melissa84

For 3 days in the Dordogne region, any ideas on whether we should book Hotel de la Madeleine in Sarlat or L'Esplanade in Domme? I am unsure as to which makes a better location to base out of, or whether it even makes a difference.

Thanks!

Val

Actually the places to visit are all so close and the roads so good Sarlat makes a good base.

Domme is lovely and the views are great but it is very easy to get to from Sarlat and a lovely drive.

Sarlat has more restaurants, shops etc and the market on Saturday morning.

A personal favourite is the Hotel Chateau in Beynac, really friendly, nicely decorated and I love Beynac.

melissa84

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JEFF_

I can't comment on Domme, but I did stay at Hotel de la Madeleine for 3 or 4 nights. It worked well for me as a base. Although I've read that there is some traffic getting in and out of Sarlat, I never found it to be a problem. There's a large free parking lot just uphill from the hotel that always had plenty of available parking. There are also a few places right in front of the hotel.

I stayed in Sarlat because it's a larger town with more to see and do. I also did half board at the hotel which worked well for me. The food and service was quite good, and I didn't have to think about where to eat at night.

StCirq

I'd opt for the Esplanade in Domme unless it's late July or August, in which case I wouldn't choose either of those.

I don't like to be smack in Sarlat because of traffic issues, which are getting worse every year - major jams when I was home there in March of this year.

Besides, the restaurant at l'Esplanade is better than anything in Sarlat.

ira

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melissa84

Thanks, everyone, for your responses. We've decided to go with l'Esplanade because of both the view and the restaurant. It was a close call. I've heard the traffic in Sarlat can be bad, but then I've also heard that about getting to/from Domme. Hopefully this will make a nice base from which to explore the area though. I will report back when we return!