tuscanlifeedit

Hi

I posted about this over a week ago, but we are now a little more clear on our plans.

We will leave the Niort area in Poitou-Charentes in the morning on Saturday, August 15, and have until the afternoon or early evening of Thursday, August 20, before getting a train to CDG, where we will spend the night before flying home. We will have a car until then.

When I posted before, I had asked about avoiding the worst crowds (hoards/hordes, if anyone remembers). This is still important to us.

We want to see some lovely and more quiet villages. A cave. Riverside scenery. Some spectacular views. Take a boat ride.

We are interested in inexpensive B&Bs. By inexpensive, I would rather not go above 80 euro per night, and would prefer to stay below that number.

I understand that seeing a good deal of both these areas isn't going to happen. I think we really need help narrowing down where to go and what to see, knowing this is a very crowded time and I don't like crowds.

I have read many reports on this site, and several books, and I'm still having trouble narrowing our focus.

Thanks

StCirq

First off, I don't think you really can do both the Dordogne and the Lot in 5 days. The Dordogne is closer, so that's where I'd go.

I would head out early from Niort and stop at Oradour-sur-Glane, just north of Limoges. Plan to spend a couple of hours there, before continuing into the Périgord Noir.

Here's where it gets tricky, though. You absolutely aren't going to find caves, quiet little villages, riverside scenery, or spectacular views that aren't absolutely crawling with people in August. Just isn't going to happen.

So do you want to brave the hordes, or do you want to give up on your peaceful beautiful villages and scenery and stay in out-of-the-way places removed from all that?

Wayne

Realizing StCirq is absolutely correct, I'm wondering if there aren't perhaps a few of the Dordogne villages that are only half-packed with people. StCirq will know more than I, because I've never been there at that time of year. But perhaps you might consider several of the following, which do have some merit as "typical" without being in the full spotlight: Monpazier, Lalinde, Beaumont, Martel, Carennac, Vayrac, or several others that you might just "discover."

StCirq

Monpazier is where Lascaux is - it'll be mobbed. Lalinde and Beaumont might work, but neither is anywhere near as attractive as the better known places. Martel and Carennac are pretty far afield for visiting the main sites (and Carennac is hugely popular, too). Vayrac's far, too.

There are definitely villages that won't be mobbed. I can name loads, but the problem is, you need to drive around to see the sites, and every riverside road will be thronged, parking will be near-impossible, lines for attractions will be long, and everything about the experience will be the opposite of what the OP said she's looking for.

I need to go look at a good map and see if there's a better plan. Maybe somewhere like Figeac or Rodez would work.

Aduchamp1

One of my avocations is cave drawings. Lascaux II is an incedible reproduction. They painstakingly reproduced the orginal drawings over a period of eleven years.

Although there is only one other cave in Europe on the level of Lascaux and that Altamira in Northern Spain, the cave at Rouffignac is good.

StCirq

Rouffignac isn't a chromatic cave - it's engravings. I find those far less compelling than the chromatic caves. The Grotte de Font de Gaume and Combarelles are a lot more interesting to me than Rouffignac, and Bara-Bahau has, IMO, better engravings.
Lascaux II is indeed amazing.

StuDudley

How about further south in the Tarn et Garonne near St Antonin Noble Val. Lots & lots of cute quiet villages there, close to Albi, Figeac, Cahors, many Bastide villages, the Gorges de l'Aveyron (for your riverside), and Pech Merle (for your cave). Nice market on Sunday in St Antonin Noble Val, and in Villefranche de Rouergue. Lots of good restaurants too. If you want to miss the hordes/hoards, I would go there. We stayed in a gite, so can't help with lodging.

We've spent 8 weeks in the Dordogne, and 2 weeks in the Aveyron.

Toulouse airport is about 1 hr away, so you could fly to CDG from there. There are hourly AF flights for $62 that start as early as 6:25am (arrive CDG 7:55). Toulouse is one of my top 5 large cities in France.

Stu Dudley

tuscanlifeedit

This is all very helpful.

I wanted peaceful but I think I'm expecting too much from this leg of our trip. We will be out in the country for a week before heading out in the car, so that ought to be enough peace.

I totally understand what St Cirq is saying about the thronged roads. I do see that I'm going to have to make a change in my priorities for these days.

I guess I can go for half thronged. It sounds like peaceful and gorgeous don't come together in August, in this part of France.

Stu: I like your suggestion of heading further south and flying from Toulouse. I never considered flying because I didn't see any cheap flights from Toulouse on my usual go-to site, whichbudget.com.

I'm going back to more reading and surfing. Thank you all for these directions and suggestions.

Our trip changed shape drastically once already. We were heading to Barcelona for a conference, but scrapped that plan because of time, money and family issues.

I seem to be making the rest of this plan in little jerky fits and starts, so I will check some of this out, and be back soon with more questions. Until then, I'll keep checking this thread. Thanks.

Ps. You really all don't know how much I appreciate the help today. We are having an awful time here, and today is my late son't birthday. Having a trip to think about is helping me immensely.

StCirq

Tuscan, sorry you're having a hard time. Lots of us are these days, and we should just all help each other out as much as we can.

I think you should just bite the bullet and head to the Dordogne. The places Stu mentions in the Lot are places I know very well, and I must say there is just no comparison between them and the Dordogne. They're nice, but they're not fabulous, and the Dordogne, even with the mobs that are there in August, is just fabulous. I am there in August with some frequency (and will be there again this coming August - want to come for dinner?), and we just gear ourselves for dealing with the crowds. After all, part of the whole deal of going there is to slow down the pace of life and just let things happen as they will.

So, as I started out saying, do Oradour-sur-Glane the first day and then head into the Dordogne. I am am not up to speed on current hotel/B&B prices these days, but check out the following. I've tried to think of places that are not on the clogged routes:


La Table du Terroir in La-Chapelle-Aubareil (near Montignac and the restaurant is fabulous)
Le Moulin Neuf in Paunat
Les Quatre Pins in Groléjac
La Domaine des Ecureuils in Sarlat (OK, not out of the way, but you'd be able to walk around town)
Les Filolies in St.-André d'Allas
Le Chevrefeuil in St-Cyprien (fabulous Sunday market)
La Trefle aux Quatre Feiulles in Siorac.

Michael

The town of Hautefort is usually not packed with tourists, although I admit that I have not been there in August in recent times. But it is not within the essential triangle of the Dordogne although it has a nice chateau and hospital museum.

cathies

We spent a few days in Albas in the Lot last year. Once we found it, (divorce courts were on the agenda for a while ) It is lovely. Just a tiny little village with a few shops - gorgeous views of the river. Not to far from Cahors which we also liked. We stayed in a lovely B&B which from memory cost 55 euros per night including breakfast.

Now, having recommended it, I should say that I don't know the area at all (we were meeting up with Australian friends) and StCirq and Stu Dudley will have a better idea of whether or not there are other places that will suit you better.

tuscanlifeedit

St Cirq: if we do bite the bullet, and go for the Dordogne, the money I've spent on guidebooks will not have been in vain. Not that I mind buying books, plus all the ones I have from the library. Mind boggling, and a bullet needs to be bitten, for sure.

You all have given much more to check out. Here I go.

blh

Here are a couple of really reasonable B&B's where we stayed in October. One is outside of Montignac - http://www.gite-lalibellule.com/eng/index.html - and is a cute place. It quotes weekly prices (actually a gite), but we were able to stay for four nights. Of course, that was in October not August. We really enjoyed Montignac as well.

The other is a B&B in Cabrerets close to Pech Merle. The views are amazing, and the food is wonderful. This is located in the Lot, but is close to the Dordogne.

dgassa

I second Albas near Cahors. I think Cathies talking about this B&B which we stayed at in 2005. The owners, Justin and Robin Saunders (she's American, he's English) were a wealth of information about the surrounding area. We made day trips to Rocamador and St Cirq La-poppie (SP?) and of course Cahors, all with in a couple of hours driving time. Albas is on the Lot River and the B&B, La Carrire is right on the river. Very small village with limited services, but surrounded by vinyards, quiet and off the tourist path.

http://www.lotfrance.com/

You can read about and see some photos of our trip here:

http://tinyurl.com/24vmde

dgassa

Opps, It was 2006 when we were there.

StCirq

Just want to say that the B&B near/in Albas looks great, but it's definitely not in the Dordogne or a good base for visiting stuff there. It's a whole other region - and not one I think is even remotely as lovely as the Dordogne.

It's all relative, of course. Anywhere in SW rural France is pretty cool.

wren

Tuscan, A great B&B with a great location and a great price that I can recommend is "Le Petit Versailles" in Beynac...We stayed there the first time we went to the Dordogne (2004)--have rented a house since. Jean-Claude and Francoise Fluerie are a warm, hospitable couple. Francoise was a professional cook at one point in Paris if my memory serves me correctly. They get great reviews on Slow Travel and Trip Advisor, as well as Fodors.

http://www.lepetitversailles.fr/page/eng/accueil.html

StCirq

But getting into and out of Beynac in August can take an hour or more, even though the whole town is only a couple of "blocks" long. I wouldn't want to have to face that every morning and evening.

StuDudley

StCirq - you've mentioned that several times in past years. Is it the same going through Roque Gageac in mid August?

That must be rough for the vendors who rent canoes around Allas le Mines. When we rented canoes there, they drove us (and others) through Beynac & Roque Gageac, and let us off at the river near Cenac. Then they had to drive back the same way to pick up the next batch of canoers. Maybe in August they take a different route to Cenac on the south side of the river - but that's a lot longer - distance wise. Glad we never visit France during the first 3 weeks in August.

Stu Dudley

StCirq

Yes, Stu, it's true. You really can't easily get around driving on those narrow riverside roads (at least not unless you've REALLY scouted out all the back routes (there are roads high up in the cliffs above both Beynac and La Roque-Gageac you can take, but they are NOT for the faint of heart.

August is also when there are lots of brocante fairs in the alluvial fields near both Beynac and La Roque-Gageac, and they draw enormous crowds. Cars are parked on both sides of the road just outside of town, with people taking forever to find a space, pedestrians walking along the roads from their cars, etc. It can get pretty awful.

And the river is so full of people and canoes and kayaks it literally looks like a full parking lot. You have to make a reservation several days in advance, generally, to rent a canoe or kayak. Last August we made 3 such reservations and missed each one by more than an hour because we got stuck in traffic on the way (and we allowed what we thought was plenty of time). Naturally, your 3 pm appointment means you won't actually get on the river until 4 or 5, because yes, the canoe drivers are pretty much restricted to the same roads as everyone else.