Itinerary assistance Southwest France
 

We will be travelling in late April and would like to see a variety of sights in the Dordogne, and South of France.
A tentative itinerary is;
Day1 Friday; Paris to Bordeaux via TGV, mid afternoon arrival, pick up rental car and drive to Les Eyzies. Stay one night..
Day 2 Saturday, Visit Font de Gaume, Lascaux II. Leave late afternoon, Drive to Conques (Abbey of St. Foy). Stay locally.
Day 3 Sunday, Visit Abbaye St. Foy, depart in afternoon, visit Moissac (Abbaye St. Pierre) en route to Toulouse. Stay in Toulouse.
Day 4 Monday,Sightseeing Toulouse, Stay in Touluse.
Day 5 Tuesday, Drive to Carcassone, sight seeing and stay that night in Carcassone.
Day 6 Wednesday, Drive to Nimes (visit Camargue en route), stay in Nimes locality.
Day 7,Thursday, Sightseeing Roman sites/Nimes, drive Avignon for sightseeing in pm, stay in Avignon.
Day 8 Friday, Sightseeing Avignon, late afternoon departure, TGV to Paris Charles de Gaulle, Stay at airport hotel for return to US the next day
Seems like a lot of driving and checking in and out of hotels. Any thoughts about ways to see the same sights using a central base and day trips from one locale?

Toulouse can be used a base to visit Moissac and Carcassonne, but not on the same day. I would stop by Albi between Conques and Toulouse to see the church and the bishop's palace which is now a Toulouse-Lautrec museum. The day of the Moissc visit, you might want to visit the Place de la République in Montauban (same vintage as the Place des Vosges in Paris) http://www.flickr.com/photos/mksfca/...57623877915948 . Montauban's bishop's palace is now an Ingres museum.

With so little time, you then need to decide if you want to visit Bordeaux and the surrounding area, or head for Provence. There just isn't enough time to cover everything you want to see in only 8 days unless you want to spend all of your time on the road, in the train station and checking into and out of hotels.

Also, depending on where you'll be arriving from, I'd stick with Paris for at least the first 4 nights before heading out on your road trip.