Timing when visiting the Dordogne Department
 

As I'm making final plans for my trip to the Dordogne area in September, I'm struggling with trying to figure out how much I should plan for a day. I realize that most towns are close to each other and small but I just don't know how much time to plan for each.

So as an example, is this a realistic day traveling from Perigueux? Too much? Too little? I enjoy photography so time will be spent looking for good photo opportunities. Also, I'll be traveling alone.

Departing around 8:30 - 9:00 AM:

Abbaye De Chancelade
Bourdeilles
Brantome
St-Jean De-Cole
Grotte De Villars
Chateau de Jumilhac
Return to Perigueux

Thanks!

How do you plan to travel?

Bourdeilles will take a couple of hours, as will Brantôme. It will take 20 minutes to drive between the two. The Grotte de Villars is undoubtedly a guided tour, and I believe that this is also true of the Chateau de Jumilhac. That means more time lost because you cannot expect to arrive just a couple of minutes before the tour at each location.

So yes, when including the driving and having lunch, your schedule is too crowded.

Other Fodorites will be able to comment on the areas you've mentioned.
I just want to say that MDH is an avid photographer and the photos he took in The Dordgone are among his best in Sept. 2012. We've been to many areas in France and The Dordogne offers a photographer's paradise.


That said, we didn't go to any of your mentioned spots.

Anytime you go into a cave or a chateau, it will consume more time than you may think. Many caves & chateau have lunch closings. If there is a guided tour only - you'll have to wait for the next tour to start.

According to my Michelin Green Guide,
- Bourdeilles closes for lunch and has a 1 hr tour
- Jumilhac has a 1 hr guided tour - but no opening times are listed. I seem to recall that we had to call to get the tour starting time & we had to "wait" quite a bit
- Villars has a 1 hr tour and you need to call to get the starting times.

Realistically, unless you are lucky, you may only be able to visit 2 of the 3 sites I mentioned. But the others places are "doable" in a long day where you leave Perigueux by 9am & return at 6PM.

Stu Dudley

<i>Bourdeilles closes for lunch and has a 1 hr tour</i>

This was the stated policy years ago, and yet I have never had to take a guided tour since 1972. Nonetheless, the issue of waiting for tours is otherwise valid. That's what I was trying to suggest. St. Jean de Cole will also take more time than suggested, even though it is a tiny town.

>> yet I have never had to take a guided tour since 1972.<<

Yep - we did not take a guided tour either. Sometimes the Michelin guide states that a tour takes 1 hr - yet doesn't mention that the guided tour is optional.

Also, many sites indicate the closing time - and sometimes & sometimes-not mention that the last admittance is 1 hour (or whatever) prior to the closing time.

Stu Dudley

Great information! Thanks!!

That is way, way too much for a day. Probably too much for even two days. Are you staying in Périgueux? There will be traffic at that time of morning when you leave, and traffic around 6 pm or so again - sometimes lots of it.

If by any chance you need English-language tours anyplace, be sure to look up the sites in advance. Some places have only one English tour per day, for example. Some have none at that time of year because the bilingual students they employ have gone back to school.