Lost in Southern France
Feb 25th, 2005, 05:19 AM
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Lost in Southern France
Hi there. My partner and I are thinking of spending 4 nights in Southern France during the Easter period.
We are considering flying into Bergerac, driving a hirecar along the Dordogne River and then south to fly out at Carcassone. Is this feasible in only 4 nights or are we trying to cover too much in too little time? If this is too much, does anyone have any suggestions as to how best to spend 4 nights in the region and which airport provides the best base to explore? Return flights from London to Bergerac are quite pricey right now, so we would like to avoid having to do that if possible.
Also, does anyone know whether restaurants/ markets/specialty farms etc in country towns in France are open throughout the Easter period? It would be a shame to get there to find that nothing is open!
Any guidance would be appreciated - we are looking at some online maps and other resources and making very little progress!
Many thanks!
We are considering flying into Bergerac, driving a hirecar along the Dordogne River and then south to fly out at Carcassone. Is this feasible in only 4 nights or are we trying to cover too much in too little time? If this is too much, does anyone have any suggestions as to how best to spend 4 nights in the region and which airport provides the best base to explore? Return flights from London to Bergerac are quite pricey right now, so we would like to avoid having to do that if possible.
Also, does anyone know whether restaurants/ markets/specialty farms etc in country towns in France are open throughout the Easter period? It would be a shame to get there to find that nothing is open!
Any guidance would be appreciated - we are looking at some online maps and other resources and making very little progress!
Many thanks!
Feb 25th, 2005, 05:53 AM
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This is definitely feasible, though you'll be sorry you had only 4 days, and you will run into a lot of closings because of Easter. Flying into Périgueux would be more efficient if that is an option.
Markets will probably be open, even on Easter, though I can't speak to specific towns. The one in St-Cyprien was open on Easter a few years ago when I was there. Market days are:
Saturday: Sarlat and Belvès (small market in Le Bugue)
Sunday: St-Cyprien and Rouffignac
Tuesday: Le Bugue
Wednesday: Montignac (small market in Sarlat)
Thursday: Lalinde, Domme,Terrasson
Friday: Le Buisson
If by "specialty farmers" you mean purveyors of foie gras, cabécou, etc., who sell from their farms, no, I don't think they'll be open to passers-by on Easter or Easter Monday. Most shops will be closed those days, too, and most tourist sites. Many hotels and restaurants don't re-open for the season until the Tuesday after Easter.
In sum, I wouldn't plan on winging it on a trip like this. With only 4 days, you could find yourselves eating up a lot of valuable vacation time looking for lodging, food, and interesting things to visit that are open.
If you fly into Bergerac I'd go straight to the Sarlat area for the first three nights, then head south through Cahors and Albi. If your flight from Carcassonne is in the afternoon, spend the last night in ALbi. If it's a morning flight, I'd spend the last night right in Carcassonne or very nearby.
Markets will probably be open, even on Easter, though I can't speak to specific towns. The one in St-Cyprien was open on Easter a few years ago when I was there. Market days are:
Saturday: Sarlat and Belvès (small market in Le Bugue)
Sunday: St-Cyprien and Rouffignac
Tuesday: Le Bugue
Wednesday: Montignac (small market in Sarlat)
Thursday: Lalinde, Domme,Terrasson
Friday: Le Buisson
If by "specialty farmers" you mean purveyors of foie gras, cabécou, etc., who sell from their farms, no, I don't think they'll be open to passers-by on Easter or Easter Monday. Most shops will be closed those days, too, and most tourist sites. Many hotels and restaurants don't re-open for the season until the Tuesday after Easter.
In sum, I wouldn't plan on winging it on a trip like this. With only 4 days, you could find yourselves eating up a lot of valuable vacation time looking for lodging, food, and interesting things to visit that are open.
If you fly into Bergerac I'd go straight to the Sarlat area for the first three nights, then head south through Cahors and Albi. If your flight from Carcassonne is in the afternoon, spend the last night in ALbi. If it's a morning flight, I'd spend the last night right in Carcassonne or very nearby.
Feb 26th, 2005, 06:53 AM
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Thanks so much for these comments and suggestions. I've been thinking them all over with my partner and we are in a huge dilemma as to whether to go or not.
We live in Japan and are traveling to London on business, which is why we're not too flexible with our dates. We're desparate to take the opportunity to check out the French countryside and taste the specialties of the Dordogne region, but having never been there before we're not sure what to expect.
StCirq - you mentioned that you were in the region at Easter a few years ago. What was the weather like? Was it too cold to want to be walking around outside for too long? What did you do during the 2 days when everything was closed?
Assuming we manage to find a room in a hotel with a good restaurant I presume we'll manage to find something fabulous to eat, but that still leaves us with all the time in between meals... will there be nothing to do at all?
Thanks again for your help - we're hopeless when it comes to knowledge about Europe!
Cheers
Feb 26th, 2005, 08:02 AM
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Hi, beroccstar:
I'm almost always in the Dordogne around Easter. A couple of years ago I was there ON Easter. The weather is usually beautiful - cold and misty in the mornings and warming up to maybe high 60s, low 70s (Fahrenheit) in the afternoons, chilly evenings. Lots of sunshine with occasional afternoon showers. Of course, Easter can fall within a fairly long timespan. But in general it's a beautiful time of year to be there - few tourists, nice weather, orchards beginning to bloom, green, green hillsides.....
During the two days that everything was closed I stayed home and puttered in the garden, read, cooked, visited neighbors - not what tourists would be doing, for sure. But to me, one of the greatest pleasures of the area is wandering the back roads and discovering the hidden villages, the remote chapels and ruins, just soaking up the beauty of the place. There's nothing to stop you from having a lovely trip even if almost everything is closed - and you'll always be able to find something to eat and drink. I think almost every town will have at least one café open - they seem to work it that way.
I'm almost always in the Dordogne around Easter. A couple of years ago I was there ON Easter. The weather is usually beautiful - cold and misty in the mornings and warming up to maybe high 60s, low 70s (Fahrenheit) in the afternoons, chilly evenings. Lots of sunshine with occasional afternoon showers. Of course, Easter can fall within a fairly long timespan. But in general it's a beautiful time of year to be there - few tourists, nice weather, orchards beginning to bloom, green, green hillsides.....
During the two days that everything was closed I stayed home and puttered in the garden, read, cooked, visited neighbors - not what tourists would be doing, for sure. But to me, one of the greatest pleasures of the area is wandering the back roads and discovering the hidden villages, the remote chapels and ruins, just soaking up the beauty of the place. There's nothing to stop you from having a lovely trip even if almost everything is closed - and you'll always be able to find something to eat and drink. I think almost every town will have at least one café open - they seem to work it that way.
Feb 26th, 2005, 08:24 AM
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StCirq: Thanks ever so much for this - you've sold us! I was hoping that many of the pleasures of the region would be the type that don't close and from what you have said it sounds like that's the case.
I think we'll just find some lodging with half board, hire a car and take it as it comes... if things are closed then so be it!
One of the hotels I was looking at is in Gourdon - do you know this town and would you recommend staying there for 3 nights and using it as a base to explore the area, or are we better off being right in Sarlat?
I think we'll just find some lodging with half board, hire a car and take it as it comes... if things are closed then so be it!
One of the hotels I was looking at is in Gourdon - do you know this town and would you recommend staying there for 3 nights and using it as a base to explore the area, or are we better off being right in Sarlat?
