Brive-la-Gaillarde spend time or skip?
 

Has anyone spent time in Brive? We're are planning on traveling from Paris to Sarlat via Brive, and I'm wondering if it is worth spending the night in Brive before driving to Sarlat. Also, does anyone know how difficult the drive is to Sarlat from Brive?

Thank you, Inor

If you are not landing in Paris the day you go to Brive, there is no reason to stop in Brive at all. The drive is easy once you get out of town. If you take the 89 autoroute (going west), it will be easier to go to La Mule Blanche (this might not be its official name) exit just past Le Lardin Saint Lazare and backtrack to Le Lardin (print out a close up of the Google map). Take D704 all the way to Sarlat. Avoid Montignac by making a left turn at the light at the entrance to the town (the only traffic light after Le Lardin) and another left turn at the "T" intersection after crossing the bridge.

Thanks for your reply. Do you recommend any other villages on the way to Sarlat or near by for a stop?

Saint Amand de Coly or Saint Geniès.

This photo:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mksfca/...57623164797649

and the next 14 in the set.

How are you travelling to Brive? I agree it's not necessary to stop there on the way to Sarlat.

If you are driving, you won't actually be anywhere near the town, as you come down on the A20 and then head off west on the A89.

If you fly, you will arrive south of Brive, near Cressensac, and then drive directly to Sarlat.

If you come by train you do actually arrive in the centre of town and then have to make your way out - not difficult, as there are many signs to Sarlat.

That said, we actually like Brive. Perhaps not enough to spend the night there when you could go on to Sarlat, but we often go up for lunch (fitting in with doctor's appointments, etc.) especially to Chez Francis, a very interesting, welcoming Bistro.

Forgot to say that's an easy drive from Brive to Sarlat. St Genies is a wonderful village, full of lauze (stone) roofs. If you are staying in the Sarlat area, it's not far.

Hi Inor,

Have you considered taking the TGV to Libourn, getting your car from the rental office across the street and driving to Sarlat (2:15 hr)? We booked our car through ww.kemwel.com

You could stay overnight in the area and visit St. Emilion.

We very much liked our stay at http://www.chateau-de-roques.com

Enjoy your visit.
((I))

Thanks everyone for your replies.
Our itinerary so far is:
begin in Paris
train to Brive
drive to Sarlat
drive to St. Emilion
drive to St. Sebastian, Spain

I was considering taking the train to Libourne and spending the night in St. Emilion before going to Sarlat. However, then we would have to back track through the Bordeaux area to get to St. Sebastian.

Does anyone have a better suggestion for how to do this. My husband won't take a small plane so flying is out.

One thing I forgot to ask, does anyone recommend a place we could stop on the way from Sarlat to St Sebastian that is south of the Bordeaux region? That way we could take the train to Libourne and stay in St Emilion first, drive to Sarlat from there, and avoid back tracking on the same route from Sarlat to St. Sebastian.

I don't see anything wrong with your current plan, but I wouldn't spend the night in Brive.

If you are taking the train to Brive, no reason to stay there before going on to Sarlat. I also think you original plan is fine. The train from Paris to Brive is direct, the drive to Sarlat is easy, and then you can move west to St Emilion, san Sebastian.

Hi inor,

>I was considering taking the train to Libourne and spending the night in St. Emilion before going to Sarlat. However, then we would have to back track through the Bordeaux area to get to St. Sebastian. <

If you go via Villeneuve-sur-Lot, I think that the scenery will be nicer, you can save about 80 km, and it takes only an hour longer. See www.viamichelin.com or www.maps.google.com.

((I))

>a place we could stop on the way from Sarlat to St Sebastian<

It's between 5 & 6 hr. Why stop?

((I))

I thought you were going to Bordeaux, stopping in St-Emilion on the way. I think that sounds much better than the other plan, which has you backtracking for no reason. If you want a stopping place on the route from Bordeaux south to San Sebastian, I'd suggest Bayonne or St-Jean-de-Luz (even though they're both really close to San Sebastian). Just get through Les Landes as quickly as possible - boring as all get out and flat as a pancake. There's no need to go to Villeneuve-sur-Lot, which is kind of a sketchy town.

From Saint-Emilion I would curve eastward to drive through the Gers and see some of its villages, stopping overnight in Pau. From Pau I would drive through the Basque country, visiting some of its towns (Espelette, Ainhoa, Sare) on the way to San Sebastian.

You might want to take a look at my trip report of our short travels in Aquitaine, although you would cover the area in the reverse order; click on my name to find it.