easygoer

St Cirq, and anyone, quick question. You mentioned skipping the Rocamadour Area which would give us two extra nights. Rather than added Aigues-Mortes and the Camargue (save for another trip), we could add the two days to our itinerary. I have a couple of thought.

Add a day to Albi making it three nights.

Add the extra night to stay over in Carcassonne, instead of day trip.

Add an extra night in Toulouse, giving us two full days to sight-see without a car.

I can only pick two of the three above unless we add an extra day and fly out Monday. Anyone's thoughts would be appreciated.

Here is our "almost done" Itinerary

Fly into Toulouse/Rent Car Drive to Albi

Albi - 2 nights OR add extra night 3 nights???

Rocamadour Area - Skip Two Nights (Stop on the way to Sarlat?)

Sarlat - 5 nights

Figeac - 2 nights

Estaing or Espalion or St Eulalie - 2 nights

Gorges de Tarn - 2 nights Stu recommends Chateau de la Caze in La Malene

Carcassone - Day Trip OR stay over 1 night???

Toulouse - 2 nights OR add extra night 3 nights???

Thanks everyone. I'm almost done.

StuDudley

I would not cut out the Rocamadour area. We've spent 2 weeks vacationing near Albi, and 10 weeks in the Dordogne with many day-trips & overnights to the Rocamadour area, plus 1 week 10 mins from Lamalou les Bains & 2 weeks near Rodez (I would not recommend these last two villages/cities with our limited time in France).

There are several starred (Michelin rating) attractions near Rocamadour - in addition to Rocamadour*** itself. Chateaux of Montal** & Castelnau-Bretenoux**. The very interesting underground cave of Padirac** where you can take a boat ride on an underground river & walk & see stalactites & mites. The lovely villages of Carennac* (one of our favorites), Bastide town of Martel*, St Cere* (recommended by St Cirq & me too), Loubressac*, and Autoire*. Plus a scenic drive along the Dordogne River***. The countryside is quite scenic, IMO.

Rocamadour is the second most-visited site in France outside of Paris. But you don't want to be there between 10:00am & 6:00pm when it can get crowded with tourists and the vendors pull out some tacky displays onto the streets. We've visited it several times. The last time about 8 years ago we got there at 8:30am and explored the town. The vendors had not yet opened up and created an "eye-diversion" to distract us from enjoying the interesting architecture of this village on the side of a cliff. That's why I recommended on your prior thread that you only visit it in the early am or early evening.

The area around Toulouse has some sprawl and is a little more arid than up north near Sarlat & Rocamadour. Albi is one of our "top 5" medium-sized cities in France - but it's only a half-day visit, IMO. Cordes (near Albi) & Carennac (near Rocamadour) are equally interesting - but after that, I think the villages, countryside, and sites near Rocamadour are more interesting than those around the Gorges de l'Aveyron & Albi.

If you drive from Albi to Sarlat, it is a 3 1/4 hr drive - which is a little longer than I would want to take. Albi to Rocamadour is 1 hr less.

Stu Dudley

easygoer

Thanks again Stu. Padirac Sounds really cool! The 3 1/4 hour drive from Albi to Sarlat is no problem, but I trust you not to skip the Rocamadour area. You recommended Domaine de la Rhue. I'll see if they have availability. I believe we would have to drive to town for dinner. I assume that's not a problem.

Checked out flights on Air France. Everyone is about $1200 pp. Not like the old days when we could fly to Europe for half the price.

StuDudley

If you stay at Domaine de la Rhue, consider dining in Rocamadour - I think there are a few restaurants there with outside terraces with views. More times than not - these "tourist infested" sites (Mt St Michel, Carcassonne, Rocamadour) are more lovely in the evening when the tourists are gone. Friends stayed at Domaine de la Rhue & loved it - it's popular with Fodors travelers also. I would check availability ASAP - they only have 5 rooms - but there are other options in the area. Ask them for recommendations on where to dine.

The Domaine is only 6 K from Rocamadour, so driving there should not be a problem.

We've flown in or out of Toulouse on United/Lufthansa via Frankfurt Germany several times.

Stu Dudley

easygoer

Hi Stu,

Hope you're around. I have a little snag in our hotel reservations. The apartment/hotel in Sarlat can only take us one day earlier for 5 nights. That means cutting one night from either Albi or Domaine de la Rhue (which has availability). Or only staying in Sarlat for 4 nights (which you already said 5 nights is best.

Would this be okay?

Albi - 1 night upon arrival (our flight arrives before 10:00 am) We'll be able to see the city that day, plus the next morning

Domaine de la Rhue - 2 nights

Sarlat - 5 nights

That will leave us with one extra night. Suggestions on where to spend it would be appreciated. Perhaps Toulouse? Here is the remainder of our itinerary.

Figeac - 2 nights

Estaing or Espalion or St Eulalie - 2 nights

Gorges de Tarn - 2 nights Chateau de la Caze in La Malene

Carcassone - Day Trip OR stay over 1 night???

Toulouse - 2 nights OR add extra night 3 nights???

Thanks so much!

StuDudley

That's fine. Visit Cordes on the way to Rocamadour.

Stu Dudley

easygoer

Thanks again. You're thoughts on the extra day? Spend a night at Carcassone or an extra night in Toulouse. You should start a tour company!

StuDudley

Where is the extra day - what day of the week???

You will be driving directly by Carcassonne on the way from La Malene to Toulouse - literally within 200 Meters or so. The "most efficient" time in your itinerary would be to visit it then - not as a day-trip from Toulouse. You could stay overnight if you like - but again, it's only a 2 1/2 hr visit without lunch, IMO. An overnight would give you more time in the Gorges du Tarn and also Toulouse.

If you don't do an overnight in Carcassonne, I'm not sure Toulouse itself would need 2 1/4 days if you decided to stay 3 nights there. An evening walk-around and a full day would be plenty.

Stu Dudley

easygoer

Here is our current itinerary. We may fly in a day early to spend 2 nights in Albi. We can spend the extra night anywhere except Sarlat. It seems like Figeac, Estaing and Espalion are near each other. Could we consolidate and have one base? We don't mind driving a bit extra to avoid moving hotels. Your thoughts are appreciated.

Albi - 1 night

Domaine de la Rhue - 2 nights

Sarlat - 5 nights

Figeac - 2 nights

Estaing or Espalion or St Eulalie - 2 nights

Gorges de Tarn - 2 nights Chateau de la Caze in La Malene

Toulouse - 2 nights

maitaitom

In Sarlat we stayed here for five nights...one of our favorite hotels ever...La Villa des Consuls. We stayed in the Montesquieu apartment. Kitchen and a nice balcony for evening vin rouge (link below). I've included trip report with photos (our days in the Dordogne are Chapters Three through Seven).

http://www.villaconsuls.fr/accueil-s...onsuls-en.html

http://www.travelswithmaitaitom.com/...ance_2012.html

StuDudley

You earlier commented that I tour at a faster pace than you do. So if I slow things down a bit:

After the last night in Figeac
- Leave Figeac and drive to Conques 10:00am to 11:00
- Visit Conques, and have a sit-down lunch there 11:00 to 2:00
- Drive to Entraygues 2:00 to 2:45
- Visit Entraygues 2:45 to 4:00
- Drive to Estaing 4:00 to 4:30
- Visit Estaing, tour the castle, take pictures from across the bridge 4:30 to 6:30
- Drive to Espalion 6:30 to 6:45

What are you going to do if you don't stay in the Espalion region??? The drive to La Malene is 1 3/4 hrs - which would put you in there at 8PM - which is too late for me and perhaps much too late for you. You would be driving past some wonderful areas and villages. You could skip some villages and beautiful countryside - but beautiful countryside, villages, rivers, etc are "why" you are going to France. Like I stated earlier - the Languedoc is pretty "strung out" and there are no fast roads in that region.

Stay in Espalion and visit the Aubrec, Lagouile, Espalion, Ste Eulalie, take a walk along the Lot River - and stay 2 nights. Espalion has a very nice morning farmer's market. I don't know if you would be there on their market day - but if you would, then that would consume about 1-2 hrs.

The Gorges du Tarn would not be a good place for 4 nights, and then backtrack to the Lot River area (Espalion) to visit the stuff you would have visited on the days after Figeac.

Stu Dudley

easygoer

maitaitom, Ciao! Remember me, we bumped into each other with my husband and your wife in Siena at a restaurant named Cane e Gatto years ago. My trip report on Fodors disappeared, for some reason, was called something like "Our Italian Adventure - We Even Met MaiTaiTom!"

My husband and your wife sat back while we talked about Bob the Nav and Stu Dudley, since both helped us so much. You had just come from San Quirico d'orcia and we were just heading there.

Re: Sarlat, just booked 5 nights at La Villa des Consuls. Can't wait to read your trip report.

Stu, you know the area like the back of your hand. We'll stick with your plan. TY

maitaitom

"maitaitom, Ciao! Remember me, we bumped into each other with my husband and your wife in Siena at a restaurant named Cane e Gatto years ago. My trip report on Fodors disappeared, for some reason, was called something like "Our Italian Adventure - We Even Met MaiTaiTom!""

I remember. You said something like "Bobthenavigator rocks!" and I knew it was a fellow Fodorite. Have a great trip!!

maitaitom

...and now..The Rest Of The Story...From my trip report:

"At the end of the meal, as people were starting to leave, we struck up a conversation with a couple (he was from Boston, and I was in need of another baseball fix). As we chatted, I casually asked how they knew about this restaurant. She said, “Oh, I am on a travel board.” I had told her I had read about the restaurant on travel boards, also.

Then, in an Italian-thread minute, she blurted out the name of a well-known Slow Traveler and Fodorite, “Bob The Navigator rocks!” The man is an icon."

kja

I loved Toulouse (and truly enjoyed its museums) and wish I had given it AT LEAST 2 full days, if not more. (Not counting a day for Albi.)

easygoer

Hi kja, thanks for the input. We have an extra night which we might add to Toulouse making it three nights with one day trip to Albi.

StuDudley

Aren't you staying in Albi the first night??

Stu Dudley

easygoer

Hi Stu, didn't want to keep bothering you. We had to make a change because the hotel in Sarlat was only available a day earlier for 5 nights. We decided, instead of spending one day in Albi, since we will be jet lagged, to go directly to Rocamadour for three nights. That way we can sleep in and tour the city the first day and day trip the next.

Fitting in Albi will be at the end. Either stay in Albi one night after visiting Carcassone, or go direct to Toulouse for three nights and day-trip to Albi the next day, then drop off the car Friday evening.

Here's our almost complete trip. I know Sundays and Mondays are quite, but I was working around hotel availability. The days of the week are arrival and departure days.

Rocamadour - 3 nights Thurs - Sunday

Sarlat - 5 nights Sunday - Friday

Figeac - 2 nights Friday - Sunday

Estaing or Espalion or St Eulalie - 2 nights Sunday - Tuesday

Gorges de Tarn - 2 nights Tuesday - Thursday

Carcassone en route

Toulouse - 3 nights - Thursday - Sunday (day trip to Albi)

Sound OK?

StuDudley

>>Sound OK<<

Looks great!!

Stu Dudley

easygoer

Me again, what would you do?

Either stay in Albi one night (long day) after visiting Carcassone then spend 2 nights in Toulouse or go direct to Toulouse for three nights and day-trip to Albi the next day, then drop off the car Friday evening?

Stu, you're an blessing!