sglass

Hello- I am hoping for some advice from you ever- helpful Fodorites who have possibly driven this same route by rental car, in early July, for the trip next summer I am in the process of sketching out: pick up rental car in early am, in Amboise, after two nights there (via train from Paris), drive to Oradour (allow about two hours of time there?) then continue on to Lascaux II if I can reserve a mid-afternoon tour- we then are staying in Beynac for the next three nights to explore the rest of the caves (big interest for me!), see Sarlat's market, canoe...before moving south. Still having the car, is it feasible to see Peche Merle on the way to a few hours in Cahors, before staying two nights in Puycelci? I am using various maps for my sketching, but that doesn't take crowds, parking, etc. into account that some of you may have experienced! Or, anything else you want to share. Food/wine is not important- caves, hikes, and the canoe concept are! THANK YOU!

robjame

<< drive to Oradour (allow about two hours of time there?) then continue on to Lascaux II if I can reserve a mid-afternoon tour- we then are staying in Beynac >>
If you are talking about doing all this in one day then I think you will be hard pressed to fit it all in. I seem to remember that the only way to get tickets for Lascaux was to, in person arrive, in town , go to the tourist bureau, purchase them for a later tour and then drive out to Lascaux. I am sure someone else will know.
Now you are talking July and it was busy in late May.
Stu... Stu ... where are you (he will know the route and driving times for sure)

StCirq

Nope, you can't do this. For one thing, as robjame points out, to get tickets for Lascaux II you've got to go to the tourist office in Montignac and buy them, and the English-language tours are given more seldom than the French ones (if you need that). Or maybe you can order them online these days, I'm not sure, but at any rate you can't hope to start in Amboise, visit Oradour, get to Lascaux and take a tour, and then get to Beynac in one day.

ekscrunchy

I bought tickets for Lascaux II at the ticket office on the site last October. I think (because I read it somewhere) that where you buy the tickets depends on the time of the year, with high season perhaps necessitating a trip into Montignac.

I would allow more than 2 hours for Oradour..it took us about 2 hours in the memory center alone, before we walked through the town.

Gretchen

I think 2 hours in Oradour is doable if that is what you have.

Carlux

Regarding Lascaux, you can buy tickets on site - except during high season. Normally in this part of France that starts mid-July. But even in early July they may decide that you have to buy your ticket in Montignac. I have never found the ticket office very helpful - and in the past certainly haven't been able to order in advance. You may well find that you can't get a ticket for the next tour, and have to wait for a later one.

So, I agree with the other posters that going to Oradour and Lascaux on the same day you're trying to get here is not a good idea. Why not try to spend enough time in each to appreciate each of them?

On the other hand, it's quite possible to see Pech Merle on the way to or from Cahors, and then Puycelci. They allow more people in, and you can reserve your tour a few days in advance, so you will have more control over time allotment. I'd get up pretty early to make sure of some time in Cahors.

Michael

Coming from the north one must pass by the ticket office in Montignac anyway, as long as one goes into the town proper rather than using the D704 by-pass. No big deal to check if they sell tickets, or if they should be purchased at the site itself, which is just a 5 minute drive from the office.

ira

Hi S,

We purchased our tickets for Lascaux II over the internet. See www.culture.gouv.fr/culture/arcnat/lascaux/en/

Click "useful info"
Click "Semitour"

>...is it feasible to see Peche Merle on the way to a few hours in Cahors, ...<

Yes. It is much better if you give time to see Peche Merle and skip Cahors if you have to.

Use www.viamichelin.com and www.mappy.com to plan your routes.

Where are you staying in Beynac?

Enjoy your visit.

sglass

So many thanks to all of you who took the time to post your great advice concerning my cave- touring planning. The one thing I do NOT want to do on this trip is rush anything! For whatever reason, I'm having an easier time with some of the other destinations on this five week odyssey that the "caves conundrum"- perhaps because they look so geographically close when I pore over the various maps. Based on all this advice, I think it best to go to one each day, combined with whatever town(s) is nearby. We are forced to go at the height of tourist season in mid- July due to work schedules, so I know I need to factor in crowds, parking woes, etc. The Website was great, thanks for that, too- being able to get reservations online would sure help. In Beynac we are staying at "Chambres Residence Versailles". Thanks again!

Michael

A nice stop that would give you Oradour and Lascaux in consecutive days might be Brantôme or Bourdeille. The latter has the Hotel des Griffons (?) by the medieval bridge that appeared nice (I never stayed there but spoke to the owner while having coffee on its terrace), and has been recommended by several persons on this board. The chateau in Bourdeille is definitely worth a visit.