dugi_otok

<< 1) About Oradour. Of course it`s not for everyone but since I do teach history for living I cant pass beside it. We wont be there for long (I guess) but we have to make a stop there.
My wife and I have been to Auschwitz, Berlin, Nuremberg and we will see some WW2 sight in Normandy this summer so many chances Oradour will stay on our list.>>


<<2) Of course travelling is always of making some choices.
The idea of stopping in Padirac and see Rocamadour from a distance while we are going to Murat is not a bad idea, but we also have to make a stop at Puy Mary and Salers was on our list.
I guess that Sarlat-Rocamadour (from a distance)- Padirac-Salers-Puy Mary-Murat would be too much in one day. Murat is only a stop for the night not a must see on our list.>>

These decisions leave you with 4 full days to plan.

Since Salers and Puy Mary are must sees I would do this for one of the days:

Sarlat-Pech Merle-Gouffre Padirac-Rocamadour-Sarlat
Make reservations on line for both Pech Merle and Gouffre Padirac.

https://goo.gl/maps/wmC21u9xd3cprwJz6

The highlite, after it's location, of Rocamadour is the statue of the Black Madonna enshrined in the Chapelle Notre-Dame.
The downside is the constant stream of pilgrims and more secular-minded tourists who fill lanes lined with shops peddling incongruous souvenirs.( It is so crowded that no one goes there any more-Yogi Berra.)
So visit or view from a distance.
This view is very nice after dark. Have dinner at an outdoor creperie at the nearby hamlet of L'Hospitalet, on the cliff to the east of Rocamadour, for the finest views of Rocamadour.

swandav2000

Hi again,

I don't know which guide books you're consulting for the trip; I used Cadogan, Eyewitness, and Michelin. Only the Michelin had good info on Domme, which was another highlight of my trip. I was only there for about an hour and only had time to walk through town and enjoy the sweet village and the views out over the valley. But on my next trip, I intend to stay for half a day and see:

Porte des Tours, where the local Knights Templar were imprisoned 1307-1318, and where they left some mysterious graffiti. Guided tours take about 45 minutes and cost, in 2015, 8.50€.

Tourist train, a 20-minute ride through & around town.

Anyway, have fun!

s

ANUJ

I'd definitely make time for a kayaking trip down the river (we did the 9km stretch from La Roque to Les Milandes with Canoe Vacances), its an easy paddle and would be a great family experience. It was one of our most memorable experiences there.

tostaky

Hi to all, and once again many thanks to all of you who takes time to help us !

We still have choices to make, but I thing we will drop Rocamadour, it seems to be something like Mont St-Michel that looks nice from a distance but is too crowdy inside in july-august .

So we will depart from Sarlat, go to Padirac early, drive to Puy Mary and head to Murat for the night.

FTOttawa

Pay close attention to distances. Group daily destinations with care. Much of the time we've been here we have averaged 60 km/h or less, and that is with far lighter traffic than you will experience in July. And take note, the road bridge at Grolejac is out of commission all year.

We ended up deciding we only needed to see the famous castles from the river. It was a fabulous 3 hours from Roque Gageac to the Canoës Roquegeoffre base at St Vincent de Cosse. For your kids and interests, Castelnaud could fit the bill, though I forget if you will have an opportunity for medieval weaponry in Baux de Provence later. Commarque or Fenelon might belong on your radar.

Marqueyssac does indeed offer fab views, a huge adventure playground, peacocks and topiary. And shade.

If you want original drawings plus beautiful concretions, Grotte de Cougnac has them in one compact package. Yes, Font de Gaume's drawings were special

tomboy

We liked seeing both Beynac and Castlenaud. The former struck us as "a real castle"; massive wallls, buttressses, etc. The latter had "castle equipment"; catapults, etc....it didn't strike us as so massive/buttressed as Beynac.

Iwan2go

Agree on Marquessac, absolutely wonderful. If you do decide on Gouffre de Padirac, GET THE TICKETS ahead. We went several years ago and the line was two hours long. Went back to hotel, bought for the next day, and returned then.

My favorite - hands down - was La Rocque St-Cristophe. I think that kids would love it.

FTOttawa

Check your inbox. FdG tix for July on sale now.

tostaky

Hi , thanks but they are not. Tickets are avaible for june, but not for july.

FTOttawa

Go to the French language side of the billeterie des monuments nationaux. Info on the English language side is deficient

tostaky

I always speak french. French or english the tickets are not avaible for now.

FTOttawa

Just checked again. You are correct now, but scout’s honour, they were available yesterday and this morning French time. I leave it to you to stay alert, then.

twk

Not to add to your options, but a trip to Les Milandes, perhaps when linking Beynac and Castlenaud, can be fun. The chateau was the home of Josephine Baker, and, as an added attraction, they have an outstanding birds of prey show.