Trip Report: France: Loire, Dordogne and Paris
Nov 1st, 2003, 10:46 AM
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Trip Report: France: Loire, Dordogne and Paris
After utilizing Fodor?s and a few other sites to help plan our recent trip to France, I thought I should return the favor. Here is a trip report for our 10 day journey to the Loire Valley, Dordogne Valley and Paris. Because our itinerary was a little screwy, I will not provide you with a day to day play by play. Instead, I will break it down into categories: places to stay, things to do, etc., which I think will be helpful for future trip planners. Here you go:
PLACES TO STAY:
Loire Valley:
1. Chateau Des Ormeaux
This was an extremely quiet and comfortable chateau/B&B located just 5 minutes from downtown Amboise. The room and bathroom were extremely spacious and the breakfast was great. The location for venturing out to see chateaus, etc., is excellent and we were completely satisfied staying here - although a shower curtain would have been a nice! You can visit their website at www.chateaudesormeaux.com. The pictures are an accurate representation of the way the place looks, and I highly recommend it. As for the Amboise v. Blois debate as to where to stay, I would say that Amboise is much smaller and cenrally located. Blois is bigger with a lot more amenities in and around town. I would not stay in Tours.
Perigord:
1. Chateau De La Cote
This is a chateau that located about 10 minutes from the very cute town of Brantome. It is gorgeous on the outside and, I am afraid to say, somewhat worn and tired looking on the inside. You can see it on the web at www.chateaudelacote.com. It advertises itself as essentially being IN Brantome, but it is not and is a good 10 minute drive from town. It is extremely quiet and surrounded by beautiful countryside and you won?t have any trouble getting a good night?s rest - its just that, for the money, I am sure there are nicer places to stay. Rooms were big and the bed was comfortable and the staff was helpful. We thought this would have been a good place to stop on the way down to the Dordogne Valley... in hindsight, we think it makes more sense to stop in Brantome for lunch and then drive for another 90 minutes and stay in the Valley.
Dordogne/Lot:
1. Moulin De Fresquet
This is a bed and breakfast that was highly recommended by Karen Brown on her website. I give it an EXTREMELY HIGH RATING ... with a caveat. The caveat first: It is located in the town of Gramat which, unlike what Karen Brown says, is NOT in Dordogne... it is in Lot. It is an hour away from Sarlat and Domme some of the other medieval cities and that hour is filled with narrow, winding roads. It IS, however, located near some great sights: Rocamadour, Grotte de Pedirac, St. Cirq Lapopie, Peche Merle ... and so I think it would be a great place to stay for 1-2 nights so that you could see those sights. It is a beautiful property with charming hosts and clean, warm, comfortable beds. The $19 Table de Hotes dinner - which included wine - was the best deal of the entire vacation. The hosts cooked a full 4 course meal for us (and the other guests) which was absolutely delicious. It?s a great place to hang your hat for a few nights. www.moulindefresquet.com.
2. Le Plume d?Oie
Located in the beautiful town of La Roque Gageac, I can highly recommend this place as a place to eat, but can?t really recommend that you stay there. In a nutshell: the room was not particularly nice. It was clean, quiet and we slept great, but it simply was nothing to write home about. I am certain that you can find better accommodations in the area - particularly in Domme. THAT BEING SAID, this is a GREAT RESTAURANT. Our meal there was one of the best we had in France. The owner, Heddy, is a hoot, but really knows her food, wine as well as the surrounding area. You will not regret making a reservation to eat here one night. It?s a little pricey, but worth it.
Potiers
1. Chateau de Tennesus
A little bit out of the way, this is simply put one of the coolest places we have ever stayed. Talk about a ?wow factor? - if you have ever wanted to spend the night in a castle, this is the place to do it. I could go on and on, but take a look for yourself - the pictures on the website are accurate. www.tennesus.com. We stayed in the ?Sentinel Chamber?. Not great for those that can?t climb a few sets of stairs. Otherwise, the room was utterly amazing and the bed was as comfortable as any I have ever slept in. The hosts, who are British, live there is well and were VERY helpful. If you go, have dinner at La Truffaud - or something like that - for a great meal with an AMAZING potato side dish that was so good I am still pretty sure I don?t want to know what was in it. Best place we stayed in France.. just out of the way.
Paris
1. Hotel Bonaparte
Located in San Germain de Pres, this hotel is all about the location. For the price, it was perfect. The larger rooms are much better than the smaller rooms, but all were quiet and clean. The elevator is tiny - barely fits 2 people - and the toilet area in the bigger room (which was separate from the shower/sink area) was even smaller.
You won?t be impressed with the rooms themselves - they are pretty basic - but over 3 nights we spent very little time in there other than sleeping. I would recommend it if that is what you are looking for.... if you need a big, glamorous hotel, look elsewhere. The staff was very helpful and friendly and the rooms were quiet. Breakfast was included.
THINGS TO DO
Loire
We stayed here two nights and, for us, that was a perfect amount of time. It is a beautiful part of the country, to be sure, but after a few chateaus, quite frankly, it lost a little interest for us. Dordogne is much more beautiful and has more to see and do (and eat) and, if you are limited on time, I would not hesitate to limit your time in Loire and spend the majority of time in the Dordogne.
That being said, we went to 4 chateaus: Chennenceau, Chevirney, Chambord and Amboise. Chennenceau was by far the most beautiful and Amboise was the most interesting. Chevirney is nice if you want to see a furnished chateau, or see hunting hounds, but other than that it didn?t do much for us. Chambord was massive and imposing but, given time restraints, we didn?t go inside. Amboise is not as beautiful as any of those three, but it has a lot of history too it and has a much more interesting medieval feel to it. Don't miss Chennenceau.
On the way down, Brantome is a nice place to stop and look around. We also stopped, thanks to a recommendation from St. Cirq. (thank you, by the way), in Orange sur Glane (or something like that). It is... or rather was... a fairly large town that was surrounded and taken over by the Nazis in June of 1944. The Nazis, for an unknown reason, killed almost all 600+ people in the town, including 240+ children, and then torched the town. The town was left essentially as it looked on the following day, and is now a somber reminder of one of the lessor known Nazi atrocities. It is a bit out of the way, but very much worth a visit.
Dordogne
Caves
Couldn?t get into Font du Garme (even in the off season) but easily got into Padirac, Peche Merle and Cambarelle. Padirac takes you on a boat ride on an underground river into one of the most beautiful underground words you will ever see. Peche Merle is a perfect mix of really incredible underground stalactites/mites and other formations with wonderful paintings made by man 25,000 years ago. Cambarelle was a long, narrow cave with amazing and detailed etchings which, although they were not paintings, were still incredibly interesting and moving in their own way. Other threads have discussed these and I won?t go into them in great detail other than to say these were some of the most interesting and beautiful places I have ever saw. TAKE THE TIME TO SEE THESE OR OTHER CAVES. If I had to see one, I would have to say Peche Merle was my favorite.
Towns/Castles
Beynac was a wonderful castle with one of the most beautiful views in the world from the top. It?s a bit of a trek to get there, but worth every step and every penny to get in. Domme was very nice and the market in Sarlat was great. St. Cirq Lapopie and Rocamadour were also interesting and beautiful and worth a visit. Sarlat has a great market on Saturday morning that is a great place to see how the rural French shop for food, and a great place to pick up gifts for back home. Domme is nice although we didn?t get a chance to hang out for a long time there, and it looks to be a great place to watch a sunset. We stopped in a little town about 30 minutes from Domme for a picnic where the Dordogne meets up with another river. I forget the name of the town but it is a great place for a picnic.. complete with picnic tables.
Paris
As for museums, the Louvre and the Orsay were amazing and should be on the list of anyone that has never been there. The catacombs were fun in a creepy way, but can be missed if you were short on time. The Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame and the Arc de Triumph should all be seen, but to get to the top of any of these you must gert there early in the morning or the lines will make it prohibitive. The really nice hotels seem to be closer to the Arc de Triumph, but there is more to see, do, eat and shop in either the Latin Quarter or St. Germain de Pres. It is safe to say that, no matter what you like to eat, you will not starve in Paris. We had a great meal at a place that was recommended to us by a chef in the US named Les Ormes in the 17th Arrondissment on Rue Chapue. Incredible.
A few final words and thoughts:
Charles de Gaul is a long way from where you will likely stay in Paris. Plan accordingly. If you are going to fly into CDG and go elsewhere before returning to Paris, like we did, return your car at Orly airport and take an Air France bus into town. The dollar is about 85% of what the Euro is right now, so an $85 Euro room actually costs you $100. Try to learn a few important phrases before you go as the French seem more receptive when you at least try before asking ?parlais vous anglais?? Maps make towns seem closer than they are and roads are narrow and windy, particularly in Dordogne.
Have a great trip. If you have any questions, please respond here and I will respond as soon as I can.
PLACES TO STAY:
Loire Valley:
1. Chateau Des Ormeaux
This was an extremely quiet and comfortable chateau/B&B located just 5 minutes from downtown Amboise. The room and bathroom were extremely spacious and the breakfast was great. The location for venturing out to see chateaus, etc., is excellent and we were completely satisfied staying here - although a shower curtain would have been a nice! You can visit their website at www.chateaudesormeaux.com. The pictures are an accurate representation of the way the place looks, and I highly recommend it. As for the Amboise v. Blois debate as to where to stay, I would say that Amboise is much smaller and cenrally located. Blois is bigger with a lot more amenities in and around town. I would not stay in Tours.
Perigord:
1. Chateau De La Cote
This is a chateau that located about 10 minutes from the very cute town of Brantome. It is gorgeous on the outside and, I am afraid to say, somewhat worn and tired looking on the inside. You can see it on the web at www.chateaudelacote.com. It advertises itself as essentially being IN Brantome, but it is not and is a good 10 minute drive from town. It is extremely quiet and surrounded by beautiful countryside and you won?t have any trouble getting a good night?s rest - its just that, for the money, I am sure there are nicer places to stay. Rooms were big and the bed was comfortable and the staff was helpful. We thought this would have been a good place to stop on the way down to the Dordogne Valley... in hindsight, we think it makes more sense to stop in Brantome for lunch and then drive for another 90 minutes and stay in the Valley.
Dordogne/Lot:
1. Moulin De Fresquet
This is a bed and breakfast that was highly recommended by Karen Brown on her website. I give it an EXTREMELY HIGH RATING ... with a caveat. The caveat first: It is located in the town of Gramat which, unlike what Karen Brown says, is NOT in Dordogne... it is in Lot. It is an hour away from Sarlat and Domme some of the other medieval cities and that hour is filled with narrow, winding roads. It IS, however, located near some great sights: Rocamadour, Grotte de Pedirac, St. Cirq Lapopie, Peche Merle ... and so I think it would be a great place to stay for 1-2 nights so that you could see those sights. It is a beautiful property with charming hosts and clean, warm, comfortable beds. The $19 Table de Hotes dinner - which included wine - was the best deal of the entire vacation. The hosts cooked a full 4 course meal for us (and the other guests) which was absolutely delicious. It?s a great place to hang your hat for a few nights. www.moulindefresquet.com.
2. Le Plume d?Oie
Located in the beautiful town of La Roque Gageac, I can highly recommend this place as a place to eat, but can?t really recommend that you stay there. In a nutshell: the room was not particularly nice. It was clean, quiet and we slept great, but it simply was nothing to write home about. I am certain that you can find better accommodations in the area - particularly in Domme. THAT BEING SAID, this is a GREAT RESTAURANT. Our meal there was one of the best we had in France. The owner, Heddy, is a hoot, but really knows her food, wine as well as the surrounding area. You will not regret making a reservation to eat here one night. It?s a little pricey, but worth it.
Potiers
1. Chateau de Tennesus
A little bit out of the way, this is simply put one of the coolest places we have ever stayed. Talk about a ?wow factor? - if you have ever wanted to spend the night in a castle, this is the place to do it. I could go on and on, but take a look for yourself - the pictures on the website are accurate. www.tennesus.com. We stayed in the ?Sentinel Chamber?. Not great for those that can?t climb a few sets of stairs. Otherwise, the room was utterly amazing and the bed was as comfortable as any I have ever slept in. The hosts, who are British, live there is well and were VERY helpful. If you go, have dinner at La Truffaud - or something like that - for a great meal with an AMAZING potato side dish that was so good I am still pretty sure I don?t want to know what was in it. Best place we stayed in France.. just out of the way.
Paris
1. Hotel Bonaparte
Located in San Germain de Pres, this hotel is all about the location. For the price, it was perfect. The larger rooms are much better than the smaller rooms, but all were quiet and clean. The elevator is tiny - barely fits 2 people - and the toilet area in the bigger room (which was separate from the shower/sink area) was even smaller.
You won?t be impressed with the rooms themselves - they are pretty basic - but over 3 nights we spent very little time in there other than sleeping. I would recommend it if that is what you are looking for.... if you need a big, glamorous hotel, look elsewhere. The staff was very helpful and friendly and the rooms were quiet. Breakfast was included.
THINGS TO DO
Loire
We stayed here two nights and, for us, that was a perfect amount of time. It is a beautiful part of the country, to be sure, but after a few chateaus, quite frankly, it lost a little interest for us. Dordogne is much more beautiful and has more to see and do (and eat) and, if you are limited on time, I would not hesitate to limit your time in Loire and spend the majority of time in the Dordogne.
That being said, we went to 4 chateaus: Chennenceau, Chevirney, Chambord and Amboise. Chennenceau was by far the most beautiful and Amboise was the most interesting. Chevirney is nice if you want to see a furnished chateau, or see hunting hounds, but other than that it didn?t do much for us. Chambord was massive and imposing but, given time restraints, we didn?t go inside. Amboise is not as beautiful as any of those three, but it has a lot of history too it and has a much more interesting medieval feel to it. Don't miss Chennenceau.
On the way down, Brantome is a nice place to stop and look around. We also stopped, thanks to a recommendation from St. Cirq. (thank you, by the way), in Orange sur Glane (or something like that). It is... or rather was... a fairly large town that was surrounded and taken over by the Nazis in June of 1944. The Nazis, for an unknown reason, killed almost all 600+ people in the town, including 240+ children, and then torched the town. The town was left essentially as it looked on the following day, and is now a somber reminder of one of the lessor known Nazi atrocities. It is a bit out of the way, but very much worth a visit.
Dordogne
Caves
Couldn?t get into Font du Garme (even in the off season) but easily got into Padirac, Peche Merle and Cambarelle. Padirac takes you on a boat ride on an underground river into one of the most beautiful underground words you will ever see. Peche Merle is a perfect mix of really incredible underground stalactites/mites and other formations with wonderful paintings made by man 25,000 years ago. Cambarelle was a long, narrow cave with amazing and detailed etchings which, although they were not paintings, were still incredibly interesting and moving in their own way. Other threads have discussed these and I won?t go into them in great detail other than to say these were some of the most interesting and beautiful places I have ever saw. TAKE THE TIME TO SEE THESE OR OTHER CAVES. If I had to see one, I would have to say Peche Merle was my favorite.
Towns/Castles
Beynac was a wonderful castle with one of the most beautiful views in the world from the top. It?s a bit of a trek to get there, but worth every step and every penny to get in. Domme was very nice and the market in Sarlat was great. St. Cirq Lapopie and Rocamadour were also interesting and beautiful and worth a visit. Sarlat has a great market on Saturday morning that is a great place to see how the rural French shop for food, and a great place to pick up gifts for back home. Domme is nice although we didn?t get a chance to hang out for a long time there, and it looks to be a great place to watch a sunset. We stopped in a little town about 30 minutes from Domme for a picnic where the Dordogne meets up with another river. I forget the name of the town but it is a great place for a picnic.. complete with picnic tables.
Paris
As for museums, the Louvre and the Orsay were amazing and should be on the list of anyone that has never been there. The catacombs were fun in a creepy way, but can be missed if you were short on time. The Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame and the Arc de Triumph should all be seen, but to get to the top of any of these you must gert there early in the morning or the lines will make it prohibitive. The really nice hotels seem to be closer to the Arc de Triumph, but there is more to see, do, eat and shop in either the Latin Quarter or St. Germain de Pres. It is safe to say that, no matter what you like to eat, you will not starve in Paris. We had a great meal at a place that was recommended to us by a chef in the US named Les Ormes in the 17th Arrondissment on Rue Chapue. Incredible.
A few final words and thoughts:
Charles de Gaul is a long way from where you will likely stay in Paris. Plan accordingly. If you are going to fly into CDG and go elsewhere before returning to Paris, like we did, return your car at Orly airport and take an Air France bus into town. The dollar is about 85% of what the Euro is right now, so an $85 Euro room actually costs you $100. Try to learn a few important phrases before you go as the French seem more receptive when you at least try before asking ?parlais vous anglais?? Maps make towns seem closer than they are and roads are narrow and windy, particularly in Dordogne.
Have a great trip. If you have any questions, please respond here and I will respond as soon as I can.
Nov 1st, 2003, 03:08 PM
#3
thanks thon, glad you liked St Cirq-Lalopie, we loved staying there.It's a beautiful friendly village. The bombed village is Oradour-sur-Glane, we visited twice. www.oradour.org. We are going back to the Lot and the Auvergne as well as my loved Provence, God willing.
Nov 2nd, 2003, 08:09 AM
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Hi Stephen... we just got back, so our dates of travel were 10/19-30/2003.
St. Cirq., that was the name of the town... thanks. You had indicated in a prior post that Heddy from La Plume dOire had a "colorful reputation". What would that reputation be? Dying to know....
St. Cirq., that was the name of the town... thanks. You had indicated in a prior post that Heddy from La Plume dOire had a "colorful reputation". What would that reputation be? Dying to know....
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