Best way: Paris to Dordogne
 

My husband and I are planning a visit of several days in Paris followed by several in the Dordogne region. We would welcome suggestions on the best way to reach Sarlat area: rent car south of Paris somewhere or take a train to a city such as Perigueux and rent one there.

I don't find the drive from Paris to the Dordogne to be all that inspiring. I usually take the regular train from the Gare d'Austerlitz through Limoges to Périgueux and pick up a car there, about a half-hour's drive to Sarlat.
Alternatively, you can take the TGV to Bordeaux or Libourne and then drive to Sarlat (about a 3-hour drive) or switch to a slow train to Périgueux. Either way it's about 6 hours of traveling to get there.

Although as St.C says the drive is rather dull, but it is a very easy drive. I think it's a matter of your convenience and expense.

It is also a question of whether or not you want to see sights between Paris and the Dordogne, such as a chateau or two in the Loire valley or Bourges.

I agree with St Cirq when she says that the drive between Paris and the Dordogne is not inspiring, but it's also not difficult. And for first timers, not as boring as it could be on repeat trips. We did it in both directions--sort of. We drove from Tours where we picked up a car and on to Chenonceau to spend our first night, then on to Rouffignac. On the return trip, we drove from Rouffingnac to the area south of Orleans, visiting Chambord. Dropping the car in Orlean was my worst nightmare; not that you are likely to do that, but IMHO, don't try to drop off at auto Europe in Orleans.
My husband and I do not enjoy *crazy* driving and found the Loire Valley to the Sarlat area quite doable. When my life calms down--after soccer season?-- I'll write a trip report with adventures and misadventures.
It was a great trip and yours will be, too.

One more thing. I just noticed that you are from Maine. We live south of Portland, Maine and do not have the nerves of steel necessary for Boston driving. But France we could handle!

Thanks to all of you for your suggestions.Still not sure whether to take train from Paris or maybe visit Versailles, rent car there, then head south. And Elisabet, know what you mean about driving in Boston! We have driven on trips in Italy and on a Provence adventure originating in Nice. Found the Cote d'Azur pretty scary but the rest was manageable. Would hope driving to D'dgne would not be as crazy.

Driving in the Dordogne....I get goose bumps just thinking of it! Very easy for this middle aged, myopic woman who had not driven a standard transmission for several years. You will love it!
And if you have further questions and would like my home e-mail, let me know.

Elisabet: Yes! I would love to have your personal email address. I'm new to this and am not sure how to proceed.You probably have lots of good info for me that would be fun to receive. Please advise. Thanks.

For Mainer and Elisabet:

The easiest way to e-mail is for one (or both) of you to go to www.hotmail.com and get a free hot mail account.

You can key the hotmail address into the text of a message here. Then you can correspond through that and find out each other's real e-mail address without exposing them on the web site.

I do this with several addresses. For example the one I have listed here (though legit and I check it) is not my "real" e-mail address.

I've made a very similar trip in the past. My mother, girl friend (now wife) and I rented a car in Paris, drove to Tour to visit family, then we drove to Salers. We used Salers as our base of operations so-to-speak. It's close enough to many Chateaus to allow day trips.

I don't remember anything terrible about the drive. I did realize that Americans have it good with our highways - the highways ("autoroute") in France were piece-meal at the time of our visit (there should probably be a lot more completed by now).

If it's your first time to Dordogne, I'd recommend driving. That drive should be counted as an experience, just like the rest of the trip. (Going from everlasting farm fields near Tour down to the Northeast-US-like wooded areas of Dordogne was nice - it made me feel a little more at home. (I'm from Connecticut.)

I'll try and send some more info when I can.

Thanks for the tip, Indytraveler.

Depends if you want to treat the trip as a sightseeing venture or are merely concerned with getting to the Dordogne. If you check out a current thread called "Perigueux", you will see that I have identified some places I want to see along the way from Paris to the Dordogne. I got these from various publications (e.g. The British AA's) recommending France's most beautiful villages. Other fodorites who reply to that thread will no doubt add other suggestions which I'm sure will be helpful.

Fastest, cheapest way to get from Paris to Sarlat is regular train from Gare Austerlitz booked through to Sarlat. The train stops in Souillac and you board an autobus which will be waiting when you get there. The bus takes you to the train station in Sarlat. It's a little over 5 hours one-way, which is about the same time it would take on the TGV via Libourne route, but cheaper and no layover at Libourne.
Europcar/AutoEurope has a rental office in Sarlat ("Stefanie" speaks English very well). Only minor glitch is getting from the train station in Sarlat down the hill to the Europcar office. It's not far to walk, but if you've got bags.....maybe get a taxi from the train station (Allo Taxi)? Or send one person walking to get the car and the other wait with the bags? It's really not far, and all downhill.
Bon courage!