>>The OP's problem is that they are traveling on a Saturday. And there is a reduced schedule on Saturdays<<

And the car rental offices close early on Saturdays - 17:30.

Stu Dudley

>>The OP's problem is that they are traveling on a Saturday. And there is a reduced schedule on Saturdays<<

>>And the car rental offices close early on Saturdays - 17:30.<<

bahn.de shows 13 trains(leaving between 8:52am and 6:52pm), Paris Montparnasse to Bordeaux-St-Jean on Saturday (I only checked Sept 9). While subject to change this should be enough to choose from.

Worst case a car can be rented at Bordeaux Airport,car rentals open to 11:30pm ( I only checked Hertz).

There are PLENTY of trains to Bordeaux. See my above post for 3 Saturdays between today & Sept 9 - 13 to 16 trains per day. It's the trains to Perigueux that are a problem. Look above - I advised to just go to Bordeaux (like you did). Others advised going on to Perigueux from Bordeaux by train. And some in the group are arriving at CDG on Saturday & getting to Perigueux from CDG.

Stu Dudley

I think that this whole thing is like making mountains out of mole hills -just stay the first night in Paris - near Montparnasse and put angst to rest - though I guess on Sundays car rentals may only be available in Bordeaux?

Thanks everyone! Yes, this is all complicated and gets back to why I originally thought about going to Angouleme...to arrive early enough in a city where there are car rental offices still open.

Pal: we don't want to spend the $$ for all of us to stay in a hotel when we already have the villa. It's 7 rooms!

The latest arrival into CDG is 8am so making a noon train should be doable. I like the idea of as little driving as possible and since the marathon du medoc is that day the train to Perigueux would be great. Therefore, I think the Paris group will leave earlier and get the cars and the CDG group will come when they can.

Understood. 8 am arrival should be plenty of time for a noon trains and before -right from CDG.

If the group arriving at CDG on Sept 9 can catch the 12:15 TGV from CDG that arrives in Bordeaux at 15:52,

and the group already in Paris takes the 13:52 TGV that arrives in Bordeaux 4 minutes later at 15:56 (new TGV!) - all will be fine.

Then it is a 1 hr 40 min drive to La Douze.

The Paris group could have breakfast on the Ile St Louis Saturday morning, followed by a Berthillon ice cream. What could be better??

Stu Dudley

>> train to Perigueux would be great. <<

What train to Perigueux???? Did you read my post that says the train for the CDG group departs Bordeaux at 17:28 and arrives in Perigueux at 18:56??? (7:00pm).

Then it's a 25 min drive from the Perigueux train station to La Douze.

To meet at the train station in Perigueux, each group will be taking trains with 1 train change. The CDG group will have a 1 1/2 hr wait at the Bordeaux train station, and the Paris group will have at least a 1 1/2 hr wait at the car rental office - plus probably a 1 to 2 hr wait in Bordeaux. ALL THIS TO SAVE 1 1/4 HRS OF DRIVING TIME???

Follow the schedule I suggested above!!

Stu Dudley

>>Paris group will leave earlier and get the cars and the CDG group will come when they can.<<

>>Paris group will have at least a 1 1/2 hr wait at the car rental office<<

Correction - see "Perigueux wait time" below:

So which train will you take from Paris to Perigueux??

- Departs at 6:52 & arrives at 11:40 with 1 train change. And you wait 7 hrs for the CDG group to arrive.

- Departs at 8:27 & arrives at 13:41 with 2 train changes. And you wait 5 hrs for the CDG group to arrive.

There are no later trains from Paris that arrive before the rental office closes.

Stu Dudley

Perfect! I can't wait!

Stu, the restaurant you mentioned is closed. So I'm looking for another! Hint, hint?!

Stu, we will drive from Bordeaux as you suggest. I'm relieved to have this decision nailed down!

Glad you have a "plan" that will work without much stress.

Purchase tickets for Sept 9 travel, on June 8 at 6:05 PM EDT in the US (00:05 June 9 in France). But look for "specials" between now & June 8. I purchased 3 train trips for this June, & one of them was on a "summer early sale". I research schedules on the German site I mentioned above, but purchase tickets here:

https://www.trainline.eu/

I always buy first class tickets - they are usually only a couple of dollars more than second class for PREM fares, and the seats are larger & there is more room for luggage. The TGV the Paris group will take (if you take the one I suggested) is probably the "brand new" TGV that will be in service for the first time this summer. It is supposedly quite nice.

We stay in the 7th & don't often leave the "hood" to dine. We've taken many buses to "notable" restaurants out of the "hood" - but the place I recommended in Ile St Louis is the only restaurant we've dined at on the island (twice).

Stu Dudley

I have an idea for a restaurant. This is my wife's favorite restaurant in Paris, & I consider it to be a "must see" site in Paris. A "feast for the eyes".

"le Train Bleu" in the Gare de Lyon
http://www.le-train-bleu.com/uk/index.php

The interior is "one of a kind". The food is "good", but not great. What you will remember is the "experience". We somehow manage to dine at the Train Bleu about once a year. We had dinner there last year after taking the train back to Paris/Gare de Lyon from Annecy & staying the last night near the Gare before flying home the next morning. We'll do the same when we take the TGV from Avignon to the Gare de Lyon on July 1 this year.

I would schedule a taxi to take you to the Gare de Lyon. And, of course, you will have no trouble catching a taxi back to the Ile St Louis from the Gare after dinner. I have no idea how taxis get in & out of the Ill St Louis.

Stu Dudley

Even I was put off by the price at le train bleu.
I drink a desperados when waiting for a train several times a year - 8 euros for a beer and then go to eat at say la biche au bois. Fantastic wild meat and fantastic côte rôtie for unexpensive price.

I don't understand the rec fir a taxi from Gare du Nord to Gare Montparnasse. Take a taxi from Cdg to gare montparmasse or take RER to GDN then metro to Montparnasse.

Le Train Bleu is beautiful. And overpriced.The setting is magical, the food mediocre.

<<Stu, we will drive from Bordeaux as you suggest. I'm relieved to have this decision nailed down!>>

There are also loads of trains normally from Bordeaux to Bergerac, an entirely different route from the one through Périgueux, and one can easily rent a car in Bergerac and be in La Douze in no time.

I would NOT drive from Bordeaux to La Douze after an all-night flight and a 2+-hour train ride.

But then again, what do I know? I just live here.

Bergerac would work for the Paris group - but not so great for the group coming from CDG.

It is a 1 hr 40 min drive from the Bordeaux train station to La Douze.

Bergerac for the Paris group:
Depart Paris at 11:52 & arrive in Bergerac at 15:38. 15 min train transfer time in Bordeaux (I would be worried & stressed). I would take an earlier train from Paris to Bordeaux.
Then a 1 hr drive to La Douze.

For the CDG group:
CDG to Bordeaux departs @ 12:15 & arrives at 15:52.
Bordeaux to Bergerac departs @ 17:11 & arrives at 18:43
1 hr wait at the train station in Bordeaux, and the car rental office closes at 18:00.

IF (and big if), the Paris group will be doing ALL the driving for the entire group, I suppose the Paris group could arrive early & pick up all the needed cars, drive 1 hr to La Douze, then drive 1 hr back to Bergerac to pick up the CDG group, then drive 1 hr back to La Douze. Or they could wait 3 hrs at the Bergerac station & then pick up the CDG group.

And all this to save 40 mins driving time IF the Paris group waits 3 hrs at the Bergerac station, and IF the CDG group is not doing any of the driving. Otherwise, it is a LOT more driving.

Stu Dudley

My recommendation had everyone arriving in Bordeaux at the same time to pick up the cars reserved for the various primary drivers.

If the entire CDG group is jet-lagged, a CDG person could rent the car reserved in his/her name, and a Paris person could be listed as a secondary driver (added cost - about $80) - and then drive from Bordeaux to La Douze (1 hr 40 mins).

For the Bergerac option, when the group is "split" when they arrive in Bergerac by train, you can NOT pick up a car reserved for another person. The driver has to be present & show a credit card in their name and also a driver's license or some other ID (passport?). I believe you can also NOT designate another person as a secondary drive who is not at the rental office at the time of rental (you might have to show and ID). So someone in the Paris group can't reserve a car in his name, designate a CDG person who is not at the office as the secondary driver, and park the car near the train station for the CDG person to pick up 3 hrs later. In addition to this being a "no-no" as far as the car rental agency is concerned - there may be some insurance issues involved if the CDG person gets into an accident and was not listed as a primary or secondary driver.

Also, the Bergerac option has everyone "in transit" most of the day, instead of the Bordeaux option where they are either in Paris or the villa most of the day. Saturdays are fun days in France.

Stu Dudley

Thank you everyone! We will take the train to Bordeaux and drive to La Douze. The parents will be driving the cars and we will have spent 3 days in Paris acclimating. If we need to add drivers we will since we should all arrive at the same time in Bordeaux.
I will check out Le Train Bleu. We have been to Paris several times but the other parent couple have never been so I would like a special place for our first or second night (depending on how exhausted we are from the flight).

We're foodies, and this was our best meal when we were in Paris for 2 weeks in 2015. It's in the 7th - very close to the 6th.

http://lesclimats.fr/home

It is in a building that was formerly used as lodging for women who worked for the telephone company. Fabulous interior & fabulous food. You may be tempted to dine outside - but don't. The interior is remarkable.

Stu Dudley

Stu, I just looked at their website. It looks perfect! Thanks! Pam