Hi everyone. We are considering a 2 week visit to France in April. We will spend a couple of nights in Paris to visit a niece (an exhange student there for the semester), then we are free to roam. We are considering visiting the Dordogne, though I know little about the region, and I have tried to find a map showing TVG routes without success. Nor could I find a general TVG schedule. The French rail website was pretty useless - it presumes you already know your departure and destination and didn't seem to provide general information.

Does the TVG run to or near convenient locations in the Dordogne? Does anyone know of a website easy to navigate with lots of route and scheduling information for the TVG? We will want to rent a car once we arrive at our destination.

BTW - we have visited France before, having toured Paris, Provence, Massif Central, Lyon, Burugndy, and the Loire. We have loved every place we visited and hope to see the entire country over time (except we have little interest in the Riviera beaches). Any suggestions about the Dordogne or other possibilities - always appreciated!!

Hi W,

>The French rail website was pretty useless - it presumes you already know your departure and destination...<

How odd.

FYI, it's tGv.

We flew to Bordeaux via Paris and returned to Paris on the TGV from Libourne. PREMS fares about 25E.

Others have used the train to Perigueux or Brive-la-Gaillard. Some have flown to Toulouse.

If you enter "Dordogne", "Perigord", "Sarlat", "Beynac" in the "search this forum" box, you will find much good information on the region.

You might find my trip report helpful:
http://fodors.com/forums/threadselec...p;tid=34676645


PS: A route map for the TGV is at
www.entreprise-sncf.com/nos_lignes/raisons.html

Hi woodstock (and hi ira, seems we are on the same threads today!),

The Dordogne is my favorite region of France and I've been to all the places you listed (and feel the same about the Riviera). If you like lovely scenery, spectacular medieval villages and castles, and rich food, you will have a blast!

We've always rented a car in Paris so I can't help you with the TGV. I do hope that you plan to have a car once you get to the Dordogne, because it is impossible to experience this region any other way.

For a first-time visitor, here's some top attractions/destinations in no particular order): Sarlat, Domme, Beynac, Castelnaud, La Roque Gageac, Les Eyzies, Rocamadour, Padirac cavern, and if you are interested, Lascaux II (just keep in mind it is a reproduction). One time we rented a gite outside St. Genies, and we just recently stayed at L'Esplanade in Domme, which was fantastic. Sarlat, La Roque Gageac, Beynac, and Domme are all good bases. Sarlat is the largest town and has more of a small city feel. Beynac and La Roque Gageac are very small. Domme is a good-sized hilltop town which is wonderfully quiet at night with drop-dead gorgeous views of the valley (can you sense my bias?).

Have fun planning your trip!

I have a 20 page itinerary for the Dordogne that I've sent to hundreds of people on this message board. E-mail me at [email protected] if you want a copy

Stu Dudley

TGVs run to Libourne, where you change to a sideline rail route to Sarlat, the tourist mecca of the Dordogne and situated within a short drive or train or bus ride of several famous Dordogne sights. For schedules i always use the Wonderbar German rail site - www.bahn.de - an easy way to navigate it to its English language schedule page where you just put in Paris and Sarlat and the date and get all the schedules is to go to www.budgeteuropetravel.com and on that home page click on the link All European Railway Schedules or some such wording and up pops the English schedule page. The home page i referenced gives you several tips on getting the most out of the great www.bahn.de site. www.voyages-sncf.com will give pricing and chance to buy tickets online at times at deep discounts. For flexibility you may look into the France Railpass, which can be used on any train whereas as online PREM's fares, discounted, are non changeable nor refundable i believe. You may also consider the France Rail 'n Drive pass where you get a number of train days and a number of car days - take the high-speed train to the Dordogne and then pick up a car, which you really need to appreciate this wonderful area. Raileurope markets this pass in the US - as usual with any RailEurope product i advise calling their agent, Budget Europe (800-441-2387) for their sheer helpfulness and expertise. And by the way if boating or swimming in the Dordogne River, watch out for the hundry pyrannahs!

I think you can assume there is a rail station in any town of about 25K or more, and check SNCF to see the schedules or whatever when you decide where you will be or want to go. But as for giving you a map online with the TGV lines marked, perhaps it doesn't, but I have gotten one online with that on it (although I don't know how up-to-date it is). But there are only a couple major TGV routes, so I wouldn't plan my vacation around that or there being a TGV line at all. I assume you know there are plenty of other rail runs that are not TGVs.

Although I like the one Ira listed, here's another map with TGV routes on it which I found by just typing TGV route map into Google, it's a broad overview

http://www.raileurope.co.uk/SNCF/route_map.asp

The one Ira gave is kind of hard to read unless you make it really big, but works good for just viewing on the computer. Any large detailed map is going to be that way, I guess. Here is a PDF of the entire French rail network, which is good, but very detailed, of course. I think the TGV routes are double red lines on it.

http://www.rff.fr/biblio_pdf/pages_e...tes_carte1.pdf

One more comment on trains that aren't TGV. It may be easier and faster to take the regular train from Paris to Brive la Gaillarde and pick up your car there. It's not a TGV, but it takes only 4 hours, with no changing trains, and you're only about 40 minutes from Sarlat.

We always figure it's much easier than heading west to Libourne or Bordeaux, and then back east to Sarlat.

Or a train to Perigeuex

Wow. In 24 hours you have all given me a great start to my research, and I will take my time to look at everything.

We will definitely rent a car to tour the Dordogne and see Carcassone, which I believe is in the Rousillon-Languedoc region, oui? Being a geography buff familiar with much of Europe, I am astounded that I recognize NONE of the names associated with the Dordogne, except maybe Toulouse. For me, that makes the Dordogne more intriguing.

Having taken the TGV before to Lyon and Avignon, I thought it makes sense to start a journey to the Dordogne by train, then pick up a car for local touring. How long would it take to drive to the Dordogne from Paris? Would it make sense to take the TGV to Avignon, pick up a car and drive first to Carcassone? If we did, we could pass by the Pont du Gard and Nimes again (which would feel like revisiting old friends) and stop at Montpellier, which we missed but wanted to see on an earlier trip, on our way to Carcassone.

I see I have lots of studying to do and questions to ask. Stay tuned, please!! And thanks for your help and responses everyone.

Best way into the Dordogne is to take the TGV from either CDG directly if you're not spending time in Paris or Gare Montparnasse if you are, to Bordeaux or Libourne, and then the pokey train to Sarlat or Périgueux. Alternatively you can take the train to Brive-la-Gaillarde or you can take the slow train from the Gare d'Austerlitz through Limoges to Périgueux.

At the end of the day, it doesn't really matter, as your train traveling time is going to be 5-6 hours and then you'll have about an hour's drive to wherever you're staying. So check the train schedules on www.sncf.com, looking specifically for PREM fares if you can find them, and get the best deal you can.

Greetings from a fellow Dordogne planner...I, too, have been busily researching for our summer, 2007 trip. I will be using trains for Provence after the Dordogne, which has led me countless times to Marseille as a transfer point. So, have you considered first arriving by Paris-Marseilles or Paris-Avignon by the TGV route (I think about 3-4 hours, correct?) Carcassone looks like a lot of trouble with a car- parking, etc. You could then take a train there, right from your Avignon or Marseille station, aiming to arrive later in the day when more of the crowds have left...I don't know of you are staying more than one night there, but regardless, then you could take the train on to Cahors, or Albi or some of the other Dordogne suggestions listed here to pick up the rental car for the caves, villages, etc. Bon chance!

>>Carcassone looks like a lot of trouble with a car- parking, etc<<

Actually, it's a "non-event". Carcassonne is a very touristy town, so they have excellent parking facilities.

Stu Dudley

>> Here is a PDF of the entire French rail network, which is good, but very detailed, of course. I think the TGV routes are double red lines on it. <<

All of the open network appears as double red lines on the map you point out (except single-track lines, of course...) There is a visual difference in the lines between conventional track and TGV track, but it's hardly visible unless printed.

TGV lines are more clearly marked on this map :

http://www.rff.fr/biblio_pdf/fr_docref_anx_6_3.pdf


They are the orange ones.

However, TGVs also run on conventional tracks, (eg the Paris-Bordeaux-Toulouse after St Pierre des Corps).

woodstock,
As I recall, driving from Paris to the Dordogne is maybe 4 hours (don't quote me on that). Taking the train to Avignon or on to Montpellier might be a good idea if you want to see Montpellier and Carcassonne on your way to the Dordogne. I studied French for a semester in college in Montpellier and loved it - it's a real university town and not so touristy. If you go, please have an espresso in Place de la Comedie for me!

Despite the hordes of tourists, I also loved Carcassonne and went there several times while I was in Montpellier. It is actually easier to drive there because you can park outside the city walls (if you take the train it is a long hike from the lower to the upper town). I guess you could say that Carcassonne is to France what Rothenberg is to Germany - the quintessential walled city. It was used as the backdrop for the city of Nottingham in the Kevin Costner "Robinhood" movie.

Now I'm getting jealous as you are planning a trip to all my favorite places in France!

The only cities within "striking distance" of the heart of the Perigord/Dordogne area without having to switch to non TGV trains are either Bordeaux or Angouleme, both about 100 miles from Sarlat which is usual the "target" town for most people venturing to this region. You can get (non TGV) trains to Brive la Gaillarde, but I would remommend pciking up a car in either Bordeaux or Angouleme and drive to the Dordogne. BTW, you can take a TGV from Paris to Toulouse, but it takes 5 hrs and you still need to drive at least 90 mins to reach the Dordogne, although the drive is lovely via Cahors, Rocamadour etc.

Hope this helps somewhat..

Regards..
Luis

The only cities within "striking distance" of the heart of the Perigord/Dordogne area without having to switch to non TGV trains are either Bordeaux or Angouleme

well Libourne i believe is a TGV station much closer than either of these two.

There is a misconception about taking the TGV. I agree that it is faster, but not that much faster that other options should be taken into account. If the idea is to get to a destination in the Dordogne (Sarlat) quickly, then the TGV to Libourne or Bordeaux and the autoroute to Le Lardin St. Lazare is probably the best way to proceed. If sightseeing or visiting a museum along the way is an option, it might make sense to take a morning train to Limoges, have lunch in the rue des Bouchers and visit the butcher museum (a 19th century house that belonged to a butcher, with the shop on ground floor and a hide drying area in the attic), visit the procelain museum, and then take D704 to Sarlat. Or if Limoges is of no interest, get the car at the train station and drive down D704, stopping in Hautefort to visit the chateau and the 17th century hospital. Other alternatives are passing by Brantôme and Bourdeilles.

PalenqueBob:

Libourne is just north of St. Emilion, which in turn is only 20 miles or so east of Bordeaux. And, I 'm not sure that Libourne is a TGV stop.

I'll do some further checking..

I'm a huge fan of train travel, so this question will seem odd coming from me, but what exactly is the advantage of taking a train to a town in/near Dordogne and then renting a car and driving 1-3 hours, instead of just driving the 5 hours from Paris? It seems to me that you would be limited by the train times. Especially if you want to 'hop' on a train the same day that you arrive in Paris, you would have to time your arrival well or wait a few hours for the train, then have a 3-4 hour train ride, and then still have a 1-3 hour drive. Sorry if I sound dense, I just want to make sure I'm not missing anything.

A 5 hr drive in the car is about 1 1/2 hours beyond my limit - especially if it's freeway driving or on twisty roads. There is no way I would want to drive 5 hrs to Provence or the Dordogne from Paris (with the sun shining in my face most of the time), navigate around Paris (perhaps at rush hour), constantly checking the rear view mirror then pulling out & passing slower moving trucks, traveling 140K an hr & always watching my rear view mirror to see of anyone is on my bumper, waiting in line at toll booths, and getting to tne destination exhausted from the drive. Certainly, I would not do this the first day I land & am jet-lagged. I would much rather wait 2 hrs, hop on a TGV, probably pay less money than a drive would cost, and get to Avignon (for example) 3 hrs later, pick up a car in a civilized manner (much easier than CDG), then drive 1-3 hrs to where I'm staying. Also, while driving I can't enjoy much (if any) of the scenery. On a train, I can watch the scenery, or snooze if I'm tired, or read paper if I want, or walk to the dining car for lunch, or all of the above.

I might be tempted to do the 5 hr drive when I was in my twenties, but in my 50s & after several years in Europe driving and taking trains - I almost always opt for the train on long hauls.

Stu Dudley