MmePerdu

I agree with spaarne regarding Dijon/Beaune and the wine villages in the region. I wouldn't, however, split the time between the Loire & Burgundy but choose 1 or the other in addition to Paris. Two days (3 nights) is simply not enough time for an entire region, in my opinion, but 5 days or so could be a nice amount of time for either of them. Why rush?

StuDudley

What your Dordogne plan might be:

July 7 Friday
- Check out of hotel, pack up car, and drive to St Pierre des Corps train station (a little hard to find) 8:00-9:00 (can you "rise & shine by 8:00?)

- Return car 9:00-9:15

- Get to train station 30 mins before train departure

- Catch 10:05 train that arrives in Bordeaux at 12:34.

- secure car 12:45-1:30 (lunch on train)

- drive to Sarlat la Caneda 2 3/4 hrs 1:30 4:15

- check into hotel, freshen up, and ready to go 4:15-5:00

- walk around Sarlat 5:00-7:00

- get ready for dinner if you are a foodie & don't want to dine at a too-touristy restaurant 7:00-8:00

July 8 Saturday
- Visit the Saturday morning market in Sarlat 9:00-11:00

- do other stuff in the Dordogne

July 9 Sunday.

- check out of hotel, pack up the car, and ready to depart 9:00-9:30

- Drive to the Bordeaux train station (closer departure cities have rental offices closed on Sundays) 9:30-12:15.

- Return car. Office closes for lunch at 1:00 - so don't miss this schedule. -

- Take the TGV that departs at 1:19 & arrives in Paris at 4:38. There is a new TGV fast service that is being introduced about the time you'll be there, so this trip could take 2 hrs instead of 3 hrs.

- take taxi to hotel, check in, and ready to go 5:00-6:00

I also have an itinerary for the Dordogne. But you'll really only be there for 1 1/8 days. My itinerary won't help much.

Stu Dudley

StCirq

I would maintain that you just don't have time to appreciate the Dordogne (I live here) and that all that fussing around with trains and rental cars just to get here and be immediately disappointed that you didn't allow for a week or two would be very frustrating.

Take the train to Bordeaux. It's a great city these days. Take the train out to Arcachon or Cap Ferret or the Dune du Pilat or all three for a day if you want to see some countryside. Otherwise there is plenty to enjoy right in Bordeaux - the parks, the museums, the Mirror, the old center of town, the cathedral, the food, the wine....

It doesn't take 4 hours to get back to Paris. It takes just under 3, and when the new super high-speed train is introduced it will take just over 2.

centeno

Stu thank you for the detailed itinerary......two questions
1. How about driving to Dordogne rather than trains? To far? To difficult? We have driven through Italy and south of France.
2. Isn't there a TGV that goes directly to the airport? We can leave on Monday and stay on Sunday ( or maybe even Tuesday if I can convince my husband!)

It would be nice to have weeks and weeks but we tend to travel a few days here and there. A couple of days can feel long when everything is new and exciting. I have the hotel already in Paris and know I will be there 3 nights. I think 3 nights is enough for Castles ( maybe even to much) I don't want to get overloaded where they all blend into one. I love the idea of seeng some of the Bordeaux if it is possible. The food, the wind, the sights. All good for me......

StuDudley

>>1. How about driving to Dordogne rather than trains? To far? To difficult? We have driven through Italy and south of France.

It is a 5 hr drive & not difficult at all - we've done it twice. But you still won't have much time to visit the Dordogne.

>>2. Isn't there a TGV that goes directly to the airport? We can leave on Monday and stay on Sunday ( or maybe even Tuesday if I can convince my husband!)<<

There is a TGV direct to CDG that leaves at 15:26 & arrives at 19:41. If you leave on Monday that would give you an extra 1 1/4 days - for a total of 2 1/2. 3 1/2 would be much better if you depart on Tuesday.

>>Bordeaux if it is possible. The food, the wind, the sights. <<

There is no wind - except in the vineyard region. Again - I would not visit Bordeaux or Lyon if you are also spending time in Paris. Visit the beautiful countryside instead.

Stu Dudley

PalenQ

2. Isn't there a TGV that goes directly to the airport? We can leave on Monday and stay on Sunday ( or maybe even Tuesday if I can convince my husband!)>

Check www.bahn.de/en to see -out in CDG TGV as destination station. There are a few I believe from Bordeaux.St-Pierre-des-Corps and others by changing at Paris-Massy TGV.

StuDudley

>>There are a few I believe from Bordeaux.St-Pierre-des-Corps and others by changing at Paris-Massy TGV.<<

I could not find any, except a TGV that leaves Bordeaux at 7:31 which means they would have to leave Sarlat around 3:30AM, There is a later one that departs Bordeaux at 17:23 and arrives at CDG at 21:41. Both direct trains (15:26 & 17:23) from Bordeaux to CDG pass through Massy. No other Bordeaux/Massy trains go directly to Massy.

Stu Dudley

PalenQ

Well that direct to CDG TGV train leaves Lilbourne about an hour later -and Lilbourne is a lot shorter drive from Sarlat than Bordeaux. Gets to CDG about 13:30

The 17:23 train from Bordeaux would leave Lilbourne an hour later.

That said their rental company may or may not have agency at Lilborune but if did a shorter drive.

StCirq

You DON'T have time for the Dordogne! Period. Just forget it.

StuDudley

Neither of the direct trains stop in Libourne - unless I am picking the wrong dates.

Stu Dudley

PalenQ

Yes keep the car in Amboise and drive somewhere relatively close by -Normandy for example as said above or spend longer in the Loire.

Maybe drive up to Chartres for the great cathedral and neat regional town on the way to Paris - maybe returning the car in say Versailles.

shamouel

After the Loire Valley, you could consider visiting Brittany, which is easiyly reachable from Tours or Angers (through Nantes if you'd like to take the train). Over 3 days, you could discover either the south or the north coast of Brittany.
South : Nantes, Guerande, Gulf of Morbihan, Vannes...
North : Saint Malo, Dinan, Mont Saint Michel, Rennes, Fougères...

StCirq

shamouel has what is a very reasonable alternative.

Gretchen

Maybe drive up to Chartres for the great cathedral and neat regional town on the way to Paris - maybe returning the car in say Versailles

That is a good thing to do, but just return at Orly and taxi to your hotel.

PalenQ

Ah lots of options but so little time!

centeno

I haven't given up planning this! If we take 10-11 days I think we can do this:

fly into Paris - 3 days in Paris

take train to Amboise ( I think I can get the car here? or nearby?) and pick up car

Spend 2-3 days in Loire valley visiting Chateaux"s

Drive down to Bordeaux stopping in Region of wine for Cognac

Spend 3 days Bordeaux and do day trip to Arcachon or Cap Ferret

Fly home from Bordeaux! ( This would make all of the difference!)

How does this sound? Doable? The drive may be long to Bordeaux but if you stop it could be fun!
I appreciate your thoughts. Thank you so much!
In Gratitude for all of your guidance!

StuDudley

If you stop in Cognac to visit some cognac things (museums, tastings), make sure that you don't arrive just as they close for a 2 hr lunch break at noon. This means you have to depart Amboise by 6:30AM (3 1/2 hr trip). Or no sooner than 10:30 - which might put you into Bordeaux late (7pm?). I think we spent 2 1/2 hrs in Cognac about 3 years ago, admiring the architecture, visiting the Cognac wine museum, and another museum housing art (we visited it for the building architecture). We did not do any tastings.

We dropped a car of in Blois on this same trip a few years ago, and the car rental office was nowhere near the train station. If you train to Amboise, make sure there is a way to get to the car rental office.

Stu Dudley

centeno

Thank you Stu I will heed your advice. Not bad to leave near 10:30 and arrive in Bordeaux in time for dinner! It's all doable I think!

TDudette

St. Emilion, near Bordeaux would be nice to visit. StCirq, how far would it be to drive from Bordeaux to Sarlat? Around 2.5 hours?

TGV from Paris to Bordeaux. Train to St. Emilion and Sarlat.

centeno, please report back!

centeno

StCirq Thank you for recommending Arcachon area! I was wondering if you could tell me.....my plans have flipped a bit and now we are flying into CDG and taking the TGV directly to Bordeaux. We are planning on spending 3 nights in Bordeaux and 3 nights in Cap Ferret ( Cote Sable I think) before we go on to Paris for 3 nights and than home. I was wondering since it is high season # 1 and we are flying from New York and than a TGV ride if it is best to first do Bordeaux on the weekend and Cap Ferret during the week or the other way around? I am thinking if might be VERY crowded on the weekend in Cap Ferret so a Tuesday to Friday might be better. Any thoughts?
Also, any idea how long one has to plan to go from Cap Ferret back to CDG?
Thanks so much!