Dordogne and Carcassonne
 

We have 7 nights in this area in April with Paris before and after. Train to Dordogne from Paris. We have friends near Domme so were thinking of 4 or 5 days around Domme or Sarlat and then to Carcassonne (we like the game - play it with our grandson) and back to Paris by train. I know we will find plenty to do in and near Dordogne, but any suggestions are appreciated. How about our route south and then back to Paris and from where? For hotels I will probably look at trip advisor, but am looking for suggestions around 100 Euros.

Tony

You WILL have a car in the Dordogne, I trust?

If you do a search here for Dordogne, you'll find hundreds of helpful posts. Or you can click on my screen name and get most of them.

I would spend one night at most at Carcassonne so you can see the place after the hordes have gone away. You don't need more than at most half a day to see all of it.

You might want to try this site for accommodations:

http://www.france-voyage.com/

Thank you for replies. Yes I will have a car for 7 days. This is first time I've driven in Europe and the first time in rural France though we have been to Europe several times. Have been to Marseille and Saint Tropez on cruises. I have looked at past posts. I wonder if we should spend four or five days in Dordogne area, should stay somewhere on way to Carcassonne, maybe spend a day in Toulouse before training back to Paris, where to stay near Carcassonne?

I was thinking of training to Libourne and then staying near Sarlat for 5 days and then heading to Carcassonne. Maybe 4 days in Sarlat and a more meandering route to Carcassonne. Or maybe going to Toulouse/Carcassonne first? Any ideas on what is best? Any driving tips? I am a confident driver, but an unconfident French speaker.

You can take the train to Libourne or Bordeaux or Brive or Périgueux and pick up a car to get to Sarlat. I don't like that drive from Bordeaux/Libourne, so I usually go to Périgueux. Five days is not too much to stay in the Sarlat area. Then you could do a nice meander down to Carcassonne through Figéac, Rodez, Albi, then get on the D roads and wander around Graulhet and Lavaur and Puylaurens and Revel and Castelnaudary. Then a night in Carcassonne and move on to Toulouse for a night and take the train back to Paris from there.

The only thing you really need to know about driving in France is that it isn't based on route numbers, but on the place names of places between where you are and where you're going. So you need to have a good mental grasp of the towns along your route, or consult a map often.

Thank you StCirq. That is just the kind of information I was looking for. That is exactly what I'll do.
Just how difficult is parking if you stay in Sarlat with a car?

Parking won't be bad in April except on market days (Wednesdays and Saturdays). There's a big public lot at one end of La Traverse and another on the hilltop overlooking town, plus scattered public parking on most of the roads leading into town.