Having seen the photographs, we are wanting to do a day trip here in September. I am having difficulty getting my head round the logistics of this and the best way to tackle it. I have bad knees and know that a lot of steps will play havoc with them. I'd be grateful for any help or advice.

How busy is it likely to be mid September - horrendous or manageable?

Where is the best place to park? How busy do the car parks get and are we likely to regret trying to drive to the top car park by the Château?

If we use the bottom car park, how long will it take us to walk to the town? Is it a long climb up? Is it worth catching the tourist train?

I have seen references to lifts. Where are they and are they clearly signed? How frequent are they and are there likely to be long queues?

Are the religious sites open to tourists?

Any other tops or advice gratefully received.

we went their in late may so i guess a little but more out of season than septemebr. It was fine! we very easily parked in l'Hospitilet area where there seemed to be a fari few spaces (we had lots to chose from in may) and walked down the "au font de la cote" road which is mostly just for people who live on in so fairly steepish hill. It only took about 10 mins tops to walk. Coming back was uphill but again absolutely fine for our 60+ year parents.

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?client...-8&sa=N&tab=il

should have said this route is walking down the hill but is not steps, its flat decline mostly

I don't think you'll have a problem. I'm in my 70s with a bad knee.

If you park at the top you can take the funicular down. Yes, everything's open to visitors.It will be busy in September (it's the second-most frequented site in France), but not daunting.

I'm overwhelmed by so many quick replies. Thank you all.

Please can you tell me where I find the funicular - or is it so obvious we can't miss it?

Have a look at this, which shows people arriving at Rocamadour and taking the funicular - not hard to find.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QHO15teV-OE (Note that despite the title of the video, Rocamadour is not in the Dordogne, it's in the Lot.)

However, they do seem to be coming into the village from the bottom, which is almost impossible - there are about 4 parking spaces, reserved for buses/people staying in hotels. You should park at the top, at l'Hospitalet, near the Chateau. That's really the only reasonable place to park.

You don't say where you are coming from - generally this is the car park you would arrive at. Don't worry - they have lots of tourists, and there are lots of signs.

I took the funicular with my elderly parents. Not a problem at all.

You should also visit the nearby Gouffre de Padirac. And if you are looking for a good place to spend the night, I recommend Gramat, right between those two places. More than a half dozen hotels, plenty of restaurants, a supermarket, several grocery stores and a covered market.

Thanks for the link. I enjoyed the video and it wasn't as busy as I expected.