Another Dordogne hotel?
Jul 9th, 2011, 06:58 AM
#2
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It's been closed for several years, but it was very nice.
Since you asked previously about Les Glycines, I take it you're interested in staying in Les Eyzies. I would advise against that, especially if you're going in summer. It's just a long strip of street with bad traffic and little charm.
Since you asked previously about Les Glycines, I take it you're interested in staying in Les Eyzies. I would advise against that, especially if you're going in summer. It's just a long strip of street with bad traffic and little charm.
Jul 9th, 2011, 07:36 AM
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We stayed at Les Granges Hautes near Sarlat and just loved it. http://www.les-granges-hautes.fr/
Jul 28th, 2011, 08:53 AM
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I believe Le Centenaire Hotel never closed, only the restaurant portion of the business. Previous owner tired of the restaurant business and his son wasn't interested in carrying on. Kept the hotel open, sold the restaurant, which reopened under new management a couple of years ago. Not sure what the hotel is like.
Jul 28th, 2011, 10:33 AM
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LE Centenaire used to have a 2 star Michelin restaurant. That closed (and a quick look at Michelin doesn't show any rating for the new restaurant.) Hotel stayed open
However, I agree with St Cirq. Les Eyzies is probably my least favourite town, even off season.
I can't recommend a hotel, as I don't stay in them here.
uhoh 'We've stayed in Beynac and Limieux' Do you mean Limeuil?
However, I agree with St Cirq. Les Eyzies is probably my least favourite town, even off season.
I can't recommend a hotel, as I don't stay in them here.
uhoh 'We've stayed in Beynac and Limieux' Do you mean Limeuil?
Jul 28th, 2011, 11:40 AM
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There's a nice hotel in Le Bugue that's comparable to Le Centenaire and Les Glycines - Domaine de la Barde. Can't comment on the rooms or anything because I don't need hotels in the Dordogne, but the setting is lovely and the restaurant, Le Vélo Rouge, is very nice.
Jul 28th, 2011, 03:01 PM
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Yep that's what I meant. It is very tiny town, but we enjoyed it because it was such a pretty drive to everywhere. We've stayed in other parts of the Dordogne and the Lot, but those two were closest to Sarlat. We tend to stay in two star hotels or cost guesthouses. On the last trip we added an extra day just to stay overnight in Carrennac (probably misspelled that--I'm not at home to look up my notes.)
I enjoyed Bergerac, and think that might be a fun base for a trip. Especially as we LOVE the wine
;-)
I enjoyed Bergerac, and think that might be a fun base for a trip. Especially as we LOVE the wine
;-)
Jul 28th, 2011, 05:18 PM
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Limeuil isn't that close to Sarlat and gets very, very crowded in summer and the river "beach" gets really grody. Plus, if you stay in the old town, up the hill, it's a REALLY steep climb.
Bergerac is WAY far out and not at all a good base for visiting the Périgord Noir. Plus it's just a sort of ho-hum town. If you like Bergerac wine, it's available all over the region in every wine store and supermarket.
Bergerac is WAY far out and not at all a good base for visiting the Périgord Noir. Plus it's just a sort of ho-hum town. If you like Bergerac wine, it's available all over the region in every wine store and supermarket.
Jul 28th, 2011, 05:26 PM
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Just for the record, we loved Les Eyzies as a base for seeing the caves and prehistory part of the Dordonge. It has three boulangeries, a grocery store, a convenience store with late hours, a liquor store, a tourist office with long hours and cheap wifi, a research center with even cheaper wifi, a nice park, and a whole town full of really nice people. And great ice cream!
Not to mention its in the center of all the prehistory.
So- not lovely as St Cirq, but a really handy place to stay. We rented an apartment for the week, so I can't speak to the hotels but a couple looked great.
Not to mention its in the center of all the prehistory.
So- not lovely as St Cirq, but a really handy place to stay. We rented an apartment for the week, so I can't speak to the hotels but a couple looked great.
Jul 28th, 2011, 06:26 PM
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<<So- not lovely as St Cirq,>>
Well, St-Cirq has absolutely no commerce whatsoever, so not sure what you mean, unless you're referring to St-Cirq-Lapopie, which is two hours away and not in the Dordogne. *My* St-Cirq doesn't have a single store, but is certainly WAY prettier than Les Eyzies.
Fact is, Les Eyzies is I suppose convenient if you're visiting caves, but it sure isn't pretty and in high season it's a major pain to get through because it's one narrow road with choking traffic.
Where is the grocery store, by the way? There's never been a grocery store there as far as I know (but maybe they put one in in the past 2 years..or are you talking about that summer mini-store that gets set up by the river and folds in September?). The artisanal bakery IS very good, as is the butcher, but it's kind of an eyesore considering all the other gorgeous towns that are so close by. It IS convenient, I'll give you that, and if prehistory is your focus, a good choice no doubt.
Well, St-Cirq has absolutely no commerce whatsoever, so not sure what you mean, unless you're referring to St-Cirq-Lapopie, which is two hours away and not in the Dordogne. *My* St-Cirq doesn't have a single store, but is certainly WAY prettier than Les Eyzies.
Fact is, Les Eyzies is I suppose convenient if you're visiting caves, but it sure isn't pretty and in high season it's a major pain to get through because it's one narrow road with choking traffic.
Where is the grocery store, by the way? There's never been a grocery store there as far as I know (but maybe they put one in in the past 2 years..or are you talking about that summer mini-store that gets set up by the river and folds in September?). The artisanal bakery IS very good, as is the butcher, but it's kind of an eyesore considering all the other gorgeous towns that are so close by. It IS convenient, I'll give you that, and if prehistory is your focus, a good choice no doubt.
Jul 29th, 2011, 03:41 AM
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The grocery store is on the main road towards Sarlat- I believe it was #26 or 32 Ave de la Forge. Its looks pretty permanent. Not entirely impressive but good enough for juices and bottled water and dry good things we could not get at the various town markets we visited. We also actually bought some really good local cheese and sausage.
We live in the US in a small rural village with a walkable grocery store, bakery, post office, and tourist bureau. We were happy to duplicate that in the Dordonge and after staying in so many places where I could not walk to bakery for fresh bread in the Am, I realized that having that was more important than many other things. And having the tourist bureau was so useful- we were in there almost every day pelting them with questions. I guess if we were at a hotel with a talkative desk clerk we would have needed it, but the tourist bureau worked for us. The only time we had to sit in traffic the whole week was when they decided to repaint the lines on the main street.
Les Eyzies with its cliffs and the street along the hill, and the park and river were really charming to us.
We live in the US in a small rural village with a walkable grocery store, bakery, post office, and tourist bureau. We were happy to duplicate that in the Dordonge and after staying in so many places where I could not walk to bakery for fresh bread in the Am, I realized that having that was more important than many other things. And having the tourist bureau was so useful- we were in there almost every day pelting them with questions. I guess if we were at a hotel with a talkative desk clerk we would have needed it, but the tourist bureau worked for us. The only time we had to sit in traffic the whole week was when they decided to repaint the lines on the main street.
Les Eyzies with its cliffs and the street along the hill, and the park and river were really charming to us.
Jul 29th, 2011, 04:28 AM
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Oh- forgot- 330 East- check out
http://www.fermedetayac.com/
http://www.hostellerie-du-passeur.com/
Those are the two I scoped out for next time.
http://www.fermedetayac.com/
http://www.hostellerie-du-passeur.com/
Those are the two I scoped out for next time.
Jul 29th, 2011, 01:05 PM
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Agree wtih Italyagain. For us, Les Eyzies was a VERY pleasant surprise, after having read our local experts' feedback. Carlux and St Cirq gave me what turned out to be the very best tips I had for the area (you dont realize HOW good 'til you're there) but this is one where I disagree.
We stayed in in "vieux Sarlat" and were glad for it as a base, but i would not disagree with someone wanting to make Les Eyzies a base. Les Eyzies was the first town we saw after Sarlat on our first morning in the area. We came from Sarlat and entered Les Eyzies,, looked to our right from the main street,, and our jaws dropped--to see those high cliffs with the houses right IN them at the base. WOW!!!!!!!
Of the town's boulangeries (the first one on the left as you enter) we had one of those stereotypically negative French encounters (in addition to the encounters with dog poop on the streets in French cities) with the snootiest boulangerie employee i've ever encountered in France--one of those scowling condescending looks on her face that implied "You dumb tourists" (and I speak fluent French--albeit with what's been called an English accent) followed by a big fake smile "Merci Madame!! Bonne journee!!!" as we left.
Oh yes...there's a little cafe on the right where there is "takeway coffee'--great espresso in a paper cup--we were in a hurry to get to the line for our Flon de Gaumes tix. The coffee warmed our freezing cold selves that last dayof May.
330East, here's a a tip from St Cirq: don't miss the nearby La Roque St Christophe. AMAZING!!!! We are forever grateful to St Cirq for recommending it. One of THE top several highlights, and one of the best one hour's time spent, of our 5 day trip to the Perigord!
Agree that Bergerac is not a good base for the area. We drove out there b/c daughter wanted to see the "home" of Cyrano de Bergerac. Agree--a ho-hum city. There's a very small square with b and b's painted in deliberately charming way, and the area near Cyrano's statue, but other than that , it felt way too far west from most of what we wanted to see.
We stopped in Monpazier on the way back "home" to Sarlat, and (in contrast to many other opinions) we could easily have given Monpazier a miss. And to think i'd considered making it a base--thank God for the FF Folks who encouraged Sarlat instead!
We stayed in in "vieux Sarlat" and were glad for it as a base, but i would not disagree with someone wanting to make Les Eyzies a base. Les Eyzies was the first town we saw after Sarlat on our first morning in the area. We came from Sarlat and entered Les Eyzies,, looked to our right from the main street,, and our jaws dropped--to see those high cliffs with the houses right IN them at the base. WOW!!!!!!!
Of the town's boulangeries (the first one on the left as you enter) we had one of those stereotypically negative French encounters (in addition to the encounters with dog poop on the streets in French cities) with the snootiest boulangerie employee i've ever encountered in France--one of those scowling condescending looks on her face that implied "You dumb tourists" (and I speak fluent French--albeit with what's been called an English accent) followed by a big fake smile "Merci Madame!! Bonne journee!!!" as we left.
Oh yes...there's a little cafe on the right where there is "takeway coffee'--great espresso in a paper cup--we were in a hurry to get to the line for our Flon de Gaumes tix. The coffee warmed our freezing cold selves that last dayof May.
330East, here's a a tip from St Cirq: don't miss the nearby La Roque St Christophe. AMAZING!!!! We are forever grateful to St Cirq for recommending it. One of THE top several highlights, and one of the best one hour's time spent, of our 5 day trip to the Perigord!
Agree that Bergerac is not a good base for the area. We drove out there b/c daughter wanted to see the "home" of Cyrano de Bergerac. Agree--a ho-hum city. There's a very small square with b and b's painted in deliberately charming way, and the area near Cyrano's statue, but other than that , it felt way too far west from most of what we wanted to see.
We stopped in Monpazier on the way back "home" to Sarlat, and (in contrast to many other opinions) we could easily have given Monpazier a miss. And to think i'd considered making it a base--thank God for the FF Folks who encouraged Sarlat instead!
Jul 29th, 2011, 01:17 PM
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Actually, the butcher shop in Les Eyzies is my favorite in the area, and the Maison de la Presse has an absolutely astonishing collection of prehistory books, so I love to browse there. I can see that it's a convenient town for visitors, small but with everything you need right there. I guess I've spent so many years driving around those cliffs that they just seem normal to me, but now that you mention it, the WOW factor sure was there when I first set foot in the area!
