honlcc

I’m looking for basic itinerary advice. We will be arriving at Paris’ Gare du Nord from London on 9/22(Saturday) at about 2pm after having spent a couple of weeks in London(RS tour) and the Cotswolds. We will be returning to London by train on Sunday, 9/30.
My question is...is it doable in this time frame to spend 2-3 days in Paris AND also explore the Dordogne region? We have been to Paris twice before, but always more to see.
We would likely take the train to Brive or Bordeaux and rent a car at that point. I’m thinking probably Sat/Sun/Mon nts in Paris, to Dordogne on Tues then return to Paris(by train?, car?) on Fri.
Any other suggestions on how to best use our time would be appreciated. The train tickets to and from London are set, but otherwise we are pretty flexible. Dordogne sounds amazing and we would love to experience it, but I don’t want to rush through and not do it justice.
I also realize the London->Paris and back again is not the most practical way to do this, but it is what it is!

StCirq

No. You need at a minimum a full week to get anything at all out of the Dordogne. Forget it.

StuDudley

You could take the TGV from Paris to Bordeaux that departs at 8:48 & arrives at 10:56. There is another TGV an hour later. Then it's a 2 1/2 hr drive to Sarlat. That will get you there around 2pm.


Then the 2:01 train from Brive that arrives in Paris at 6:23.


This will give you 2 full days and 2 half-days in the Dordogne - which, IMO, is the bare minimum. But I have been told by a friend who owned a B&B there that 3-4 days is about the average that her guests spend in the Dordogne.


Before departing for Paris, drive 1 hr to to Collonges la Rouge, explore, then it is a short 20 min drive to Brive.


Stu Dudley

isabel

Well even though StCirq is the fodor's expert on the area (she lives there) and gives wonderful advice about things to do in the region, I have to disagree. We had three full days, plus the day we traveled there from Paris and while we certainly could have used more, it was enough and if that's all the time I had I'd do it again. So I would suggest perhaps you shorten Paris by one day (you say you've been multiple times).


We took the train to Brive and rented a car. Here is my trip report which is fairly detailed about what we did and where we stayed (Sarlat). It was part of a five week trip but the Dordogne part is near the beginning and if you scroll down it's well marked.



Photo Safari to the south of France, the Italian Rivera and the Swiss Alps


For the photos go to https://andiamo.zenfolio.com/ now as I've changed sites to post my photos

Edward2005

I spent 4 days there and got quite a lot out of it. I look forward to returning. "Forget it" is simply bad advice.

PalenQ

Anyway about trains - probably booked Eurostar trains or should - www.eurostar.com - earlier the better. Ditto for French trains - www.oui.sncf - French Rail site - book NOW for neat discounts but sold in limited numbers. Have you been to other French destinations - if not the Avignon area - just about 3 hours from Paris via TGV has lots of do for 3-4 days in a compact area - southern France is so so beautiful.

honlcc

Thanks so much. These are helpful suggestions!

kja

I spent 4 full days in the Dordogne, and that worked for me, but I was on the go during every waking moment and had advance reservations at all of the caves I wanted to visit. Only you can decide whether you can see and experience the things that matter to you in the time you would have, but I must admit that I would find 2 full days (Wed. and Thurs.), with only bits of time on long travel days before and after, to be frustratingly limited.

janisj

Have you considered continuing on to the Dordogne on the 22nd, then finishing up with a couple of days in Paris? That is how I would arrange such an itinerary.

janisj

. . . Oh that would have you collecting a rental car late Saturday afternoon. Might be a problem.

StCirq

<< "Forget it" is simply bad advice.>>

I'm not in the habit of giving bad advice about where I live. Sure, you can go anywhere for 2 days and get "something" out of it, but all that travel time and trying to decide your priorities among the hundreds of possibilities? Not my idea of a good use of time, when you could stay put and see a whole lot more of Paris and environs.

The OP clearly said she didn't want to "rush through" the Dordogne. That is exactly what she would be doing with susch a short timeframe.

StuDudley

I just noted that you are returning to Paris on a Friday but leaving for London on Sunday. If you instead return to Paris on Saturday, that gives you 3-4 nights in Paris - not 2-3. If so - you then have a full 4 days in the Dordogne.


Take the TGV to Bordeaux on Tuesday (see above), then drive to Sarlat arriving at 2PM.


Then leave Sarlat area around 1:30PM on Saturday and drive to Bordeaux and catch the 5:04 or 5:34 (car rental office closes at 6) to Paris & arrive at the Gare du Nord in 2 hrs - where your Eurostar departs. Stay near the Gare and have dinner at the new Gare restaurant.


Stu Dudley

PalenQ

Stu- how does one arrive at Gare du Nord in 2 hours from Bordeaux via TGV - TGVs only go to Gare Montparasse, right? Then leave about an hour to get to Nord and those pesky French train strikes could always pop up - I'd end up in Paris a day or more before your non-refundable probably Eurostar ticket to London.

mjs

I would not do the Dordogne with the amount of time you have unless you were to skip Paris. Too much to see and do for the time spent getting to/from. Would consider other destinations like the Loire valley or Normandy.

PalenQ

Tues then return to Paris(by train?, car?)>

Don't even consider car - too bad you have booked Eurostar trains because flying London-Bordeaux or nearby place would have maximized your time and probably been cheaper than Eurostar + train to Dordogne area.

jannad

As suggested, I would travel onwards first and go back to Paris for two nights before returning to London. Do it! You may never have the chance again.

StuDudley

>>Stu- how does one arrive at Gare du Nord in 2 hours from Bordeaux via TGV - TGVs only go to Gare Montparasse, right?<<<


Oops - you are correct.


Have a very memorable meal at Cobea or a more "traditional' one at Le Dome - both within walking distance of the Montparnasse station. We took the TGV to & from Brittany this past June/July via Montparnasse. I would not recommend the 2 hotels we stayed at of one-nighters.


Stu Dudley



Stu Dudley

thibaut

And gare Montparnasse is a chaos since a major electrical cabinet caught fire last friday, problem not yet solved.
OP wrote he didn't want to rush the trip and there is no way not to rush in 2.5 days. I think the poster who said forget it is damn spot on.
I've to Dordogne several times, never less than 10 days, and it was never enough.
Now you can 'do' it in 2.5 days, there are people who 'do' Europe in 7 days, so it is perfectly doable.
Just not what OP says she is after.
For 2;5 days, from Paris, I'd go to Dday beaches.Or a daytrip or 2. Senlis ? Chartres ?etc.

aliced

Good advice above, and now I'll throw in mine. Agree that 2-3 days in the Dordogne is not worth the travel, so why not spend those days in Bordeaux? Lovely city-- stroll along the river, see the new Cite du Vin -- perhaps a day trip up to Chateau Margaux or over to St. Emilion (which was enchanting and not that crowded). The Aquitaine Musee was fascinating and offers its depictions of caves of Lascaux. Then on your next trip you can skip here and proceed directly thru Brive and spend a week or two which it deserves.