Gretchen

we need to fly american or us air.

One and the same now.

Instead of flying, do Stu's idea of trains. Getting to and from airports is a lot of time rather arriving IN the city.

tom_mn

How long will it take door to door to a Paris hotel and going by air? Probably longer than 8 hours unless the stars align and there is a flight at precisely the correct hour. And going thru airport security with children is no prize, either.

I think it's a nutty suggestion. We were able to go from the Bordeaux airport to our Paris hotel via Normandy with a single transition: one rental car. I dropped off the family in Paris and then returned the car at Gare de Lyon and walked the km back to the lodging.

You are proposing several unnecessary taxi and train trips, probably swapping out 20 additional hours and an additional hotel check in @ Paris (need to add the night before flying out, right?) and an additional rental car to save an 8 hour drive.

tom_mn

I meant swapping out a choice that will be 12 hours more, 20 minus 8.

StuDudley

>>How long will it take door to door to a Paris hotel and going by air? <<

Who is suggesting air???? I think only the OP mentioned flying - and that would be a very poor idea, IMO.

My idea is:
- As a part of exploring and enjoying the Dordogne area, drive leisurely through the pretty countryside from Beynac to Collonges la Rouge (Michelin 3 star site, I believe) for a visit (1 1/2 hr drive). Spend an hour or two there. Perhaps have lunch. Then drive 20-30 mins to Brive la Gaillarde, return the car, (save a day's car rental perhaps) & catch the train that departs for Paris at 13:15 & arrives 17:18. Four hr trip.

- Taxi to the hotel in Paris.

End of Dordogne trip to arrival at hotel - 4 3/4 hr - on a train where all 4 people can see out both sides of the train windows - and relax.

- After Paris, train from Paris to Rouen - 1 hr. Spend a night in Rouen (save an additional day of car rental?) or spend time exploring Rouen when you first get there & head elsewhere after picking up a car (store bags at car rental office).

- Pick up a car & spend time in Normandy.

- After Normandy/MSM/whatever, drive to Rennes & return the car (store the bags at the rental office) or stay overnight in Rennes. Explore Rennes (one of our favorite cities). Take the 14:08 TGV that arrives at CDG airport at 17:11 (there is an earlier train also - plus many to Paris). Stay the last night at an airport hotel so you can catch the (probably) early morning flight back home. Or, stay in Paris & taxi to CDG. If you don't want to visit Mt St Michel (MSM), return to Paris from Caen & skip Rennes.

Stu Dudley

plambers

My son will never sit for 6 plus hours in a car and be happy. There is not enough wine in France for me to do that!

Gretchen, I meant I need to see if my airline flies to either Bordeaux or Talouse. Will check.

This is shaping into a great trip-thanks again all.

StuDudley

>> Talouse<<

Toulouse

Stu Dudley

plambers

one day i will get it right Stu!

grandmere

Plambers, the house we rented in the village of Asperes (near Sommieres) for the 10 of us would probably be larger than you want. This place had 5 bedrooms and 5 baths, lots of space, pool, etc. It worked out very well for us with the young kids, but the village was so small that it didn't have any commerce at all. Except for the "bread truck lady" who came by every morning, we had to get in a car every time we needed a supply of something. With your older children I think you would be better off where they (and you!) could walk to a few shops. I'd look at www.vrbo.com and find a house that has what you want and where you'd like to be. Also the Gites de France program has great places, also.
You are talking about summer of '16, right? You're wise to start thinking about this now b/c the best gites (and houses) book up quickly.

plambers

Yes - summer of 16. I need to figure out agenda so i can book flights (hope some of them with ff miles.)
I realize I do want a house that has some walkability to restaurants cafes etc.

dugi_otok

For Gite finding we found Gites de France "too French" for us. We found ours near Sarlat using the Homeaway/ vrbo family.
We stayed here:
http://www.homeaway.com/vacation-rental/p74875#amenity
http://www.vrbo.com/74875ha

We chose to be in a neighborhood in the suburbs 10 min from Sarlat.Every morning I went down the road to a boulangerie to load up for our petit dejeuner. The kids loved the pool.We ate some dinners in, super market near by. Also easy in/out for the days sightseeing.

Another year we rented an apartment in town www.villaconsuls.fr

You and the kids will love the Dordogne!

plambers

Dugi, what do you mean "too French"? We don't speak French-I speak Spanish which doesn't help too much.

Your house is one that is in contention! It looks lovely. I want to be able to walk to a boulangerie and maybe to a restaurant for dinner. what else is walkable?

We would be there mid-late June-is that warm enough to swim?

Did you prefer house or hotel (also looking at that).

My concerns:after long day out, is it easy to drive or walk to Scarlat for dinner and will parking be an issue?

thanks so much. do you have your itineray to share with me?

StuDudley

>> what do you mean "too French"?<<

As you already know, we've rented 59 gites through Gites-de-France. IT REALLY helps to read & speak French, because:

- Most of the descriptions of the properties on their web site are only in French. If you change the language to "English", you will only retrieve properties with descriptions that are in English (about 25% of the total properties available - an estimate by me).

- The contract will be in French

- At some point you will need to communicate with the proprietor of the Gite to determine when/where to meet, to receive "instructions" about the property, and other useful things - including the security deposit and final small payments for a head-tax, electricity, cleaning, linen/towel rental, etc. Only about 5-10% of the 59 proprietors we've "experienced" can speak English. This includes people in Provence, Loire, Cote d'Azur, Normandy, Brittany, and the Dorodgne - proprietors who "receive" many English speaking people.

This is what Dugi may be referring to.

Stu Dudley

stokebailey

We and our girls - maybe 14 & 16 then -- loved Lascaux II, if you find yourself in that neighborhood.

plambers

Stoke, that is on our agenda. Thanks

dugi_otok

<< Dugi, what do you mean "too French"? We don't speak French-I speak Spanish which doesn't help too much.>>

It is as Stu says: the language/communication was too difficult for me.

<< Your house is one that is in contention! It looks lovely. I want to be able to walk to a boulangerie and maybe to a restaurant for dinner. what else is walkable? >>

The boulangerie, was close , but still too far to walk. Restaurants were also too far to walk. We had dinners in Sarlat- 10 min drive, Domme, Beynac and sometimes out before we got back. There were no destinations within walking distance. My family are joggers so they were able to go out for runs, but not to a destination.

<< We would be there mid-late June-is that warm enough to swim? >>

We were there in early July. The water was fine for us.

<< Did you prefer house or hotel (also looking at that). >>

I like it all. They all have pluses and minuses. For my trips to Dordogne I have stayed in the gite in the suburbs, stayed in an apartment in Sarlat in June, and stayed in smaller villages/towns ( Esplanade in Domme, hotel/restaurant in Montignac, B&Bs near Daglan and Rocamadour, hotel at the town entrance of Sarlat) in May-July.

<< My concerns:after long day out, is it easy to drive or walk to Sarlat for dinner and will parking be an issue? >>

Gite in suburbs in July- We never had a problem parking in Sarlat. We parked on the street.Never had to park in the pay lot at the entrance to town. There is a free lot off the road going up to the left of town, but did not need it. We even went to Sarlat at night on Bastille Day,July 14, for a giant celebration. The town was rocking and very crowded. We parked on the street. The time I stayed in the town at the Villa Consuls in June I parked in the free lot at the top of town. It was never near being full. I did have one interesting experience there. One morning I went to the parking lot and my car was in the middle of a giant market. My car was surrounded by vendors and their display tables. I had to navigate the car through walking lanes and had to get vendors to move their cars parked on the peripheral of the market. Most people were laughing but a few were not. The ugly American strikes again. And I did not take a photo! I assume there were signs up the night before, but it did not matter since I could not read them. The manager at the hotel did not know about this marketplace day.

<< do you have your itinerary to share with me? >>

What information do you want to know? Tell me and I will put something together.

plambers

dugi, we just rented it so thanks so much!

StuDudley

Dugi

The location on the VRBO web site for the 74875 house indicates that it is on the junction of the Rue de la Republic (main road through medieval Sarlat) and Ave Gambetta - just steps from "old town" & close to the Hotel Madeleine. That isn't a 10 min drive to old town - it's a 1 min walk. I'm guessing that the location on VRBO is incorrect - is that true??

Stu Dudley

dugi_otok

Stu/plambers

That green house on the VRBO website does not represent the location of Le Pech Pinet (748750).It is kind of misleading.The location of Le Pech Pinet can be found by the following. Using the satellite view of the website location map, 1 click the zoom out(-) and scroll the map to view the south until you see the D46(Ave de la Dordogne) and the D25(Route du Bugue) to the west.To get to Le Pech Pinet you go a couple km on the D25 from the D25/D46 intersection, then turn right a couple of blocks. The turnoff is not labeled on the map.They will mail you the exact directions including the gps coordinates. There is a Supermarche Casino at the intersection of the D25/D46.The boulangerie is on the D25 about 2km west of Le Pech Pinet. To get to Sarlat from Le Pech Pinet you can drive east 10 min using residential streets or back to the D46, turn left, and drive north to the heart of Sarlat.

If you zoom out the map you can see how central the location is to the many sights of the Dordogne.

Plambers, glad I could help you with the gite. You will like it a lot.

StuDudley

Good location. We've driven around the D704/D46 roundabout too many times to count.

Stu Dudley