kja,
Thanks for the recommendations.
Are taxis easily available in Sarlat? If we don't want to drive to dinner, but the restaurant is not within walking distance...I hope a taxi will not be a problem, right?

I don't know -- at the time, I considered Sarlat walkable. Have you checked google maps?

Hi kja,
Yes, I checked google maps, but I realize I need to figure out first where we'll be staying and take it from there. For 6 days, we'll probably look into a VRBO apartment or similar. Where did you stay?

In Sarlat, I stayed at the Hotel Montaigne, a B&B that still gets pretty good reviews.

I also spent 2 nights at the wonderful Hotel l'Esplanade in Domme. It's truly ridiculously to stay in both Sarlat and Domme -- they are so close to one another! -- but I wanted to experience l'Esplanade, and I couldn't afford more than 2 nights there.

I have to admit, l'Esplanade in Domme looks great, we'll definitely stop there for lunch! Sarlat's center looks pretty compact, so I guess we'll be fine no matter where we stay in the area.

No, taxis are almost impossible in Sarlat. You need to call one a day or two in advance, or be very, very lucky. But I can't imagine needing a taxi to get around IN Sarlat - it's entirely walkable. There are also (infrequent but cheap) local mini-buses.

Le Grand Bleu is a very good restaurant but we don't ever see the need to spend that kind of money to eat well around here. Périgueux, as I mentioned, has far better restaurants than Sarlat, but you probably won't want to drive there for a meal. St-Cyprien has a few good ones, as does Les Eyzies. In Domme l' Esplanade is well worth the splurge. Our last meal at Cabanoix & Chataigne was just so-so. The best places are usually outside the towns in the countryside, which might call for a taxi if you want to imbibe.

Personally I would forgo a trip to Pech-Merle - there's a whole other world in those parts to explore.

We always stay at the Hôtel Montaigne when we overnight in Sarlat. Nice place. If you want the name of a really nice B&B in Sarlat, though, check out http://www.lejardin-sarlat.com/fr/ga...spx?lang=fr-FR Really lovely British, but francophone, couple I haven't met personally (don't need to - I have my own house) but have had some business dealings with them.

And yes, if you think you'll end up in St-Cirq at the Grotte du Sorcier, give me a holler at StCirq at aol dot com.

I didn't try to post pictures, but I have scads of them. If there's something in particular you'd like to see photos of, let me know.

skimmed above to see if IDP was recommended and you may know but a requisite to drive in France, along with your local license.

StCirq,

If Sarlat is so easily walkable, then we obviously won’t need a taxi. I’m sure we’ll find plenty of restaurants close by for dinner. For who wants to drive? I don’t know the rules about drinking and driving in France, but when travelling we are extra careful about it (that, and speeding). So dinner will have to be walking distance from home.

Le Jardin Sarlat looks wonderful and very affordable. I love it that they have a garden, that they are walking distance from the town center, and have you seen the TA reviews? Wow! Sounds like we found the place J

I think the street(s) from the town center to the B&B are lit at night, even though (I looked on google maps) I did not see walkways. We should be fine walking home after dinner, right?

I’ll save all the restaurant recommendations for lunches on our day trips. You are right, no reason to get all the way to Pech-Merle, when there’s so much to see and doo right there. But we might stop by for a quick visit, thanks for the invitation.

PalenQ,

Thanks – we’ll definitely have an IDP, we always do.

Yes, you'll be totally fine walking home from dinner. I don't know what Google shows for "walkways," but it's not as though they are mule paths - they are paved, or at least cobblestoned, streets.One of the lovely things about Sarlat is the way that André Malraux, French Minister of Culture, completely restored the city to its 17th- and 18th-century glory, including installing gas lamps throughout, which give it that ephemeral ancient glow at night. He's also responsible for the salamanders that you will see, if you have a keen eye, on the pavements throughout the town. You're hardly ever lost in a dark alleyway in Sarlat - if you are, you've really gone astray. But you won't.

One place we do love to eat in Sarlat, especially on cold nights because it's hearty cuisine from the Auvergne, is Chez Le Gaulois.

I haven't seen the TA reviews of Le Jardin, but I don't ever look at TA and don't trust them. I just know it's a lovely, reputable place.

You might want to do a bit of research on the driving rules in France if you're not familiar with them.Speed limits were reduced from 90kph to 80kph on N roads this past July. There are more than 40,000 hidden speed cameras in France now, too. The BAC limit is .05, half what it is in most of the USA. It's all on the French Consulate website and might be worth a look-see. Not everything you need to know is obvious from the signs you see while driving.

Do come by if it fits into your plans:)

Hmm...walkways....I meant sidewalks, of course :)

I love birds and anything nature, and that's one reason we try to stay at places that have a garden. Salamanders, too? That would be fantastic, are they still around in Sept-Oct? I just found some interesting articles about Sarlat's history now, and I have to read them now. Traveling is such an eye-opener!

Gas lamps? Oh, that sounds wonderful, I think I'll bring my tripod for some night photography.

We'll definitely research driving rules, we always do. We never had a problem anywhere, but we never drove in France with its 40,000 hidden speed cameras :) We'll be careful, thanks for the warning.

They aren't real salamanders, xyz99, though we have them too (mostly lizards, though);)

If you love gardens, check our Marqueyssac and Eyrignac, maybe even the Jardin de l'Imaginaire in Terrasson.

They aren't real salamanders, xyz99, though we have them too (mostly lizards, though);)

If you love gardens, check ou Marqueyssac and Eyrignac, maybe even the Jardin de l'Imaginaire in Terrasson.

They aren't real salamanders, xyz99, though we have them too (mostly lizards, though);)

If you love gardens, check out Marqueyssac and Eyrignac, maybe even the Jardin de l'Imaginaire in Terrasson.

Oh well, salamanders would've been so cool...but lizards will do :)
Some gardens are definitely in the itinerary, and the hard part now is to decide which ones, and combined with what on the same day trip. It turns out there is more to see/do than the amount of time we have, so now I need to start prioritizing: small villages, castles, gardens, caves, river barge, strolls and good food, I think this will be a wonderful trip!