivera and the Swiss Alps

San Sebastian, Bayonne/Biarritz in this one - Criss-crossing the Camino: 5 weeks in Northern Spain (and a bit of France)

Photos -France - Zenfolio | Isabel's_View | France
Spain - Zenfolio | Isabel's_View | Spain

Thanks jft. I'm okay with being told an itinerary doesn't make sense - that's why I'm asking. It's the sarcasm and lack of help - i.e. - being told to read a book and all sorts of inappropriate statements. I realize that when there's no face to face and just written word that things can be misinterpreted but rude is rude. I don't think I misinterpreted anything - some posters when above and beyond that. Nevertheless I'd like to be done with rehashing that and get down to some planning. I love researching as well. This trip was initially a bit overwhelming trying to plan a route because of the two opposite areas of the country in France that we wanted to visit - and trying to work in Spain. I know when I planned Italy - because I was an inexperienced European traveller, I worked hard to figure out routes and we really had the trip of a lifetime. Interestingly enough I had an offer with a travel agency for a job following my blogging of that trip. I forgot to mention that to my "fans" on this forum! Haha! Anyway, with the help of some other sites and some more research I've figured our route out for the most part. Thanks for the tip on flying from San Sebastian to Barcelona. I've looked at that and it may be an option. We'd like to avoid flying if we can though - just the whole airport thing - we aren't big fans... I hear you on tips... One tip on Tripadvisor re: Paris got me going yesterday and found some great information on some things I was researching.

Wow! Great information isabel - thanks so much. We want to go to St. Emilion for sure in the Bordeaux area - are thinking of basing there. I'll take a look at Sariat - not somewhere I've looked at yet. With our timelines, I am not sure now if we'll get to Dordogne... I have read that buses are a good option so will explore that a little further as well. Thanks. I think we will rent a car to see the wine area south of San Sebastian. We were thinking Logrono but will look at Laguardia if you recommend that. I appreciate the links - I'll take a look! This has been very helpful - thanks again! Some good stuff for me to do some more researching on...

isabel - just looked at your links quickly. Your photos are beautiful! I can hardly wait to show my husband. He's an amateur photographer and will enjoy them I'm sure! Now I really want to go to Dordogne!

Well, I'm sure you've already blocked me, but I live in the Dordogne and St-Emilion would be a terrible place to base, and the only buses that regularly serve the Dordogne are school buses and a few around P�rigueux that are geared to older people who need to get to clinics and hospitals.

It did sound like pickle59 was talking about buses and the Dordogne. I agree that would not be a good idea. What I had meant was rent a car for the France portion, then take a bus across to Spain. And in fact, depending on what she wants to do in Spain, that could be accomplished by buses and trains. The wine region south of San Sebastian needs a car I think (we had one there) but San Sebastian, Barcelona and getting from one to the other can be done by bus and train.

There was a recent post -- maybe by mikelg? -- on options for wine tasting in La Rioja without a car.

Yes, renting a car for the French portion and then a bus or train from Hendaye or thereabouts for Spain is a good idea.

Too bad she wants to go the Dordogne now but doesn't want any advice from someone who lives here. But since she confused Bourgogne and Dordogne I guess it doesn't matter.

I agree, StCirq – something about cutting off one’s nose is coming to mind. I tried to give the best advice I could; my attempt obviously didn’t work. But to “ignore” an expert like you strikes me as short-sighted at best. JMO. At least you’ve been freed to enjoy your current trip -- and I hope you do!

No I was not talking about buses and the Dordogne - I knew what your comment meant isabel. I was responding to your comment about taking a bus to San Sebastian. I was just saying that I didn't know if we'd even get to the Dordogne - not that we'd take a bus there. We'll have a car rental at that time so would be driving. I'm assuming that StCirq has made some comment. He's now on my ignore list so I can't see it nor do I care to. I do not need the criticism. Nevertheless - not to worry isabel - your suggestions are great and made perfect sense. And yes we will need a car in San Sebastian.