Help with Dordogne
 

Am planning our first trip to the Dordogne region late June early July. Will have the 1st week in Paris and 2nd week in this area. Where do I begin? We love small quaint towns like Berchtesgaden in Germany and Hallstatt in Austria. What town would be comparable and where would we stay? Also, many have recommended taking a train to Angouleme and then renting a car. How far is Sarlat from Angouleme and any stops along the way we shouldn't miss. Thank you for all your help and advice in advance.

Since it is the Dordogne that you will be seeing, get the Michelin Green Guide for that area. It includes the Limousin, which is on the way (you might want to rent your car in Limoges). Places to see: Brantôme, Bourdeilles (the chateau), Périgueux, Hautefort, Sarlat, the towns along the Dordogne itself (Domme, Beynac, etc.). The main tourist triangle is delineated by Sarlat, Montignac and Les Eyzies. There are caves to be visited. I happen to like Rouffignac, but there are no English tours. Lascaux II is a must because the original can't be visited, but it is crowded. A littel further out, there is Collonges-la-Rouge. You might want to look at Michael Busselle (sp?) Discovering the Villages of France. The following web site lists all the officially designated Plus Beaux Villages de France: http://www.villagesdefrance.free.fr/

Mike:<BR><BR>I would not take a train to Angouleme - it's too far away and the drive between there and the heart of the Dordogne (the Perigord Noir area) just isn't all that pretty.<BR>Take the train (from the gare d' Austerlitz) to Perigueux. Then you have only about a 45-minute drive (pick up a rental car right outside the train station - AutoEurope can arrange it for you) into the area you'll want to be staying in (in that Sarlat-Montignac-Les Eyzies triangle Michael mentioned). It's quite a nice ride, with the train stopping for about 10 minutes in Limoges (you may have to change trains, but it's just a hop over to the next track).<BR>Get yourself a copy of Cadogan's guide to the Dordogne, Lot &amp; Bordeaux, and if you're interested in food/restaurants, Cadogan's book &quot; Lazy Days out in the Dordogne and Lot.&quot; That would be a good lace to begin. <BR>If you're interested in prehistory, you can fill your days visiting caves and shelters and cliff dwellings. If you plan to visit the main caves in summer, however, you'll need to make reservations in advance, particularly if you want an English tour. There are also Hundred Years War castles to be visited, bastide towns, incredible markets, and loads of breathtaking scenery. <BR>If you need help with the particulars as you plan, I'd be happy to help.<BR>

Michael, Thanks for your help. How far is it from Limoges to Sarlat?

Thank you StCirq for your expert advise. Which is your favorite of the areas to stay in that triangle you mentioned?

Mike, I still would pick up the car in Limoges (about 2 1/2 hours from Sarlat) and spend one night on the road to Sarlat. Take an early train to Limoges, have lunch on the square at the end of the Rue des Bouchers, visit the Maison du Boucher and either the enamel museum or the porcelain museum. Then drive on to Brant&ocirc;me and Bourdeilles. Bourdeilles has a nice hotel anchoring one end of the old bridge. The next day you can visit the castle, go to P&eacute;rigueux and have lunch there and explore, and on to Sarlat. I can recommend two P&eacute;rigueux restaurants: Le Clos Saint-Front (reservations required for Saturday lunch) and Hercule Poireau. Both are listed in the Michelin Red Guide. Click on the following link and you'll see some of the pictures I took last summer: &lt;http://photomail.photoworks.com/shar...vvlPj5sZH/hxlt

I have been to Angouleme and thought the Charente Valley was beautiful. I went to a distillery (Fracois Peyrot)and had Pineau de Charente. Angouleme is a quaint little city with lots of outside cafes. It is a great place to saunter and relax.