I'm planning to spend a week in the Dordogne next summer and want to pair it with another week -- either driving around or concentrating on another locale. Any suggestions?

Brittany, the Auvergne or the Pyrenees would be my choices. Some of it depends on your departure/arrival point in France.

I'd pair it with another week in the Dordogne.

Provence or the Auvergne would be my choices. We just returned from 4 weeks in France - 2 in the Dordogne (we've been there 8 weeks on prior trips), 1 week in the Cantal dept in the Augergne (we've visited the Puy du Dome dept in the Auvergne for 2 weeks), and 1 in the western Loire (many prior Loire trips). Other than the Chateaux in the Loire, the countryside & villages in the Loire were quite boring - especially compared to the Cantal & Dordogne.

I think Provence & the Dordogne complement each other quite well. If you can catch lavender season in Provence - that would be perfect. Visit Carcassonne on the way from one region to the other.

Have you considered renting a Gite so you can go to the fabulous markets, get some food (roast chicken, cheese, veggies, etc), and then have dinner/lunch at the Gite. Try to get a gite with a pool - especially in Provence. We only stay in gites (over 40 different ones, so far).

Stu Dudley

We paired the Dordogne with the Pays Basque and the Medoc and I thought this was a wonderful combination. Of course, another week in the Dordogne would not be too shabby, either!

Thanks all; these are all fabulous suggestions. I've never been anywhere in France except Paris and Nice. A friend who drove all over France last spring told me the Dordogne was her favorite.

We did a couple days in the Languedoc (based in Pezenas), then a full week in the Dordogne (based in a small village called Daglan), followed by a few days in Provence (based in St. Remy).

Of those, the Dordogne was my clear favorite. Overall, one of our favorite trips ever.

Our trip report: http://www.onelittleworld.com/france_1.html

Oh, and I agree with Stu D. Rent a place for a week!

Depends on how much contrast you want - - but I second the vote above for le Pays Basque. Either region could stand up to adding a second week, but in a whirlwind trip in '05, we made the pairing work very well (and crammed into less than ONE week what should have been more like three!)

Best wishes,

Rex

Provence,Languedoc, Basque....can't go wrong with any of those.