a week in the dordogne
 

Hi, seems lots of you guys are francofiles
We are two couples going to spend a week, about in the dordogne, in the beginning of May. We havent' decided how we are flying in. We are coming from Israel. We would like to stay in two places and inexpensive pensions, or b&Bs. Suggestions?
thanks
Laura

Why two?

What is your budget?

(francophile here - though I have lots of francofiles:)

We were in France this past Fall for seven weeks, including 11 days in the Dordogne. We stayed, to a large extent, in inexpensive B&B's (under 70 Euros). Of all the places we stayed, our absolutely favorite one was Residence Versailles in Beynac. We wrote a detailed report on Tripadvisor, under the name of jrjcollinsOregon. The location was superb, the hosts wonderful, and the food fantastic. Hope this helps.

We always stay in Gites (houses). We've spent 8 weeks already in the Dordogne & returning for 2 more in June. Gites have kitchens which offer you the ability to go to markets, buy stuff, and prepare your meals at "home" if you want to. Also, gites have facilities for washing clothes, and are much larger than most B&Bs we've stayed in. All of our gites (we've rented about 40 different gites in different areas in France), have had 2 to 4 bedrooms and 1 to 3 bathrooms. Several in sunny spots like Provence have had private swimming pools.

We rent through
http://www.gites-de-france.com/gites/uk/rural_gites
Which is kind of a French government sponsored program. This web site often does not work, so you'll have to persevere. It is also a little difficult if you can't read French. There are other organizations where you can rent gites.

Stu Dudley

thanks for mentioning the gites. I understand that they might be cheaper than a B&B- but then one needs to stay there for a longer period? Is it possible to stay just 5 - 6 days?
Would it be better to fly into Paris or Barcelona? and is it better to take a train and then rent a car in the Dordogne or drive down - or up? thanks laura

Easier to fly into Paris and take the train to Brive. Or even fly to Bordeaux or Toulouse via Paris and rent the car in Bordeaux or Toulouse. Lots of beautiful villages in the areas around Albi that you could visit if you choose this last option.

>>rent the car in Toulouse. Lots of beautiful villages in the areas around Albi that you could visit if you choose this last option.<<

Agree !!! LOTS & LOTS of stuff to see along the way.

Stu Dudley

Hi lor,

I always look up small hotels at www.logis-de-france.fr/uk/recherch/index-ca.htm.

Unfortunately, the hotel we stayed in in Beynac-et-Cazenac is under new management and is no longer listed with them. So I can't recommend it.

Also look up La Roque Gageac.

Both towns are on the river.

I also suggest flying into Toulouse or Bordeaux.

((I))

hi loridori,

the gites de france people can also help you find a B&B - they are on the same web-site. but even though you may only want to stay for 5 or 6 nights, a 7 night rental may be cheaper than 2 rooms in a hotel or B&B even if you don't use every night.

gites tend to be in the countryside - you might like to stay in a town so that you can wander round in the evening, find a restaurant, and not worry about drink driving. one place we and many people have liked for that is Sarlat. it has a Saturday? market, nice shops and cafes, and is altogether a very pleasant place.

regards, ann

I can also recommend La Residence Versailles (I think it might have a new name now)...we stayed here in 2004...we returned to the area for a week in 2007 and rented a house and will return this summer for another 2 weeks...La Residence Versailles is without a doubt a great location, with wonderful hosts and a great price too! Food is wonderful---Ms. Fleurie is a wonderful cook! No hesitations whatsoever in recommending this place!!

That should have read, Madame Fleurie.

We stayed at a very nice B&B in Castillonnes Http://www.maisondepoitiers.com which is not far from Bergerac airport, the room was gorgeous and it only cost 60 euros a night. Our friends hired a self contained apartment in Eymet which is about 20kms from Bergerac airport and 1 1/2 hours drive from Bordeaux airport. They loved it as Eymet is a lively village and it has many shops and restaurants and it was very stylish as it is owned by an interior designer -the website address is http://www.maison20.com

Have fun in the Dordogne.

I wouldn't stay near Bergerac. It's an hour away from the main things most people want to do and see in the Périgord Noir, and it's nowhere near as scenic or interesting. You want to be within about a 25-mile radius from Sarlat.

I agree with St Cirq. Stay close to Sarlat.

Stu Dudley

we stayed at les granges hautes for a week in Oct 2006 and loved it. Its just outside of Sarlat, great location, great hosts, and great breakfasts and dinners!

http://www.les-granges-hautes.fr/en/index.htm

You might also want to stay away from Eymet if you want a French experience. It is known as the village virtually taken over by the British - the French television regularly shows cricket matches from Eymet, with British ladies serving cucumber sandwiches, etc. Another reason to favour the Sarlat area over Bergerac.