Amy40

We will be renting a car for two weeks and meandering from Loire area through Dordogne towards Montpellier in mid-June. We are three, two adults and a 10 y.o. daughter. I have searched threads and found little to help me decide whether or not to pre-book chambre d'hotes or leave things to chance once we're there.

I know this is a philosophical question, as well as a practical one. I am weighing the value of knowing where we'll be on any given night against the opportunity to be in places we never thought of. (This is our first time away from Paris.) While it can be fun to ramble the countryside and end up "wherever" I wonder if the near-daily midday scramble for that night's room will be an adventure or a hassle. Maybe a little of both. We have friends, both French and American, who insist that you can always find rooms. We have foolishly believed other things from travelling friends in the past (which I will refrain from recounting!) and I don't want to just head out without asking here.

One thought was to book a chambre d'hotes or small hotel for a couple of nights enroute in places like Amboise and Sarlat, leaving a few unbooked nights in between, thus hedging my bets. Are there agencies in smaller towns where one can recieve help finding a B&B? Maybe just the local cafe (pub) like we did in Wales? Is it possible that in mid-June we will have trouble finding rooms at all?

Advice, experience or reference to relevant threads which I have missed would be greatly appreciated.

GeoffHamer

There are lots of small hotels everywhere in France. The peak holiday season is in July and August. I'd go almost anywhere in France in June and be confident of finding accommodation. There is no point in booking places in advance unless you are arriving in a strange town in the evening, or are very fussy about the sort of place you want to stay. If you book on the spot, you can see rooms before you pay for them: if you don't like somewhere, you can move on somewhere else.

mediterraneo

Buy a good guidebook on the Dordogne with listings and you should be fine. There are also websites where you can find listings of guesthouses and B&Bs so you could copy down the names and numbers of a bunch of them. One alternative is to rent a place for 4-7 days and use it as a home base for day trips.

Enjoy, the Dordogne is amazing - don't miss La Roque Gageac and little villages like St Pompon and Daglan if you can find them on a local map.

Michael

Here's what we did last summer. We had reservations for most of our B&Bs, particularly in heavy tourist areas (Honfleur, Cancale and Quimper). For other locations, I determined where we would probably be that night, looked up potential B&Bs on the web before leving the States and took the list with me. During our lunch stop I started making calls to see if any of them were available.

StCirq

If you're planning to stay in B&Bs in the Dordogne, I'd make arrangements ahead of time. There's a LOT of tourist traffic there in June, and B&Bs usually only have a few rooms. If you need a room for three, you're already at a disadvantage. Wing it if you like, but be prepared to spend a good part of each day that you don't have lodgings already booked on the phone trying to find a place to spend the night. Personally, I'd rather spend my time enjoying my vacation.

Christina

My experience isn't worth as much as St Cirq's because it's from Provence, not Dordogne, but I am basically of her opinion, also. I think it depends what you want -- if you just want a hotel somewhere of any kind, you will find one. If you want a small B&B and have visions of this quaint, charming, wonderful place, those aren't that easy to find just stumbling across them by chance nor in peak tourist season. June is close enough, even if not as busy as July-August.

I don't find it much fun to spend 1/2 a day trying to find a place to stay. As I said, in my experience, the really nice B&Bs are out in the country down side roads and you aren't likely to just stumble on the good ones by accident. That kind of thing is better done in advance by research.

So, I think you can do it halfway if that's what you want to do, but I would never go without any info or listings/guidebook and then try to find a place by chance or by depending on a local cafe or tourist office. A lot of small towns don't have tourist offices. This is sort of like Michael's advice.

Michael

Here's the information about the B&B we got at the last minute near Angers:

We stayed at our most expensive B&B (60 euro) and most luxurious just on the other side of the river from Angers (Mme. Françoise Terrière, 49610 Murs-Erigné, 02 41 57 70 13). It was a 19th century small manor house set in its own parc. The kitchen had the coloration of Monet's kitchen and was also the dining area. We had a suite above it with a large bathroom, but ... it was the only time that the shower was a hand-held shower in the tub with no wall hooks and no curtains. We took the table d'hôte, eating outside in the garden. The hostess was a fan of the Montignac diet and showed me one of his books. We had quite a bit of good-natured bantering about the fact that her breakfast did not follow the diet. She recommended that we visit the Château de Brissac on our way south. It was a good recommendation and a change from the royal castles that we are more likely to see in the Loire valley.

wren

Michael, I have looked at the logis and gites. websites, and seen some suggestions, but have you found b&bs from other places?

twoflower

I never prebook. As you say, it can deprive you of options you won't know about until you stumble upon them. But I do make sure I find somewhere to stop overnight, by mid afternoon when the Tourist Info Offices are still open. You will find them amazingly helpful in finding you what you want, at the price you want. Some may ask a small fee (1-2 euros), but its well worth it to avoid the hassle of doorknocking yourself.

StCirq

Wren:

Alistair Sawday's "French Bed & Breakfast" and Fodor's Rivage series "Hotels and Country Inns of Character and Charm in France" have never disappointed me.

hopscotch

My approach is serendipity. Just go and see what you want, then seek out a room.

With a 10 year old you would probably be best off stopping at about 17h00 (5 pm) to find a room because it might take an hour, but it might take 5 minutes. Check in and then take a stroll to find a restaurant before 19h00. This exercise is part of the joy of France.

My experience is that France in June is no problem for finding a hotel. Even Montpellier in August was no problem the time we visited. The key to success is to stop early enough in the evening to assure yourself a bed without an extended search. Don't worry. The French are holed up in Paris until mid-July. Then they leap frog (no pun intended) all of France to la Cote d'Azur for their 30 days going bronze.

Amy40

Thanks all.

I am leaning toward the advice to book ahead a la St. Cirq and Christina because I am a bit picky about where I stay. I'd rather have it worked out ahead of time. (Did somebody say control freak??? That must be my daughter!) And I agree that spending time in the hunt takes time from touring.

Wren - I found a AAA guide to B&Bs at my local remainders bookstore. Originally published by UK AA, it has an American AAA cover slapped on it. All three and four star establishments. Only 2 years old, so that's a start for me.

Mediterraneo - Between your advice and St Circ's, I think I may try to book a room in La Roque. Also, can you tell me approximately where St Pompon and Daglan are? I still have only the Michelin for all of France. But I have noted those two villages in the index.

mediterraneo

You will love La Roque. You can rent a canoe there with your daughter and spend an afternoon on the river. As for St. Pompon and Daglan, below are a couple of maps online that have both of them listed to give you a general sense, but you will of course want to buy the regional Michelin map for your trip. There isn't much to do in St. Pompon other than walk around the village and the surrounding hills, but there is a very good dinner restaurant just off the center square where they often have a local accordian player. Daglan is a larger village, very picturesque and often has festivals and markets on the weekends. But really, there are dozens of little villages like these so by driving around, you will run into many gems.

http://membres.lycos.fr/stlaurentlav...ages/CARTE.jpg

http://www.moulin-de-paulhiac.com/gb5.html

mediterraneo

Also, don't miss Beynac - great castle above a pretty village - a 10 year old would like it very much and they also have an impressive display of arms and armor.

StCirq

Amy:

St. Pompom and Daglan are south of the Dordogne. If you're making a trip from La Roque-Gageac to the beautiful bastide town of Monpazier, you could take a southerly route and pass through them both. But really, as mediterraneo says, they are just typical of a couple hundred similar villages scattered all over the Dordogne, so I wouldn't call them "must sees" by any stretch. Must-sees would include Beynac, Sarlat, Domme, and Monpazier for starters - also Les Eyzies or Montignac if you want to visit a prehistoric cave.
I would rent canoes at St-Vincent-de-Cosse, about halfway between St-Cyprien and Beynac - cheaper than in Beynac, more pleasant outfitters, and more options as far as length of trip.
You daughter, even at 10 and even if not a history bugff, would probably enjoy the château of Castelnaud. It has an interesting movie about how to sack a castle as well as some hands-on exhibits about medieval warfare and, sometimes, sound and light shows and catapult exhibitions.
Josephine Baker's château nearby Castelnaud is also interesting, and there are falcon exhibitions in summer as well as pageants at night.
You daughter will also love the outdoor markets, as they feature crafstmen and toys and clothing as well as an astonishing bounty of local foodstuffs.
If you need other ideas, let me know.

mediterraneo

Yeah, StCirq's list of must-sees is right. Don't go out of your way to see Daglan and St Pompon unless you have some extra time or it's on the way somewhere. At the top of Domme there are great views of the valley and some nice gardens. Great place to grab lunch.

Amy40

Thank you thank you thank you! I am printing maps and entire posts as we speak (so to speak).

I was thinking of posting and starting another thread, but perhaps it is appropriate to ask the following question here...

With a week to get from Amboise to Millau, keeping in mind that I probably will feel more comfortable booking our accommodations ahead, should we meander through the area, staying in a new venue each night, or rather use one or two towns as bases for exploring?

I am using Frommer's Best-Loved Driving Tours, which gives me a loop through the Dordogne, roughly bounded by Perigueux, Bergerac, Gourdon, St-Cere, Sarlat and Montignac. Would LaRoque be a good place from which to tour all these areas or should we split our time between "one end" of the Dordogne and t'other?

St Circ, your description of the road through Villefranche and Rodez to Millau was so appealing, I have jetisoned the plan to loop south through Montpellier, etc. We'll see that part of the world another time. Given our constraint of one week, how much time should we dedicate to this path, still leaving "enough" time for the Dordogne? (I know there is never enough...)

Oh, and by the way, my daughter is a great history buff and a shopper to boot. How do I know when and where to find those markets? I have also made note from a separate thread of your jewelry store on the Rue de Buci and Rue Dauphine. Sounds like a treat!

twoflower

Hi Amy40. Entirely your choice whether to book ahead or not, but you did say you were leaning toward pre-booking because you are "picky about where you stay"? That is precisely why I don't prebook. The only accommodation duds I've ever struck were when I prebooked and had nothing to go on other than the advertising blurb in guides or on websites. Calling in at the village Tourist Office as soon as you arrive (by mid-afternoon preferably) gets you exactly what you want, because you can describe your needs and ask whatever questions you want in person (give or take some language difficulties, but that's half the fun!). And if not satisfied you can always go back - but I've never had to do that; I've always found French Tourist Offices excellent at understanding your requirements and making a judgement about exactly what you will like or not like.
Whatever you decide, enjoy it. Sounds like you have some great places lined up!

Amy40

Hi twoflower. Very good point. You can see why this is a difficult decision to make. Both approaches have strong supporting evidence. Hmm... wonder what St Circ has to say about a base of operations...

As a kid, I remember sleeping in the back of our car enroute to my brother's NH summer camp because there were no rooms between Boston and Squam Lake. Those European rentals cars are just too small...

StCirq

Hi, Amy:

I think one location in the Dordogne will be sufficient for your plans. You can see all the major sites of the Périgord Noir (the area around Sarlat that includes all the caves, teh most beautiful villages, the bastide towns, etc.) from one base, as long as it's relatively close to Sarlat, which is the hub, albeit the easterly end of the area. You can also easily take an extended daytrip to Rocamadour, the Gouffre de Padirac, Martel, and Collonges-la-Rouge from a base there. It's a long daytrip, but eminently do-able.
Market days are as follows:

Sarlat: Big market Saturday, small market Wednesday
Le Bugue: Big market Tuesday, small market Saturday
Lalinde: Thursday
Montignac: Friday
St-Alvère: Monday
Bergerac: Wednesday and Saturday
Périgueux: Wednesday
Vergt: Friday