dordogne rental
 

I am researching rentals in the Dordogne and found one that looks promising near St. Crépin et Carlucet. I'm wondering what the little villages and towns in its immediate vicinity are like and also if getting to major sites from that area is significantly less convenient than from Sarlat (I know Sarlat is close but don't know what it's really like to negotiate the little white road to get someplace)or the Domme area. Thanks!

Hi BV,

You are about 0:30 hr from Domme via the D56 and the D46.

I've driven those roads in a Peugeot 307 Diesel. They are 2 lanes wide, well marked and well maintained.

Enjoy your visit.

((I))

Ira, thank you so much for responding so quickly! I take it that you think St. Crépin would work well as a base.

That's an OK location - not ideal, but OK. It's near Salignac, a bit northeast of Sarlat. A better location would be south or west of Sarlat, but that's really splitting hairs.

St. Cirq, thanks for your reply! My dilemma (the truth comes out)is what appears to be the nicer rental is in St. Crépin. The other is 4 km from Sarlat (not sure which direction), so convenience vs. comfort and charm.

bon voyage:

I don't know what sources you're using for rentals, but Simply Périgord has a nice selection in the "best" regions for touring the area.

Hi BV,

The main problem I see with St Crepin is that you might have to go through Sarlat or Souillac every time you want to go somewhere.

((I))

I've looked quite a bit, including agencies like Simply Perigord, Just France, and others, as well as sites that seem to be listing services for owners. My initial preference was to go through an agency (I had a very good experience going this route in Umbria). I was trying to get as close to Sarlat as possible. I made an inquiry of Simply Perigord about one of their listings in Grolejac (that one didn't work unfortunately) and asked about other properties close to Sarlat. Most of their properties seemed closer to Le Bugue--I thought that I scoured their site but could have missed something.

Close to Le Bugue is good!

Groléjac is too far out of the way anyway.

Hi BV,

Is there a reason why you want to be close to Sarlat?

You can see it all in two days.

((I))

Hi, bon voyage. We are renting a stone house in Sarlat in May 2006 from yourfriendsinfrance.org. I found Susan great to work with. Also some posters here have rented from them and recommend them highly. So we are looking forward to our stay there next spring.

St Crepin has one of the loveliest chateaux in the whole Dordogne - a real little jewel. The road into Sarlat from St. Crepin is not difficult at all - and I dont think you would have to go through Sarlat and SOuillac every time you want to go anywhere. St Genies and St Amand de Coly nearby are also wonderful places. The Restaurant La Meynardie, close to Salignac, is not far away, and is acknowedged to be one of the best in the area. I may be prejudiced, living just east of Sarlat, but I think that the Le Bugue area is nowhere near as interesting. And Grolejeac too doesnt have much interest - plus the ugliest bridge on the whole river, blown up by the Resistance in June 1944 and rebuilt very unsympathetically after the war.

This is a wonderfully informative and congenial board--I am delighted to have so many responses--thank you all!
St. Cirq and Susan, any regrets I had about another Groléjac rental that got away are now assuaged. Ira, I just wanted to be within reasonably easy striking distance of a picturesque large village/small town for strolling, window shopping, having a cup of coffee and watching the world go by, historical buildings a plus, market town a plus, and Sarlat seemed to fill the bill. Baby2, yes, had checked out Yourfriendsinfrance. Their properites look charming but the ones in Sarlat were too small for us. Susan, good to know that if I go with the St. Crépin rental the immediate area has good things to offer.

Be sure to check out the walnut mill in Ste-Nathalène!

Hi BV,

We very much enjoyed the Wednesday market in Sarlat.

Have a nice visit.

((I))

Thanks! We're very interested in seeing the historical sites, and the usual suspects, Font-de-Gaume, Domme, Beynac & Castelnaud, and Rocamadour, were on my radar screen. I'm glad to learn about a place that showcases some of the economic history of the area (and offers the possibility to buy memories you can eat or cook with).

Which agency did you use and like so much for Umbria? That wold be helpful info for my spring trip. Thanks.

Besides the walnut oil to buy at the Moulin Ste Nathalene, buy their chocolate covered walnuts, miam!

Morris,

We used Home in Italy, www.homeinitaly.com, and stayed in Felo. You can find my review on the slow traveler website. Their Italian office was in Perugia, and I found them very responsive. Cigalechanta, I'm not going to be able to stop thinking about the prospect of the chocolate covered walnuts.

I enjoyed staying in St. Crepin et Carlucet and really did not find it inconvenient for touring. Since my husband and I were there in the summer, we were unable to get to the market in Sarlat because of the difficulty in finding parking. We did, however, find the market at St. Genies to be much more accessible. I agree with Susan's recommendations, too, for La Meynardie-- maybe not the best restaurant you'll go to, but a good one, and lovely service & atmosphere. We also enjoyed a stop in the small town of Amand de Coly, with a very handsome abbey. Make sure you go to Sarlat in the evening-- the buildings are beautifully lit, and the town has a magical feeling to it.

And here's a quote from my trip report on eating in the area:

"For those of you who are watching your diets, this region is a challenge! Michael’s meal consisted of cheese, potatoes and lardons-- delicious but very rich. And I ordered something with toast, figuring it would be “lighter”; it was anything but! A large round of toast with cheese, mushrooms, artichoke pieces and foie gras (okay, I saw that it mentioned the foie gras, but I ignored that...); again, it was good, but definitely not “light”! Did I mention the 3rd ice cream of the day?!?"

The region is wonderful and no matter where you stay, there will be so much to see and do. Don't worry too much about seeing and doing everything; you can't possibly, but it won't matter, because no matter where you go, you'll see wonderful sights with every twist and turn of the road; chateaux (big and small) and ancient sites are everywhere. One place I recommend making reservations for is Font-de-Gaume, a prehistoric cave with wonderful paintings still preserved. I found it especially moving standing in front of figures of animals painted about 13,000 years earlier. There are limited entries, and you'll need to make reservations for an English-speaking tour before you go. Depending when you're going, it would be a good idea to reserve a couple of months ahead.

Paule