How to travel by train from chinon to dordogne region
Feb 16th, 2012, 07:18 AM
#1
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How to travel by train from chinon to dordogne region
1st question is how to get from Tours or Chinon to Sarlat or Brive by train.
2nd is can one rent a car in Sarlat and drop it off in Avignon?
One of our regulars mentioned that renting a car in brive is much better than in Bordeaux. But we are traveling by train. Is it possible or reasonable to train it to brive?
If not, we will have to ride train into sarlat and rent a car there.
2nd is can one rent a car in Sarlat and drop it off in Avignon?
One of our regulars mentioned that renting a car in brive is much better than in Bordeaux. But we are traveling by train. Is it possible or reasonable to train it to brive?
If not, we will have to ride train into sarlat and rent a car there.
Feb 16th, 2012, 07:39 AM
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Arrange for the car rental ahead of time and pick it up in Brive. Europcar is the common rental agency and I believe that it does not charge a one way fee.
Look at www.sncf.com to see how to get from Chinon to Brive.
Look at www.sncf.com to see how to get from Chinon to Brive.
Feb 16th, 2012, 09:48 AM
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You'll have to make at least two changes to get to Brive from Chinon, going through Tours and Vierzon by either train or autocar.
Here's what the options look like:
http://www.voyages-sncf.com/billet-t...uerici&hid=YPY
You don't even want to consider trying to get to Sarlat by train.
You can pick up a car anywhere in France and drop it anywhere in France without any extra charges.
Here's what the options look like:
http://www.voyages-sncf.com/billet-t...uerici&hid=YPY
You don't even want to consider trying to get to Sarlat by train.
You can pick up a car anywhere in France and drop it anywhere in France without any extra charges.
Feb 16th, 2012, 10:15 AM
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You don't even want to consider trying to get to Sarlat by train>
Why not - take a direct TGV from Tours St-Pierre-des-Corps to Lilbourne and transfer to a regional train that terminated in Sarlat - pretty simple IMO. but if I were you I would drive right from Chinon as it is an easy drive by autoroute to Brive-la-Gallard.
In fact Lilbourne train station would be a good place to pick up a car and drive into the Dordogne, hitting en route such gems as Saint-Emilion, one of the cutest wine towns I have encountered and a good first night stop IMO.
For lots of good info on French trains I always highlight these superb IMO sites - www.ricksteves.com; www.seat61.com and http://www.budgeteuropetravel.com/id8.html. go to www.voyages-sncf.com to score discounted PREM tickets if you are sure of your train travel time - big savings on TGV lines but not so much on non-TGV lines. Getting to Brive by train from Chinon is a pain - take the main TGV-Atlantique line to Lilbourne or Angouleme even Bordeaux and rent your car to drive thru the Bordeaux wine region to the Dordogne, where Sarlat IMO makes a perfect base.
Why not - take a direct TGV from Tours St-Pierre-des-Corps to Lilbourne and transfer to a regional train that terminated in Sarlat - pretty simple IMO. but if I were you I would drive right from Chinon as it is an easy drive by autoroute to Brive-la-Gallard.
In fact Lilbourne train station would be a good place to pick up a car and drive into the Dordogne, hitting en route such gems as Saint-Emilion, one of the cutest wine towns I have encountered and a good first night stop IMO.
For lots of good info on French trains I always highlight these superb IMO sites - www.ricksteves.com; www.seat61.com and http://www.budgeteuropetravel.com/id8.html. go to www.voyages-sncf.com to score discounted PREM tickets if you are sure of your train travel time - big savings on TGV lines but not so much on non-TGV lines. Getting to Brive by train from Chinon is a pain - take the main TGV-Atlantique line to Lilbourne or Angouleme even Bordeaux and rent your car to drive thru the Bordeaux wine region to the Dordogne, where Sarlat IMO makes a perfect base.
Feb 16th, 2012, 10:47 AM
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<i>You can pick up a car anywhere in France and drop it anywhere in France without any extra charges.</i>
Not necessarily. I tried to avoid paying the RR station/airport fee when picking a car up in Bordeaux, and only Herz and Avis were listed as town agencies and both would have required a drop off fee in Limoges that was higher than the RR station/Airport pick up fee. That was through AutoEurope.
Not necessarily. I tried to avoid paying the RR station/airport fee when picking a car up in Bordeaux, and only Herz and Avis were listed as town agencies and both would have required a drop off fee in Limoges that was higher than the RR station/Airport pick up fee. That was through AutoEurope.
Feb 16th, 2012, 11:00 AM
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<<Why not - take a direct TGV from Tours St-Pierre-des-Corps to Lilbourne and transfer to a regional train that terminated in Sarlat - pretty simple IMO.>>
Because almost all the regional trains stop in Bergerac and then you have to get on a bus. The ones that do go the entire stretch stop every five minutes and take forever.
Didn't know that, Michael, but using AutoEurope I've never been given a Hertz or Avis car rental in France - always Cités or Europcar.
Because almost all the regional trains stop in Bergerac and then you have to get on a bus. The ones that do go the entire stretch stop every five minutes and take forever.
Didn't know that, Michael, but using AutoEurope I've never been given a Hertz or Avis car rental in France - always Cités or Europcar.
Feb 16th, 2012, 11:45 PM
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First of all, you need to realise that the Sarlat train station has very restricted access. Trains go there from the west - Bordeaux/Bergerac/Perigueux, etc., but not very many. Nothing arrives from the east, as there are no longer any tracks. It's a nice bicycle path now. (With any luck the bus link from Bergerac should be almost over. They have been working on the train tracks for several years, but that should be finished very soon. But the train is still very slow.)
The reason that Brive is a good choice normally is that it's a direct line down from Paris. It's not near Chinon - it would take 8 hours of travelling and several changes to do that. So that's out.
FYI, the only agency in Sarlat is Europcar but that does assume that you have soem way of getting there.
Why dont you just drive from Chinon?
I have had people deal with Avis and Hertz who could leave their car in a different location from pickup. Worth asking when you book, but normally it's possible.
The reason that Brive is a good choice normally is that it's a direct line down from Paris. It's not near Chinon - it would take 8 hours of travelling and several changes to do that. So that's out.
FYI, the only agency in Sarlat is Europcar but that does assume that you have soem way of getting there.
Why dont you just drive from Chinon?
I have had people deal with Avis and Hertz who could leave their car in a different location from pickup. Worth asking when you book, but normally it's possible.
Feb 17th, 2012, 03:54 AM
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., but not very many. Nothing arrives from the east, as there are no longer any tracks>
Yes but SNCF buses regularly ply the route Sarlat to Soullac, on a mian line back to Paris so is just the same as the train so going east is just as possible as if the train rolled on the now lifted up tracks - same route but with buses and SNCF tickets (railpasses valid).
Yes but SNCF buses regularly ply the route Sarlat to Soullac, on a mian line back to Paris so is just the same as the train so going east is just as possible as if the train rolled on the now lifted up tracks - same route but with buses and SNCF tickets (railpasses valid).
Feb 17th, 2012, 08:11 AM
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jamikins,
I assume that the one-way fee was stated in your contract from AutoEurope. If not, you would have had reason to challenge it. It happened to me, and when everything was said and done, because of the confusion, I paid less than I should have for RR station pick-up and the road tax.
I assume that the one-way fee was stated in your contract from AutoEurope. If not, you would have had reason to challenge it. It happened to me, and when everything was said and done, because of the confusion, I paid less than I should have for RR station pick-up and the road tax.
Feb 17th, 2012, 08:15 AM
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'Yes but SNCF buses regularly ply the route Sarlat to Soullac, on a main line back to Paris so is just the same as the train so going east is just as possible as if the train rolled on the now lifted up tracks - same route but with buses and SNCF tickets (railpasses valid).'
I do know this - I live 10 minutes from Souillac. But I also know that sometimes if you say you want to take the train to Sarlat the site will take you over to Bordeaux and back. We had people coming from the south who spent practically the whole day doing this when they could have just taken the train to Souillac. My point still is that it's not on any main route.
I do know this - I live 10 minutes from Souillac. But I also know that sometimes if you say you want to take the train to Sarlat the site will take you over to Bordeaux and back. We had people coming from the south who spent practically the whole day doing this when they could have just taken the train to Souillac. My point still is that it's not on any main route.
Feb 17th, 2012, 08:22 AM
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Yes they made me aware when I was booking and I had to approve it. I called and asked if there were any ways around it or different companies and was advised no, that this was becoming the norm and more and more companies will be charging it 
Feb 18th, 2012, 06:15 AM
#17
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StCirq what makes you say we might want to reorganize our trip to visit dordogne before the Loire? How would that change the transportation options?
Is there another place you might recommend to rent the car along the way to dordogne? We are thinking of using beynac as a home base.
Is there another place you might recommend to rent the car along the way to dordogne? We are thinking of using beynac as a home base.
Feb 18th, 2012, 07:23 AM
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Because it's really easy to go directly from Paris to the Dordogne by train. And then easy to get from the Dordogne back north to the Loire (you drop the car off in Libourne or Bordeaux and take the TGV to Tours, then rent another car).
Feb 18th, 2012, 08:19 AM
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The reverse would also be true: Loire first and then the Dordogne. But it assumes the use of a car in the Loire valley, which is not how the OP stated the options originally. Moreover, the intent is to drive to Avignon from the Dordogne.
Feb 18th, 2012, 08:28 AM
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Well, yes, the problem is Chinon, not the Loire per se. I've never, in many, many visits, tried to do the Loire without a car. I guess in this situation, renting a car for the Loire and then driving it to the Dordogne and then to Avignon is the best solution, though I personally hate those long boring drives, which I often find stressful, and love the convenience of the train.
