Lascaux II
 

I read somewhere that tickets for Lascaux II are available on a first-come-first-served basis from 9am either at the site or at the Montignac Tourist Office (depending on the time of year), and that they can only be purchased for that day and not a day ahead.

Is this still right? How early in the morning do the queues begin to form? Need I arrive at sparrow-fart to be sure of a ticket? I'll be there either April/May or September/October.

Hi two,

The Michelin Green Guide says it is open from 0930 to 1830 in April, May and Sept. From 10-1230 and 1400-1800 in Oct.

They sell up to 2000 tickets per day. You will not be there in the height of the season. You will get in, but you might have to wait.

While waiting for your afternoon tour, go up to Grotte de Rouffignac.
http://www.grottederouffignac.fr/default_an.asp

((I))

OOPS,

Rouffignac is near Les Eyzies, not Montignac.

I don't think that you will have any problems in the spring or fall. I went to Lascaux II in late June and got tickets for the same day. We probably arrived in Montignac between 10 and 11 a.m. The tickets are purchased in Montignac proper.

I would not go to Rouffignac only because of potential time constraints. But if you have a couple of hours, you can always visit St. Amand de Coly and perhaps St. Geniès.

Hi two,

The Michelin Guide says that tickets are sold in Montignac only in the Summer.

((I))

We've visited Lascaux II in June & Sept. We purchased the tickets several days in advance in Montignac. Last time we were there ('00), the English tour started at 11:30. You reserve for a specific day & time.

Stu Dudley

Hi Stu,

The current Lascaux II website says nothing about reservations.

I have emailed them about this.

((I))

The Montignac Tourist Office website has, I believe, the correct and current information.

Open February 1 through December 31. Off-season hours are 10h-12h and 14h-17h30, closed Mondays. July and August open every day 9h-19h. Tickets must be purchased at the ticket office in the town center, next to the Tourist Office Ticket Office number: 05.53.51.96.23 Group Reservations, call 05.53.35.50.40. The cave itself is 1.7 km outside town.

Hi all,

Passcal at the Montignac Tourist office wrote:

"For 2 persons, it's not necessary to reserve, you can buy your tickets in the village of Montignac at the billeterie".

((I))

Thanks for all the useful info. I'm working on a trip to the dordogne in mid-April and can really use this helpful post.

We were there this past October 1st. We drove (after a 30 minute car-trouble delay) from Sarlat about 10 AM; messed around the town a bit, bought the tickets about 10:45 (no people around), got to Lascaux about 11:15 (no people around), 11:20 a bus came (lots of people around). I don't know how early sparrow-fart is(I assume that's AM, not PM?), but on a basis of our visit, you'd have no need to be concerned at the Sept/Oct date.

For a September visit we asked our hotel in Montignac to get tickets. We were glad to have them since the morning groups seemed to be full.

Thanks Ira. Did they indicate if I can buy the tickets a day ahead? I'll be (maybe) coming down from the north (via Brantome) to Sarlat too late in the day to catch Lascaux II, and was wondering if I should plan to deviate through Montignac to buy tickets for the following day, or if I should go direct to Sarlat and take my chances on tickets next morning.
Maybe I'll get on the Montignac Tourist Office website and ask them. Thanks again.

Twoflower.

I mentioned earlier that I bought tickets in advance - I even think it was 1 week in advance. We were in the Dordogne for 2 weeks several years ago. My father-in-law was joining us for the second week & we wanted to take him there (we toured Lascaux a few years earlier). The week before he arrived, we purchased tickets for the English tour. The day he arrived was the same day a gas strike started. Our plans were to see Rouffignac first, then Lascaux. We headed out early in the day to pick up the first Rouffignac tour and encountered a road block in Sarlat - it was the strike. They had set bails of hay on fire & all roads in & out of Sarlat were blocked. We had to take the small back roads, and we totally got lost. We missed the Rouffignac tour, and barely made it to the Lascaux tour at 11:30. No way we could have made it to Montignac to buy tickets that same day - that's how I remember that we bought them in advance. Also, our schedule for my FILs visit was packed, and we bought tickets before he arrived to save time.

However, it's always wise to call the tourist office in advance. Friends wanted to take the Lascaux II a few years later, and the English tour was sold out.

We toured Lascaux the second week of Sept, and our friends were there in early June.

Stu Dudley

I've also been wondering the same thing as twoflower, as I'm working on my May trip to the Dordogne. I'll also be coming south from the Brantome area, and had hoped to buy the tickets a day or two ahead for an English tour. As Stu says, he did it, so I hope that is the case now.

Thanks Stu - I'll redraft my itinerary accordingly. It'll allow for a more leisurely drive up from Sarlat next day, possibly via St Nathalene, St Crepin-et-Capulet, St Genies and St Amand-de-Coly.