Dordogne Base Stay - Montignac
 

Hello,

This is my first time travelling independent in France (and don't speak any French).

Depart June 28 with car from Carcassone to explore west of Cahors, stay overnight at Mecures.

Depart June 29 to Montignac

Depart July 4 evening to Bordeaux

Depart July 5 to home (Canada)

Would there be a problem using Montignac as a base to visit all the hot spots, such as La Roque-Gageac, Beynac, Brantôme, Sarlat,Font de Gaume, Loubressac. Autoire, Carennac, etc (still in process of creating my itinerary and leaving soon). I have ordered Michelin maps 329, 337, 343, 344. and reviewed the travel time on viamichelin; however, I read on this site that travel time is being underestimated on their site (just a bit concerned about that and the amount traffic at the sites).

I am interested in Markets and beautiful villages, where to picnic (any good suggestions for purchasing picnic food and on our way to the picnic location).

Just wondering how crowded it will be on the days I am in the Dordogne area. Would it be difficult to get out and about from Montignac from June 29 to July 4th to the surrounding areas (maybe I should change my base?.

If I am based in Montignac, and have dinner in, say, Beynac, would there be problems with driving at night since I would not be familiar with the the landmarks (I assume that there are no lights on the roads between towns?).
Thanks, Anna

p.s. what are your thoughts on Château de Puy Robert (I would perfer to stay in charming guest house or inns but hubby is more comfortable with the Relais chain)and it's right in the city isn't it although it does not make mention of it on the website.

Hi Anna,

>Château de Puy Robert....it's right in the city isn't it?<

You have to read the very small print:

"A 3 km de Montignac accès par la D65, rive gauche de la Vézère".

It's 3 km outside the town on the D65.

>..would there be problems with driving at night ..<

Beynac is about 45 min from Montignac.

((I))

Though Montignac is a fairly charming town, it doesn't make the best base for visiting the main sites (except for Lascaux II, of course) at that time of year. For one thing, the roads leading into town are small, and there will be hordes of visitors. You'll be in traffic each time you come and go.

For another, it's too long a drive to just wander into Sarlat or Beynac or La Roque-Gageac, say, for dinner. And the D706 that runs to Les Eyzies and passes by La Roque St-Christophe and the Village Troglodytique de la Madeleine and the Bara-Bahau cave is one of the most tortuous roads in all the Dordogne - one caravan in front of you and you'll be crawling at 10 kph. The D704 to Sarlat is better, but not by much.

My favorite picnic spot is right on the river at St-Léon-sur-Vézère. Down by the river in the park in Le Bugue is another good spot. In St-Léon, there's a cafe right near the picnic benches that services delicious sandwiches and salads. But you can pick up great picnic supplies at any supermarket, Casino, or outdoor market. There's no shortage of fabulous picnic food anywhere.

The best markets are:

Saturday in Sarlat (small market there Wednesdays)

Tuesdays in Le Bugue (small market there Saturdays)

Thursday in Lalinde

Sunday in St-Cyprien

There are plenty of smaller ones in other towns on other days as well. They will be incredibly crowded in July - get there early if you want to park anywhere close.

The Château de Puy Robert sits by itself a few kms outside town. Generally speaking, there are no chateaux right in towns. There are endless possibilities for lovely accommodations in the Dordogne, though, both in towns and in the countryside. A search on this board will probably bring up quite a few.

Although I can't answer your main question, I can answer some of your smaller ones and get your post back up to the top.

On markets, here is a link that lists them by town:

http://www.livingfrance.com/lvfra/co...ault.asp?id=15

Here is a list of departments

http://www.slowtrav.com/france/maps/regions.htm

We always bring with us a few cloth napkins, an old sheet (to sit on), a pocket knife to cut fruit & sausage, a cheese knife to spread & cut cheese, and a corkscrew (all stored in checked luggage to avoid problems with security). Bring nice plastic cups for water or wine.

You will find loads of places to picnic if you travel on D roads, which are more scenic anyway. We like it when we find a spot near a stream.

Speaking of roads, yes travel time is often underestimated. Remember, too, that the roads that connect these small towns are mostly two-lane, which means if you get behind a truck, ancient vehicle (many still on small roads), or dawdling tourist you may move slowly until you have a chance to pass. Also, depending where you are the roads can get twisty.

On maps, we like the the Michelin Atlas, which comes in a heavy hardback and a much lighter spiral-bound:

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg...39866?v=glance

Don't have it here with me, but one page covers an area of about 35 miles across. Using it, we have never not been able to find a location. And by the way, it was good to see you use the plural "our" as having a navigator with the map makes all the difference. The atlas is also much easier to handle than a fold-out map.

Another point on driving is that French road signs will strike tourists as odd. They will sometimes list items like the next tiny bourg after the one you're in, then PARIS, with no intervening towns, i.e., where you really want to go. So look on the map for the next town after the one that is coming up that is headed in your direction.

Don't worry too much about driving in the dark unless you are out very late. At this time of year, light lasts until after 10 pm.

Hope some of this helps.

>>Would there be a problem using Montignac as a base to visit all the hot spots, such as La Roque-Gageac, Beynac, Brantôme, Sarlat,Font de Gaume, Loubressac. Autoire, Carennac, etc<<

If you see where Montignac is on the 329 map, and then circle all these other sites on the map, you will discover that Montignac is the northern most spot in this group of sites - except for Brantome. Ideally, you would want to be in the center of this group - which is about where Sarlat is located. Montignac is certainly OK for a location, however. I personally prefer the Beynac & Roque Gageac area because they are more centrally located, & right on the Dordogne River.

It will be a long day trip to visit Loubressac, Carennac, Autoire, St Cere, & Padirac from Montignac.

>>If I am based in Montignac, and have dinner in, say, Beynac, would there be problems<<

We stay near Beynac & Roque Gageac, and Montignac is a little too far for us to venture to for dinner.

>>Just wondering how crowded it will be on the days I am in the Dordogne area. Would it be difficult to get out and about from Montignac from June 29 to July 4th to the surrounding areas (maybe I should change my base?.<<

We were there for a week that time of year & didn't have any trouble at all.

I prefer the St Cyprien Sunday market over the touristy & crowded Sarlat Saturday market. The Wed market in Sarlat is less crowded, and the one in Le Bugue is quite nice, but you won't be there then (I'm assuming you are staying at the chateau at Mercures Tues night, and my wife insists on spending as much time as possible lingering about, if we are paying those prices).

Stu Dudley

Thanks for all your feedback.... I am trying to change my accommodations to a more central location. I'll try to get reservations at one of or combination of these places:

L'Esplanade in Domme
La Belle Etoile in La Roque-Gageac
Hotel Bonnet in Beynac
Le Relais des Cinq Châteaux in Vezac

I received my maps from Maptown today but they do not have 337 in stock, neither does Amazon (neither I or the customer service rep could find it). (these Michelin maps are huge!)

Thanks for all the tips, espcially the road related ones since road problems could consume our time on our short trip.

Your tips are always appreciated :-)

Thanks again, Anna

Hi anna,

You can get along with map no 329 if you can't get 337.

((I))

Hello,

I have decided to stay in Domme for 3 nights, depending on if I am going to St. Cere and need to stay overnight. I wonder if 3 nights would give me enough time to relax and see main areas of Dordogne.

June 30, Thursday: Is St. Cere area worth a trip for one night, (any suggestions for accommodations?) trading off time to see Dordogne? According to the via michelin it should take 1.5 hr drive from Domme to St. Cere. If we are going to see St. Cere we plan to visit Autoire, Loubressac and Carennac.
Thanks, Anna

Still planning my itinerary- There just so much to see and so little time. I don't know when I'll be back since I would likely have a toddler or infant with us. (not sure how well a toddler would travel, not much fun for them).

Hi Anna,

>There just so much to see and so little time.<

Yup. You can't see it all.

June 30: This looks like a daytrip.

((I))

You can order your Michelin maps directly from Michelin headquarters in Greenville, SC. They have both the 337 and 329..$7.95 each, I think...I have recently ordered them....they do show them "in stock" online...

With only three days in the Dordogne, I would absolutely not make a trip to St-Céré. Three days is a bare-bones approach to the Dordogne as it is. I'm chuckling over your question as to whether you can "relax and see the main sites" in three days, thinking no, not really even in three months.

Hi StCirq,

On one of our 5 days in the Dordogne I am planning on a visit to Gouffre de Padirac, then on to St. Céré and Castelnau.

Would you still suggest not visiting St. Céré?

We will do Collenges la Rouge another day.

((I))

Maps: wish I'd bought mine over the website. I see the price on my #329 was over 7e when I bought it at one of those aires on the autoroute. Plus, all local maps were extremely hard to find.

http://www.michelin-us.com/

I have been buying my maps directly from Michelin in Greenville, SC for a great many years. You can also call them on their 800 number to discuss any items with them.

I've visited the Dordogne for 4 weeks recently, with a couple of 3-4 day stays before that. Each day was packed with sightseeing - even if it was only driving around enjoying the beautiful countryside. In September, we're going back for 4 more weeks - hopefully this time we'll get more "relaxation". The Dordogne has a combination of pre-historic caves, cute villages, castles, scenic countryside, caves with stalactites & mites, markets, and restaurants which make this region "stand out" from other areas in France. You can't possible see more than just the highlights in 3 days. Remember, shops close for lunch, sites (castles, caves), close for lunch often, and guided tours can be time consuming. You can't pack as much into a day as you might think. Carefully choose what's important to you. You will need to minimize your driving time between sites.

You might visit Sarlat at 6:00 one evening, have dinner in town, and then wander around afterwards and then "bid adieu" to Sarlat. This would combine two events into one and would let you see Sarlat when it's less crowded. Do the same when visiting Beynac & Roque Gageac - combine it with dinner. Since you are staying in Domme, you'll be able to enjoy this village before & after your trips each day.

If this was my trip, I would have a picnic lunch each day instead of a sit-down one. Perhaps have the picnic on the grounds of a site (castle, cave) that opens at 2:30 or so for the afternoon visit. When you are finished with lunch & have enjoyed the exterior of the castle - be first in line & go on the tour.

Carrennac, St Cere, Autoire, Loubressac, and Martel are very cute villages - but it will consume some time to get there, and portions of the drive (around Soulliac) are not that scenic (other sections - around Montfort - are very scenic). Save this trip for last & see if you have time after you have seen things close to Domme. You can do these villages on a day trip if you do not visit Padirac or Castelnau-Bretenoux on the same trip.

Stu Dudley

Hi, ira:

With five days in the Dordogne, I'd plan to spend one long day (it'll take you 8 hours - I do it with visitors all the time) visiting Martel, Collonges-la-Rouge, the Gouffre de Padirac, and Rocamadour.

Or you could do a similarly long day to Martel, Castelnau, St-Céré, the Gouffre de Padirac, and Rocamadour.

But I personally wouldn't take two such trips eastward with only 5 days in the Dordogne. The best is to the west.

Thanks for the advice, St. Cirq.

((I))

I got back last week after 2 wonderful weeks in the Dordogne. What a beautiful part of France! I'll try to do a report soon, as it might be helpful to some of you planning a trip there. I had so much help from people on this forum, and the research really pays off. However, I certainly didn't get to all the places on my list, even with 15 days. I'm definitely going back!

Chere concitoyenne canadienne:

As much as I love the Hotel Bonnet I would check out the rooms before booking there.

I have stayed only once, years ago, but the room -- then 80 F!!!!! -- was modest and the bathroom "spartiate, meme exigue" i.e. basic.

Dinners, by contrast -- what a truly French, truly Perigourdine experience!!

Drink the Panisseau, eat the various duck/ walnut/ truffle dishes with pommes Sarladaises...it's a vista into a vanished world of gourmandise.

And lunch on the terrace is a delight...

Honey, you sound so sensible and prepared and though you deny it, you MUST speak some of our other official language, don't you? C'mon, try...

Hello,

I have found that my 338 map will meet my needs for the Carcassonne to Mercues via Albi route.

re: English guided tour of castle and ramparts.
I have emailed Carcassonne have yet to receive a response. I reached the tourism office by telephone, I was told that the tour starts at 9:30 to 5 p.m. I need to take the 9:30 a.m tour the next day. Are there specific hours for English guided tours?
(The castle's toursim office is closed for lunch, I'll try to call from the office as I am unable to find their email address - Carcassonne tourism office advised that I must speak to them directly since english tours hours may vary each day). I hope not as this will certainly put a snag into our drive to Mercues as it is we will be arriving at our destination at 7 pm; leaving Carcassonne at 11 a.m. with a 2 hour stop in Albi.

re: Cahors to Dordgone, via Figeac?

Would anyone have suggestions on a scenic route?

I am still working on my Dordogne itinerary... doing more reading (though it difficult to figure how much time is required in a specific destination.

I like the Sarlat evening idea.

I am planning to take a digital and autofocus camera and lots of film. My old and heavy 35mm would be too heavy to carry.

p.s. My high school french is long forgotten so I'll need to borrow french lesson tapes on travel conversation from the library.


Must have breakfast and leave for work now ..........