We're planning on spending 2-3 days in the Lot area the second week in October. We'll be flying in to Toulouse and renting a car. We would like to see St. Cirq Lapopie, Grotte du Pech-Merle, Rocamadour, and Gouffre de Padirac. We were then planning to spend 2-3 days in the Sarlat region. Questions: 1)Can we base in one place to do the Lot sites, and if so, where? or should we plan one night in St. Cirq and one night in Rocamadour? 2) Any recommendations for places to stay? 3) Other recommendations of places to see or routes to take? Thanks.

Pick one more or less central location and stay there. Distances in the Lot and Dordogne areas are fairly short, and if you have a car you can get everywhere easily. In October, there will be no heavy traffic. The weather will be turning cool and a bit rainy from time to time.<BR><BR>My suggestions for a central location that is roughly halfway between Sarlat/Dordogne and the Lot valley are:<BR>-Villefrance du Perigord<BR>-Monpazier<BR>-Belves<BR>-Salviac<BR>-Cazal<BR>-Rampoux<BR>-Goujounac<BR><BR>From any of these places, getting to either the Dordogne or Lot attractions will take no more than 30 minutes. Of course, if you want to enjoy a larger village in the area, you could stay in Sarlat, Domme, Beynac, or some of the others and still be able to do the day trips everywhere. Some of the drives will be a bit longer, though.

Joyce:<BR><BR>I respeectfully disagree with Wayne's suggestion to base yourself in only one place to see both the sites in the Dordogne and the sites in the Lot. Distances may be fairly short, but the driving goes slowly, even in October. From my house near Les Eyzies it's a good two and a half hours to St-Cirq-Lapopie on a good traffic day.<BR><BR>I'd suggest you stay at the Domaine de la Rhue for the Lot portion of your trip. It's very close to Rocamadour. I don't have the website, but you can google it. Another suggestion, but perhaps too far south is the Terminus in Cahors, which also has about the best restaurant in town.<BR><BR>For the Dordogne portion, if you want to be IN town, stay at the Madeleine in Sarlat. If you want to be out in the coutryside but close to Sarlat and all the prehistoric sites, there are loads of choices - it just depends on your budget and tastes.

Thanks St Cirq...

St Cirq are you working for La Madeleine ?

I would suggest passing by Albi (cathedral and bishop's palace with the Toulouse-Lautrec museum) Cordes-s-Ciel and Najac on the way to St. Cirq-Lapopie.

No Wayne, I don't work for la Madeleine or have any connection with it. I own a house about 20 kms from Sarlat and spend a good deal of time in that town, though. <BR><BR>It's just the best hotel in Sarlat, for people who want to stay in the town. And there have been quite a few requests recently asking for nice hotels in Sarlat.<BR><BR>I take it you are upset that I disagreed with you about distances in the Dordogne and Lot? I tried to do so respectfully, but maybe it didn't work.