winnick

We are in the final stages of planning our trip to the Dordogne area for this June. We have planned the following itinerary and need your advice on day 5. We wanted to avoid too many hotel stays and thought of staying in St.-Cirq-Lapopie for 2 nights and doing some day trips from there but after reading some comments about this town are re-thinking this.

Should we stay in St. Cirq 2 nights and do the Lot drive west of Cahors or stay overnight in Figeac and then just drive from Figeac to Rocamdour on day 6?

Any other comments about this itinerary would be appreciated.

Our planned itinerary:
Day 1: Sunday: Arrive Toulouse
Day 2: Monday: Toulouse
Day 3: Tuesday: Drive to Carcassonne morning, then Albi (overnight)
Day 4: Wed: Albi, then Cordes sur Ceil, Bruniquel, Puycelci, St. Cirq Lapopie (overnight)
Day 5: Thurs: Pech Merle, Figeac (back to St. Cirq Lapopie or stay in Figeac?)
Day 6: Fri: St. Cirq Lapopie to west of Cahors (Lot drive-Luzech, Puy l'Eveque + Bonaguil and then drive to Rocamodour (overnight 2 nights)
Day 7: Sat: Carennac, Martel, Beaulieu-s-Dordogne, Collonges-la-rouge (back to Rocamadour)
Day 8: Sun: Padirac, Chateau de Montal, Castlenau Bretenoux, Autoire, Loubressac, Sarlat
Day 9-17: Sarlat day trips

cigalechanta

I loved staying in St cirq Lapopie but the drive up there during heavy rain was scary, I loved Albi, stayedat a B&B.
Collanges-La-Rouge, I wish we had stayed overnight. There's a leather shop there. I bought my dog a nice collar.
In Codes, there's a resto at the top of the main street where we had lunch at communal tables outside and met alot of people.

Cathinjoetown

I think Figeac would be a better base, interesting little town with a better variety of services than St. Cirq. BTW, there's a perched village, Najac, that's south of Figeac and one I much preferred to St. Cirq. We got to St. Cirq about 3:00 in the afternoon and spent two hours wanlking around before heading on to Figeac. The drive along the river valley east from Cahors is gorgeous.

StCirq

The geography of St-Cirq-Lapopie is impressive. The town, not so much. Think one steep hillside with one main road lined with shops selling Chinese trinkets and all those "artisanal" goodies that get so old so quickly in all towns like that: painted wooden toys, blown glass, leather bracelets with your name engraved on them, straw sunhats for the perennially sunburnt Brits...you know the stuff.

Figeac has oomph, character, history, and isn't all dolled up for tour buses.

I guess my view on this is pretty clear

StuDudley

>>The drive along the river valley east from Cahors is gorgeous.

Actually, there are two river valleys east of Cahors - the Cele and the Lot. They merge together close to St Cirq Lapopie. I think the Cere is the most scenic. Last time we wewre there, we drove them both on the same day.

Winnick - It is not real clear to me what your two options are. This is what I "guess" them to be:

Option 1 - the plan above, staying in St Cirq for 2 nights

Option 2
Day 4 same as above - staying in St Cirq
Day 5 Pech Merle, Figeac - staying in Figeac
Day 6 - Drive to Rocamadour

On option 2, you are going to have a "slow" day on Day 5 if you take the first tour in the morning of Pech Merle. Day 6 will be kinda empty also.

If I were choosing between Figeac and St Cirq just based on the "town" - I would choose Figeac for the second day (option 2).

If I were choosing where to stay based on location, and allowing you to see the most sites - I would choose 2 nights in St Cirq (option 1)

If I were doing option 2, I would re-arrange your itinerary this way.

Day 4 - same as above, staying in St Cirq.
Day 5 Same as option 2 - but a slow day
Day 6 Padirac, Autoire, Loubressac, Ch Montal. Do Montal last. (all these sites are close to one-another - do as many as you have time for in a relaxed pace). Then Rocamadour, .
Day 7 anything missed on Day 6, Castlenau Bretenoux, Beaulieu-s-Dordogne, Collonges-la-rouge, Turenne, Martel (back to Rocamadour)
Day 8: Sun: Ch Montal, Carennac, Lacave (if time allows), Sarlat

On your Option 1, you are visiting Padirac, Chateau de Montal, and Castlenau Bretenoux all on the same day - and then you have to get to Sarlat. These are three guided tours, that all have lunch closings too (perhaps not Padirac). This will be tough to accomplished in 1 day, and then get to Sarlat (I could not do it). Padirac will "occupy" 2 hrs or so, Montal 1 1/2 - 2 hrs including "wait for start of tour" time, and same with Castenau. That is why I broke them up into 2-3 seperate days. You should break these up on any "option" that you choose.

So -
on option 1 you have the "west of Cahors trip", and a trip to Figeac that includes a drive along the Cere river AND the Lot river (there & back). (Also, re-arrange your "1 day in 3 chateaux" plan - I'll let you figure that out).

Option 2 you loose the Cahors trip, gain Lacave, and perhaps have time for Turrene, and you'll have a "slower pace". (Turrene could be included in both options).

Stu Dudley

cigalechanta

st cirq, I did not see any OF THOSE Shops, a few galleries and several very expensive hand made clothing.

iris1745

cigal; We didn't see any of that stuff either. We just saw a lovely village. Of course, that was four years ago. Richard www.francethisway.com/places/stcirqlapopie.php

StCirq

Hmmm...I've been there at least a dozen times and saw them all, every time. Wonder if we were in the same place.

iris1745

StCirq; I would not question your veracity. For me, I never look at or for that stuff. I just see a beautiful village. A village that for me should be visited. Drive in, walk aroung a bit, imagine a town many centuries old and drive out. Your opinion is fine, I just don't agree. Would I stay there, probably not. Never considered staying there in our few [three] trips to that area. Figac I have visited and enjoyed the visit, but have not stayed there. Whatever!!! Richard P.S. I did post a link and I think we are talking about the same village.

Piccolina

bookmarking

winnick

Stu thanks for the great detailed options. I had planned the stop in St. Cirq Lapopie based on location and allowing us to see the most sites...but given we have 2 nights, didn't want to be in a town that didn't have much to offer.

On Day 8 it sounds like we were trying to do too much so will switch things around based on your suggestions.

Cathinjoetown: I had seen other suggestions about Najac too. I need to map out the distances from this town given the sites we'd like to see.

Thanks everyone for your suggestions.

StCirq

Figeac also actually has great places to stay and good restaurants - St-Cirq-Lapopie, not.

StuDudley

The nice part about staying in StCirq is that you'll be there early in the morning and late in the afternoon - when the day-trippers are not there. I like the village. We stayed overnight once, and visitied it 2 other times. We even purchased a casserole dish, that we use quite often. I'll have to look to see where it was made.

When we stayed in the Gorges de l'Averyon/Cordes/Bruniquel region for two weeks, we visited Najac. The site/surroundings were nice - but the town itself was just "OK" - maybe a little below OK. The castle as OK+ - but you'll see lots of better castles.

Stu Dudley

Dr_DoGood

I'll weigh in behind Najac - pleasant little town, a couple of good places to eat and a chateau that I'd say is a little better than <i>"OK+"</i>, more like "pretty good-" (but I appreciate that castles are pretty subjective, and what appeals to some doesn't to others so Stu gets a pass ).

And if you're in the area I'd also drop in on St.Antonin Noble Val which is a delightful town, with a good (and very popular) saturday market which has been used as a location for various films over the years due to its well preserved mediæval core. Like much of the rest of Quercy and, to the north, The Dordogne it's very popular with the English and Dutch - both holidaymakers and immigrants.

Dr D.

Cathinjoetown

The hotel/restaurant just across from the car park in Najac has a lovely terrace and one of the best fixed price lunch menus I've had in SW France. Will look up the name and post as well as the name of an immaculate and very reasonable hotel in Figeac.

As for St. Cirq v Figeac, tomayto/tomahto or actually tomayto/potahto as they are quite different.

StuDudley

>>St.Antonin Noble Val which is a delightful town, with a good (and very popular) saturday market<<

The market is on Sunday. Nice market. We've shopped for dinner stuff there several times.

winnick - what is in Puycelci? We've driven past it maybe a half dozen times, but we've never stopped. Are you going to visit Castelnau de Montmiral?

Stu Dudley

StCirq

Another vote for Najac - the little excursion by boat there is delightful, and we too have eaten in the hotel across from the parking lot there and thought it wonderful.

Dr_DoGood

Stu - it's one of the pbvdF (how many are there?) and is indeed very pretty. Well restored and within town walls with an impressive gateway. There's a good (ish) castle - maybe "OK-" on your Dudleyscale and several notable 15th and 16th Century buildings and houses.
As a whole its definitely Worth-A-Detour, to borrow the Guide Verte terminology, but does get quite busy at weekends by late morning. Next time you're in Tarn I suggest you stop off.

(Thanks for the correction re St.Antonin NV market day.)

Dr D.

winnick

Definitely need to re-look at things. I appreciate the many comments. Looks like we need to add Najac and St.Antonin Noble Val to our stops.

>winnick - what is in Puycelci? We've driven past it maybe a half dozen times, but we've never stopped. Are you going to visit Castelnau de Montmiral?<

Stu, We plan to visit Montmiral between Carcassonne & Albi. If short on time, we'll stop there the next day. Not sure what's in Puycelci but it was mentioned in some itinerary I was looking at (I thought it was yours but I guess not!)

winnick

Cathinjoetown
>>Will look up the name and post as well as the name of an immaculate and very reasonable hotel in Figeac<<

Would appreciate your recommendations.