Dordogne questions
 

Our new plan after San Sebastian is to pick up a rental car in Hendaye, drive to le Vieux Logis (hopefully a good location for seeing various sights) and after 2 nights drop off rental car and get to Paris early evening. Any suggestions for drop off (it will be on Monday , May 16)? Does Limoges make sense?

Limoges is a bit far. We dropped our car in Brive; there are several agencies near the station.

The hotel is absolutely gorgeous. You will probably get some comments about it not being the most central location. I liked that immediate area a lot.

Thanks, your opinion is valued. I have been reading your Madrid postings especially for food recs. I love museums, historical buildings, but as I get older it is becoming more and more about the food. :)

I will check out Brive schedule for Paris. Just don't want to get in too late. Husband has a big work conference on Tuesday.

Hotel looks wonderful, we will probably do Lascaux and Font de Gaume caves, but take it easy and relax. We will have to come back for longer visit.

Also, do you think driving all the way to Paris would be crazy?

And make sure to have a meal there! Truly, it is a gorgeous property.

Don't drive to Paris. I was there a few years back, but there was a good choice of trains from Brive and you can get to your Paris hotel with plenty of time for dinner without rushing in the morning.

You could also take the train from Libourne. Or Bordeaux.

Look:


http://www.ville-libourne.fr/la-vill.../par-le-train/

Périgueux is your closest drop-off spot for the car.

No, I wouldn't drive.

Yes, driving to Paris is crazy -- it's at least a 6-hour drive, and not that inspiring. But there is a wonderful, relatively new small airport just south of Brive, with inexpensive flights to Orly. Or you could drive to Libourne and take the TGV to Paris. Having flown our last trip, though, I'd strongly recommend it.

Have a look at the Brive airport. The car rental offices are open 'in the season' which may not be May. http://www.aeroport-brive-vallee-dor...r-rentals.html. Or you could leave your car in downtown Brive and take a taxi out to the airport, which is not that far. If the flights suit your timetable, this could be a good option.

Definitely not worth driving. If the airport doesn't work, the train should.

Thanks for all the information, I think getting the train at Brive may be best bet. I like that I can get on and go directly to Paris.

Does driving from Hendaye make sense? I figured we can get there from San Sebastian quickly and pick up car before they close at noon on Sat. I googled Hendaye car rental and Avis seems to be only company out of Hendaye.

Can you make a stop for a great lunch at least?

If you are just going to drive straight through, you might just take the train to Bordeaux and then change for the Perigueux train, and rent the car there. That is what I did once.

But if you don't mind the drive from Hendaye...... (I drove once from St. Jean Pied de Port and I thought it was a long slog to Sarlat..)

Via Michelin gives the time from Hendaye to Tremolat as just over 4 hours...

Always can stop for a great lunch....do you know of one on that route? I don't mind the drive-we go back and forth from Bay area to Santa Barbara every month, so no problem. Also, looks like car rental places close at noon on Sat. so that would not give us enough time to get up to Bordeaux from SS. So I am thinking of pick up in Hendaye and drop off in Brive. Dinner at Le Vieux one night, any other suggestions? I think they have a bistro on the property, also.

Thanks for all advice.

I have not been to the area in about 4 years.

I did write a rather long report about a trip prior to that last one, which includes lots of info on San Sebastian and the Dordogne, as well as Paris..

http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...paris-1006.cfm