Dordogne and Lot River
 

We're planning on spending 5 days in Dordogne/Lot River area in early October. Can anyone give any information about this area? Five days adequate? Driving time between towns (e.g., Sarlat to Rocamador). Sites to see? Places to stay? Weather this time of year? Entrances to caves? Any and all information would be appreciated.

I am going to be there from October 19th for a week or so but I have been there twice before so, no, 5 days is totally inadequate but its better than nothing. <BR>This area is my absolute favourite in the whole of Europe because there is so much to see in such a small area.<BR>Drop an email to the Office of Tourism<BR>[email protected] and also check out the site on www.sarlat-tourism.com. <BR>The tourist office in Sarlat sent me a booklet with all the accommodation available for one week and upward but you can tell them what you would like for your 5 days and I am sure that they can help you. <BR>My favourite places within the Dordogne/Lot area are, Rocamadour, Domme, Sarlat, Brantome, gee when I think about it I could go on and on. You will love this place. I am staying in the centre of the medieval area of Sarlat because it is so convenient and its lovely to be able to sit in the square there at night at a cafe and just take it all in. <BR>If you are in that area try very hard to devote a day to driving over to Carcassonne as that is an absolute "must see".<BR>Enjoy!!

"Le gouffre de Padirac",near Rocamadour. It is a big pit in the earth where you can go down in. Downunder, you can continue the visit in a cave by little boats pushed by humoristic "gondeleers" in typically uniforms. To follow their explanation you must of course understand French, but it is not a must to enjoy the beauty of the cave. The "Gouffre de Padirac" is well known and a must to see when you are in the region. When it rains, it is even more beautiful.

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I have been interested in going to this area for a while now. I have a few questions - is a car necessary? how easy/difficult is it to get to this area from Paris (where I'd fly in and out of)? does it make sense to go there if I can only stay for 5 days, including time to get to/from Paris? is this an area you can visit on a last minute trip or is more advance planning required (to make hotel reservations/car reservations, etc.)<BR><BR>I ask because I am considering taking my friend there as a surprise trip. I won't be able to plan very much in advance because our dates are up in the air. I'd really like to go and get there in the fall (which seems to be a lovely season) but wonder whether it will be too difficult to plan such a trip at the last minute.

Don---You have to get yourself a book that covers this area. No one can begin to tell you, in the limited space we have here, all of the sights and experiences you might enjoy. So the first thing you need to do is go to a book store or order a book from Amazon.com. As for how long you should allow---well, if 5 days is all you have, then it has to be enough. Five months really isn't enough to see everything, so do what you can and enjoy it.<BR><BR>For Sally--yes, you do need a car. I find the public transportation to be very limited. You won't be able to get to many places you might want to see if you don't have a car. As for accommodations, it isn't too risky if you go in the fall. There are lots of small hotels and B&B's in the entire area.

Don: You are asking for a vast amount of information, which I'd be happy to give you if I had five days to write, but I'm afraid I don't. Start by getting Cadogan's guide to the Dordogne, Lot & Bordeaux. When you narrowed down the areas and sites you want to visit, I and others will be happy to offer specific information.<BR><BR>You might also do a search on this site for the numerous posts on this topic.<BR><BR>Five days is not much, but it's true that in the Dordogne you can see an enormous number of sites in a small area. If I had only five days, I'd split them between one location near Sarlat and one location near Cahors. The roads are narrow and winding, and even in October there will be tourist traffic, and it will take you longer to get from one place to the next than you might think.<BR><BR>Also, you'll need to make reservations for the major caves, especially if you want an English-speaking tour. You can find out more information on that by going to http://www.arachnis.asso.fr/DORDOGNE/tourisme/sites/Sitpreh/Eyzies/msngrot0.htm<BR><BR>and www.SHOWCAVE.com<BR><BR>To Sally: Yes, a car is pretty much a must if you want to see the things worth seeing in the Dordogne. I personally wouldn't make the trek to the Dordogne if I had only 5 days, including travel time. It will take you a day to get there (5-hour train ride and then some driving to get to the area where you would probably be staying) and a day to get back - that leaves 3 days.<BR>As for accommodation, yes, you can probably find places to stay once you get there, but you should know that many establishments close October 15 through Easter weekend, so if you're going at the end of October I'd be sure to make reservations in advance.<BR>

Wayne, are you working for Amazon.com ?<BR>

To Greg on my work: No, I don't work for Amazon.com. It's easier for me to make a suggestion for a well-known book supplier than to hem and haw around the topic by saying something vague. I also suggest using Avis and Hertz for car rentals, but I don't work for them either. And many times I extoll the beauties of my favorite country, Austria; but I don't work for the Austrian tourism commission. As a matter of fact, I don't work for anybody. (except, of course, my wife)

You can fly into Bordeaux, but the flights are less frequent than into Paris (if flying from the U.S., you'll change in either London or Paris). If the connections are decent, it is faster than driving from Paris.<BR><BR>With five days, you CAN see a lot of the region via public transportation (trains, buses, tours), but you'll severely limit yourself - and you're at the mercy of sketchy service. Get a car.<BR><BR>As St Cirq pointed out, things begin to close or limit their opening hours in October. You could do a trip on short notice, but you'd need to do the research for ALL the times you might be going. You'd have to be very flexible about accommodations - in location, style and amenities.<BR><BR>There's a Michelin green guide for Perigord/Quercy which has a lot of info, as well as a couple of suggested routes.<BR><BR>Get a Michelin road map for the area; it's marked with symbols for caves, castles, bastides, scenic spots... when planning a trip a couple of years ago, I scanned the map, then used the folds for sections. Picked a couple with lots of symbols, then focused my research on those areas.<BR><BR>I don't think a lifetime would be enough to see all of this area. Even if you managed to visit every cave and grotto, every bastide and fortified church, you'd still have a gazillion castles and villages. When you're done with those, you can enjoy the great outdoors via horse or boat. Then there are cooking classes and truffle treks and chestnut tours....<BR><BR>Oh great now I'm missing the place...<BR><BR>

Hey Don. My wife and I were there in July, and it was great. Personally, I think 5 days should be fine for a pretty good overview, although you could certainly do more. (My wife would probably say 5 is too much, but she's not that into castles and foie gras, which are the primary attractions). Sarlat is a nice little town - try to catch the market on Saturday. Beynac was definitely worth seeing - a perfectly preserved castle overlooking the whole valley. We stayed at a Relais and Chateaux in Premalot (I think), but the name escapes me. It's in Fodors, and really quite nice. An AMAZING dinner too. And you'll definitely want a car. Driving times aren't bad - under an hour between Sarlat and Rocamador, I think, and the roads are easy and scenic. (Just make sure you gas up in advance). By the way, if you haven't read Timeline, by Michael Crichton, it would be fun reading for the trip, since it's set in the Black Perigord in present day and Middle Ages. Enjoy!

That would be the Vieux Logis in Tr&eacute;molat, probably. A very nice property to be sure, but you can stay at many other lovely places for a third the price in the P&eacute;rigord. One of the wonderful things about the area is the large number of excellent but inexpensive accommodations.

Ken: Thanks for the information. That's helpful. Any "must-see" sites beside the castle at Beynac?<BR>Don

For Liz: What is the weather like in Dordogne in October? Temperature? Precipitation? Clothing needs? Thanks.<BR><BR>Don

It's often warm enough to swim into mid-October, but that said, it gets cool enough for a nice fire at night. Precipitation is anyone's guess.<BR><BR>Other places to see? Well, Castelnaud, La Roque-Gageac, St-L&eacute;on-sur-V&eacute;z&egrave;re, Tursac, Tamni&egrave;s, Monpazier, Lalinde, Belv&egrave;s, St-Pontpom, Ste-Nathal&egrave;ne, St-Cyprien, Montignac, Le Buisson, Beaumont, Belfort, Issigeac, Gourdon, Domme, Vitrac, Le Bugue, Les Eyzies, Tr&eacute;molat, Limeuil.....really, Don, get the guidebook and do some culling according to your preferences.

Thanks St. Cirq....