How far in advance can you make a reservation and purchase tickets for a tour with an English speaking guide at Lascaux II?
Where are the tickets sold?
Is it possible to line this up online several weeks in advance?
What about English speaking guides and tickets for the other recommended sites?
Any input, suggestions, and opinions are greatly appreciated.

Lascaux II should be much less crowded this year because everyone is going to run to the bigger and better <I>Grotte Chauvet-Pont d'Arc</I>. The replica was just inaugurated over the weekend and it will be open to the public in about 10 days. The quality of the paintings far surpasses Lascaux.

http://archeologie.culture.fr/chauvet/fr

Maybe the new replica cave is bigger than Lascaux - but better?? The pictures on the web site, and if this is the newly discovered cave they made a movie out of a few years ago - I'm not sure I would call them better than Lascaux (based on my interpretation of "better" and what I've seen on the movie & web site). We plan on visiting it next year.

Stu Dudley

Do you know the name of the movie? It would be interesting to see how the cave or caves were portrayed.

We've never had problems making reservations for Lascaux on the same day. A late morning purchase of the tickets in Montignac for an afternoon tour allows for a leisurely lunch in the town.

It was a 3D movie. Available on Amazon

http://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-11931869

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1664894/

We saw it in a theater.

Stu Dudley

Check the The Lascaux website below. The French version has more info than the English version in regards to hours and ticket purchase:

http://www.lascaux-dordogne.com/fr/la-grotte-de-lascaux

You may have to call or e-mail to get further info about tours in English or to see if there is on-line/advanced ticket purchase

No matter what, the number of Lascaux visitors will drop this year.

Here is a brief report about the new Chauvet visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ohh9mO_D8fs

All great info and helpful links. Thanks so much!

we loved Lascaux; the only other site that came close was the Gouffres de Padirac.

if you can, do both!

You do realize that you have another thread going?
http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...gne-guides.cfm

The movie about the Chauvet cave is Cave of Forgotten Dreams, a documentary from Werner Herzog. It's available (at least in the US) for streaming on Netflix.

If you visit there, you will enjoy the very scenic drive along the Gorges de l'Ardèche.