Leely

We have a full day to do this. Mappy shows driving direct as taking about 2 hours. Can anyone recommend an interesting route?

We will then have five days based in Sarlat, so I was hoping to see/do something on the way south that we wouldn't do from Sarlat itself. Hautefort is on my radar, but I'm not sure if there's something else we can or should add. I really like churches, abbeys, museums, so I can always find time to squeeze something like that in. Or even a good place to stop for a leisurely lunch.

I think at one point I read a route recommended by Carlux or St. Cirq, but I cannot find the thread.

Thanks.

ira

Hi L,

Following the route from viamichelin, you might want to go around Brive and head for Collenges la Rouge and Gouffre de Padirac, near Padirac, and then head for Sarlat.

StCirq

Well, first off, I hope you are planning to make a stop in Oradour-sur-Glane on the way. That will take up a couple of hours.

ira's suggestion is a good one, but there are so many possibilities! Another would be to follow the D704 down past Excideuil (worth the very brief detour) on to Hautefort (the château where "Ever After" was filmed) and then jump briefly on the N89 to Terrasson (nice town with some lovely gardens), then down the D 62 to Salignac and then the D60 to Sarlat.

Leely

Thank you, Ira and St. Cirq. Both routes sound enticing.

And yes, we will visit Oradour sur Glane the day before heading down to Sarlat.

ira

Have a nice visit, L.

ekscrunchy

Leely, I drive from Domme to Oradour and back in a day last fall. We took the road along the river and hooked up with the highway in Soulliac.

I took us a very long time to return due to navigation issues and confusion...about 4 hours. There was a lot of highway traffic outside Brive o the return. Oradour is a ways outside Limoges so be sure to factor this in to your plans.

Leely

Four hours?! ekscrunchy, you're scaring me. I'll definitely keep an eye on my watch while poking around. The only "date" we'll have to meet that day is checking in around 4-5 at Villa des Consuls.

We leave two weeks from today and I've made zero itineraries. Was planning on cribbing some of the good ones from Fodor's threads. I bought and read my guidebooks so long ago I've forgotten what's in them.

Michael

In Hautefort, make sure you visit the 17th Century hospital which is a museum and serves as the local tourist information bureau. St. Amand de Coly is another worthwhile stop. Downtown St. Yrieix--to the right of D704 coming from Limoges--has some good procelain bargain shops. Limoges has a very large procelain museum and a smaller enamel museum in the former Bishop's palace. I would consider Collonges-la-Rouge and Padirac as being too far to be taken in as part of a day's tour from Limoges to Sarlat. If you were to consider the Collonges-la-Rouge option, I would say that it would be better to visit Brantôme and Bourdeilles' chateau on the way to Sarlat. I also do not consider Excideuil worth any detour.

ira

>I would consider Collonges-la-Rouge and Padirac as being too far to be taken in as part of a day's tour from Limoges to Sarlat. <

It is about 3:15 hr from Loimoges to Sarlat via these 2 towns.

I think that that gives one 2 hr to visit Collonges-la-Rouge and enough time to see the Gouffre de Padirac.

ekscrunchy

Leely..yes, it took us at least 4 hours. It was pouring rain and after leaving Oradour, we had a difficult time finding the entrance to the highway once we reached the outskirts of Limoges. It is tricky, so be on the alert. Then we ran into heavy traffic near Brive. This was on a Friday in mid October. And THEN, yours truly had her head in the guidebook and not on the road when we neared Souillac so we missed the exit from the highway and had to drive to the next exit, which I swear was about 50 km further south. I was ready to call for a dinner reservation in Toulouse!

And THEN, we got so lost in the pitch black that we ended up on a dirt road somewhere near the Domme airport, and had to knock on the door of an isolated house and get directions from the startled homeowner.

All in all it was a fun trip, though, but I am glad I was not driving! To top it all off, that night we had dinner reservations at L'Esplanade in Domme. We called and told them we would be an hour late and then, on the road to the restaurant, we wrecked the clutch of one of the (two) rental cars so totally that it could not be driven again!

None of this will happen to you, Leely..it was totally my fault for not paying attention on the roads.