Hi Abby,

We are staying in one of the apartments listed in:
http://www.in-sarlat.fr

I've already made 2 extensive files- one on Dordogne activites and one on Dordogne restaurants. I'll update it when we return and make sure you get a copy of it after our return at the end of September.

Regards,

-Margie

bookmarking

I thought I would answer your question here, Margie. We are flying to Toulouse on Sept. 4th. Staying at Le Grand Balcon for 2 nights. Then get the car and we will be at the Domaine de la Rhue Sept 7th and 8th. On to Les Cordeliers in Sarlat for 6 nights. And finally, take the train from Brive to Paris for 4 nights. We return on Sept. 19th.

I must tell that I took lots of notes from the driving tips "Just Retired" had shared on this forum!! Thank you both for that!

I saw all the above information. I am planning to visit Bordeaux, this October, and I have booked my hotel through http://www.discountcityhotels.net/ for Bordeaux hotels.

Kansas-my husband and I share the same "handle" on Fodors- we keep meaning to change that, but folks seem to know us as "Justretired." My husband, Larry, retired almost 9 years ago! He writes the technical stuff and often the trip report since he keeps notes during our trips, while I do the preparation and add to the reports.

Since we will be in Sarlat at the same time, we could meet for dinner or something if you're interested. I'll start another thread and see if anyone else is interested in a GTG in the Dordogne. Best regards,

Margie

Justretired & Kansas,

First, like JR, my wife and I share the same handle. She's been doing all the posts since we returned from our Dordogne trip.

I noticed no one asking about restaurants in Sarlat and I thought you would appreciate at least two recommendations (though there are so many good ones there).

We ate at Auberge de Mirandol and it was wonderful, to say nothing of the price (51 Euros), which we thought was exceptionally cheap for what we ate. When we went the street tables were full so we ended up on the third floor. But, we sat by a window, it was quiet, and the dining room very attractive.

http://www.restaurant-auberge-mirandol-sarlat.fr/

We also ate lunch at Le Presidial, no link available. The building was built in 1558 as a courthouse by Henry II. Between the building and the garden, where we ate, the site is very inviting. Dining outside it is hard to imagine that you are in a city, so tucked away and quiet is the setting.

kansas, I'm glad you liked the driving tips. I don't know if you followed the link on the Fodor's thread, but the version on my web site has the same material, and in addition has photos of the signs and other things I talk about. It's at http://ljkrakauer.com/travel/france/drivingetc.htm.

Winnick, thanks - Margie has already added the restaurants to our restaurant list.

AGM_Cape_Cod, we always write a trip report shortly after we return.

- Larry

Justretired and Kansas,

We just returned from a trip that included a visit to Sarlat. We stayed at Les Cordeliers and thought it was great. Chris and Amanda are very nice and helpful, and the B&B is conveniently located to the old town. If you ask nicely, Amanda will even do your laundry while you are out sightseeing!

Like the above poster, we also ate at Le Presidial and Auberge le Mirandol and liked them both. I recommend getting a reservation at Le Presidial if you want to eat there for dinner. We showed up around 6:30 (they don't open until 7:00) and asked if we needed a reservation. They told us we didn't, and to come back at 7:00. When we arrived at 7:00, they seemed very hesitant to seat us without a reservation (despite our earlier conversation) but eventually did on the side patio. It was lovely, until Sarlat experienced the biggest downpour they've seen in years (hail included) and all the outside diners had to make a mad dash to the inside. The servers were shoving tables from outside into every available nook and cranny of the building, and we all ended up eating inside drenched to the bone! It was actually really fun - and the food was delicious.

If you want something different than fois gras (which is on EVERY menu in Sarlat in some form or another) try L'instant Delice right near Auberge le Mirandol. The name put me off a little, but we were craving Italian food and it was very good. We sat in the little side room across the alley from the main restaurant and I thought it was very charming.

The other restaurant we enjoyed was Le Bistrot right across from the church in the center of the old town. It was charming, the food was very good and it was a great spot to people watch.

One thing we did that we really enjoyed was a canoe trip down the Dordogne River. It was very relaxing and scenic. There are tons of companies - we just rented from the first one we encountered. If we were to do it again, I'd venture a little further down the road to check out the other companies that have backs on their canoe seats. The river ride took about 4 hours and was very easy - not much strenuous paddling required. We entered the river in Carsac and got out right after La Roque-Gageac. You get to see some pretty bridges, lots of cliffs and wooded areas, one castle high upon a cliff top and the beautiful town of La Roque-Gageac. You will also pass many not-so-scenic campsites as you float down the river. At one point, a photographer will take your picture then you can pull off and buy copies. We almost didn't pull off to check out the pics, but at the last minute did and I'm glad we did. The photographer was actually really good and got some great photos of our family. I am always the one taking pictures on our trips, so it is rare that we get a photo of all of us together, so I love that picture of us canoeing!

Have a great trip!

A

Yes, Margie and Larry, let's meet for dinner in Sarlat! My e-mail address is [email protected]. We can decide which night works best for us.

Winnick and Attymom, thanks for the restaurant recommendations. We will be sure to try them out.

And Larry, thanks for the link to your driving tips. I had a complete computer breakdown and lost everything. Your "driving tips" link was the one thing I knew I had to go back and find. Most of the rest of the info I had (luckily!) e-mailed to my ipad.

Kansas, Larry's email is on our profile. Let's keep in touch.

-Margie

Justretired:

We also recommend a canoe ride on the Dordogne. It was one of the highlights of our visit. We got on in Vitrac (with Copeye rentals) and got off at La Roque Gageac. We are not experienced canoers but it's not necessary. We took 3 hrs for what they estimate is a 2.5 hr canoe trip. I also just posted some comments on my trip report site.

Have a wonderful trip and we look forward to your report when you get back.

Karen

Oops, made a mistake on the canoeing. We actually got off in Beynac, not La Roque Gageac.