Which area of Dordogne to rent in?
 

Four of us are planning to rent a house for a week in Aquitaine in October, 2006. I have been to Sarlat for three days; my three friends have never been to the region. I have looked at the Gites confusing web site and at the sites of a few agencies. I would like opinions on pros and cons of the four general regions of the Dordogne (many agencies group their properties in these categories: white, black, purple, green Dordogne) and any advice for us as far as location of the house. We would like to be close to a town of some size; we will have access to a rental car. Good places to eat and shop should be within a half hour or less... Large town within 45 minutes or so is another plus. Would love recommendations of specific houses or agencies, too. We need minimum three bedrooms; two baths.

Stay within a 25K radius of Sarlat in the north, south, and west directions. Perhaps only 10 K east of Sarlat. I prefer the area around Beynac and Roque Gageac.

We've stayed in a Gite for a total of 8 weeks on 4 trips since 97.

Stu Dudley

Definitely the Périgord Noir, which has the highest concentrationof interesting sites to visit and is the prettiest of the four regions.

When you say you'll have "access to a rental car" does that mean you're renting one or will be able to use one occasionally. You will NEED a rental care for the duration of your stay.

Thanks to both of you. Yes we will rent either one or two cars for the four of us. Now, are both of you in agreement about the region around Sarlat; is that the Perigord Noir region? St. Cirq, does your screen name give me a clue as to where you live? But is that the Noir area? (I seem to have temporarily misplaced the map which outlines these "colored" regions) I am much obliged to you for any further info you can provide as to where to rent and from whom since it appears that I am the designated "information-gatherer" for this upcoming jaunt. Any agencies you prefer? The Gites web site is a bit overwhelming, especially for one whose French is pretty basic at best! Shall I order their guide or go with an agency such as Simply Perigord?

We rented from Simply Perigord last year and were very pleased with the agency. We rented in Le Bugue and liked the location for day trips and for walking to restaurants and the boulangerie. Our house (BUG 200 on their website) was on the Vezere River, had wonderful terraces and was comfortable for our group of 5. My only complaint would be stained berber carpeting on the stairs and in the bedrooms...it just didn't work with the house.
We would rent from them again.

Thanks, Judy. I did find my map of the various regions, so cancel my earlier request for an explanation. Please keep the tips coming.

Yes, St-Cirq-du-Bugue is the full, formal name, and it's a hamlet up in the cliffs between Les Eyzies and Le Bugue. Not to be confused with any number of other St-Cirqs, including the rather well-known St-Cirq-Lapopie,which is not in the Dordogne.

I'm smack in the middle of the Périgord Noir, yes, and that's where you want to be.

I'd offer you my house ;), but this is a year of some rather major renovations for me, and not knowing exactly when they will be completed (or even started), that would not be wise.

Simply-Périgord is a great agency. They take care of my pool and grounds and provide cleaning services sometimes for me. They don't list my house (I've always chosen to do that myself - I figure I can do it, and their fees are more than I want to pay), but I am familiar with their listings, and they're nice properties, and nice people.

I also have a couple of friends who have properties to let, but they are on what I'd consider the "fringe" of the best area - if you find yourself in a pinch, though, email me ([email protected]) and I can put you in touch. You should be in good shape for finding a rental, though, since you're starting relatively early.

Best of luck and if I can help further, let me know (or click on my screen name and read a gazillion Dordogne posts).

St Cirq & I are describing the same area. She has a second home in the small hamlet of St Cirq - just a few Ks northeast of Le Bugue.

The Gite we rent is near Domme, has 2 bedrooms, a very open kitchen/dining/living area, very nicely decorated, and has very pretty grounds. It rents for 450E per week in Sept & June - less in October. Too small for you, & I don't divulge specifics on the Gites we rent because I don't want any competition when we want to rent them again. We always rent from the Gites de France organization. We've rented over 23 different Gites - 3 new ones reserved for next year already. Yes - the on-line reservation software will drive you crazy for the Dordogne Dept. They use the RESENFRANCE software - which I claim does not work. Other departments use the ITEA software - which works fine. Send away for the book.

Stu Dudley

When you go, do plan to go upriver from Beynac/ Domme/ St Cyprien area to that beautiful region of -- I guess -- the Lot to Beaulieu sur Dordogne, (which is actually just inside Correze).

We were there a couple of weeks ago. Tipped off by Nat Geog Traveller magazine, we stayed in at Manoir la barriere in Le Vigan, near Gourdon, and discovered or re-discovered: Carennac, Loubressac, Autoire. Nearby are Martel, Turenne, Curemont, Gramat and of course, Collonges-la-Rouge. A little further east is St Cere -- and once you have gone that far, why not see Figeac?

Wonderful October views and colours, if the morning river-fog lifts.

Season of mist and mellow fruitfulness....

Damn, I should have written "mists" not "mist". Keats scholars please note: I did catch my mistake.

Thanks to all! I have already received a list from Simply Perigord and will check out the houses they have on offer. Apparently, October is too late to think about swimming in a pool so we should not take existence of a pool into consideration when we choose a rental house. Agreed? Now, here is another thing: One of my friends spotted a house for rent in our college alumni magazine. A professor is renting out his house in the town of Nidal (Neydal, Nadal...do not have the magazine with me so cannot check spelling.) Do anyone of you know where this place is located? Is it even close to the Noir region? I could not find it in any of my guides.

Hi ek,

You might find my trip report helpful:

Ira Does France
http://fodors.com/forums/threadselec...p;tid=34676645

Photos at http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=...&y=-pla2au

((I))

There is a town spelled Nadaillac that's just a tad north-east of Sailignac-Eyvigues and east of Armand de Coly. It's a little remote, but it would work OK. It would get you closer to Turenne and Collonges, but further away from Beymac, Roque Gageac, and all of the pre-historic sites around Les Eyzies. One of my favorite restaurants is near there, but others are a little far away. Again, it's a little remote.

If it's a really nice place & you get a great "deal" on it, perhaps it would work - but you will be doing a lot more driving to/from places than you would if you were closer to Sarlat.

Stu Dudley

Thanks again to all. I do not think we are getting any kind of deal on this house; from what you wrote, Stu, I would prefer to be closer to the triangle you draw so will investigate houses in that area. I will post more questions, undoubtedly, after I begin really researching the available houses. So bear with me, please and thanks again for the help.

Judy I received the brochure from Simply Perigord and coincidentally, one of the houses I liked for us is the BUG 200. I like the fact that we could walk into town and not depend solely on the car. I am now looking more closely at the brochure. We need a house with four bedrooms and there are not that many so large for rent in October, it seems. By the way, the house for rent from a professor in my school is in Nadal which is near Figeac. But it is too small for us. I would love to hear recommendations from anyone else who had rented a house from this agency, in case the house I liked is not availabile. Would love more details on where to choose a rental location in Perigord Noir.

What/where is BUG 200?

Figeac, while a lovely town that is well worth the drive, along with the other towns tedgale mentioned in that area, is not in the Dordogne and would definitely not make a sensible base for visiting the Périgord Noir.

Yes, it will be too cold to swim in October, so you don't need a pool. If it's really warm you can always swim in the Dordogne, a beautiful, clean river with lovely little beaches along it.

Towns that you should consider basing yourself in include (but aren't limited to - I could type all afternoon, but don't have the time:)):

Le Bugue, Beynac, la Roque-Gageac, St-Cyprien, Meyrals, Limeuil, St-Alvère, Tamniès, Sireuil, Siorac, Le Coux et Bigaroque, Le Buisson, Cadouin, St-Léon-sur-Vézère, Tursac......

Do you have a really detailed map? Get one and spread out about 25 miles to the south, west, and north of Sarlat, and anywhere in there would be a reasonable place to base yourself.

My renovations may be done by October if you don't find anything else - I've got four bedrooms (but no central heating, yet).

In my '02 Dordogne Gite booklet, there are 59 three to five bedroom Gites in the Perigord Noir region, that are rated 3 wheaties (highest rating in the Dordogne). Send away for the book (like I told you earlier), and in 2-3 weeks you will have it. There is a map in the book, so you can see the location of all the different gites. I use the rental price of the gite as an indication of the "quality" of the Gite. We've rented 23 different Gites, and the price guideline has always worked well. Discount any Gite that has 5 or more bedrooms, or has a pool - since you don't need a pool. Try to get a Gite that has 90 square meters or more of living space for 3 bedrooms. Also, I like to have a nice garden area where we can sit or have dinner outside. I also like gites that are not in a group of several other gites. The book indicates how far it is to commerce (shops). The demand for rentals in Oct is not that high - so you have plenty of time.

Once you find about a dozen gites that look good, go to the on-line web site and input the specific Gite number into one of the places where you can do this (get back to me if you can't locate this). Quite often, the on-line system has more pictures, or an owner's web site is indicated where you can view more of the Gite.

The Gite we rented this year is 450E per week in Sept. It is quite nice. Obviously, a house you rent for 2,000E per week will be much more luxurous. At the time we first rented the Gite in '97 (we've stayed there 4 times), it was the most expensive 2-3 bedroom Gite in the Perigord Noir.

Figeac is too far away from the main "stuff" you want to visit in the Dordogne. Actually, it's not even in the Dordogne.

Stu Dudley

All of my comments above, are about Gites rented through the Gites-de-France program.

Stu Dudley

So many thanks to you both for all of this info. I do have a Michelin map of Dorodogne which I will attempt to dig out later today. BUG 200 is in the town of Le Bugue; I liked this house for its proxmity to a town of some size. The house is on the River Vezere. Another house is in the village of Limeuil, but I am thinking that this is a very tiny hamlet. Correct? Our group has grown and we will now be six; we will need four bedrooms. I agree that the pool is now a non-issue.
I am using the Simply Perigord book since I have it in hand now but I will also order the Gites guide as Stu recommended. In the Simply Perigord lineup, there appear to be nine house that are possibiities. I will list their locations and if any do not appeal, with your advice I will eliminate them. I believe that all are within eay rech of Sarlat, as suggested. This agency is based in Le Bugue and so offers distances from the houses to that village in their broochure.
1. Urval, house on the edge of the village
2. Siorac, in the hills above town
3. Limeuil, in the village
4. La Bouzonnie, hamlet 7km from Ste Alevere; 11 km from Le Bugue
5. Ste Alevere, 4 km from Ste Alevere
6. Le Bugue, in village on river (this is BUG 200)
7. Alles sur Dordogne, in village, 7km from Le Buisson
8. Le Bugue, 1 km from village
9. Manaurie, 3km from Les Eyzies

I am thinking that a house within walking distance of a village might be rather good, so we will not need to use the car for absolutly everything. But this is not a necessesity, just a thought. If you all would help me narrow down these choices I would be much obliged.

ekscrunchy, we rented BUG 200 in May of last year for a week.
This house sits on the Vezere River with wonderful views from most rooms. We watched the swans in the river daily.
The ground floor has a living room, dining room, kitchen and half bath. The second floor (French first) has two bedrooms with ensuite baths, both good sized and nicely appointed rooms. The third floor has two bedrooms and a shared bath. Thses rooms are smaller than the other two and have lower ceilings and less ventilation than the others. In October that may not be an issue.
The "basement", although not really as it opens to ground level on the river side of the house, had a large family room, kitchen facilites and laundry.
We were satisfied and would rent again from Simply Perigord.
We walked into town for dinner a couple nights and just up the street to the boulangerie every morning. That was very convenient and I would think, even more so in October when days are short.
You will love Dordogne wherever you rent!

Limeuil is not what I'd call a "tiny hamlet." It's a very well-touristed perched village overlooking the confluence of the Vézère and Dordogne rivers - there's a lovely "elbow bridge" there. It's got quite a few shops and cafés and artisans' ateliers, but it certainly isn't a bustling town like Le Bugue.

I love Le Bugue for what it is - a thriving, practical market town, not a tourist destination but rather a place that exists to serve its own community. That's not to say it doesn't attract tourists - you can barely move on market day in mid-summer, but in October you will get to see it at one of the loveliest, most "authentic" times of year. Not to mention it will be cèpe season - yum!

Manaurie and Alles-sur-Dordogne are pretty much specs on the map. If you want to be walking distance to a place with some commerce, those probaby would be poor choices.

St Cirq, I apoligize for making the remark about Limeuil without having done any research beforehand. I thought I had read that it was designated one of Les Beaux Villages and for some reason I thought all those village were tiny. I think some guidebook reading is in order for me in the next few days so I can familiarize myself before posting so many questions! I have both Cadogan and Rough Guides from the very breif trip I took to the area a few years ago. Any comments here on Urval, Siorac and Alles sur Dordogne? I want to have several options to present to my friends and to an agency in case the first choice is not open.
By the way, one place I recall loving on that trip was lunch at a walnut oil mill located someplace near Martel. Can anyone provide the name of the place and let me know if it is still operating? There was a set lunch, choice of lamb or duck confit, served in a large barn-type building; after lunch we were invited to see the actual pressing of the nuts and were able to buy their walnut oil. Of course I bought several bottles, some of which remain in my fridge three years later..sure they are not good buy now.

Those are all OK locations, but still not quite as central as the Le Bugue rental. Do you have the #329 Michelin map? Also, get the Michelin Green Guide for the Dordogne. I have hundreds of travel books about France (really), and the Michelin guide is the only one I take with me when I travel there. Sometimes I'll copy a few pages from the Cadogan Guide - my second favorite.

Stu Dudley

As mentioned, Alles-sur-Dordogne is a spec on the map, near Limeuil. I don't believe it has any commerce at all. It does have a nice romanesque chapel. There's a big, popular stable there where you can rent horses and ride around the area.

Siorac is south of the Dordogne river, across from St-Cyprien essentially. It's not exactly a hill town - more like a mound town. But it's attractive and has the usual complement of commercial establishments, including a B&B cum bar cum restaurant owned by a British expat couple. There's a smallish Intermarché on the main road below the village.

Urval I don't know at all - at least I don't think I do. Where is it?

I don't know of a walnut mill near Martel, but there's a well-known one called Moulin de la Tour in Ste-Nathalène, just outside Sarlat.

Thanks again to both of you. Urval is 3km from Siorac and 9km from St. Cyprien. I checked the Cadogan guide and found the name of the walnut oil mil: Ferme Auberge Moulin a Huile de Noix "at Les Landes along the St. Cere road." This place was a real treat for lunch and to see the oil being pressed. Oddly enough, my Michelin map (yellow cover) is #235 Midi-Pyrenees which covers the Dordogne region. I do not see the #329 listed on the back cover of my map within the outline of the country..could they have changed the numbers? All the numbers on my map's back cover are three-digit numbers beginning with 2. So I seem to have narrowed down the house choices with your help: the Le Bugue house sounds loke a great location except that Judy mentioned that two of the rooms are not so desirable. Perhaps we can agree to switch mid-week! The house outside Siorac and the one in Limeuil sound like the second and third choices. You have all been so helpful; if you have any restaurant tips feel free to post! As I said, I spent three days in Sarlat and ate in the town except for the walnut oil lunch and a lunch at Le Centenaire after a visit to the caves. The place was too formal for our tastes, however, although the food was excellent.

ttt

Get a more current map of the Dordogne. The yellow maps were dis-continued several years ago. The newer maps are the 300 series - 329 for the Dordogne. The yellow maps are on a scale of 1/200,000, while most of the 300 series maps are 1/150,000 (except the 329 map which is 1/175,000)

The 300 series maps have a city index, which is nice when trying to locate a specific village - like you are trying to do.

Do you have my 20+ page itinerary for the Dordogne? It includes a restaurant write-up, although I have not yet updated it to reflect our 4 weeks there this past Sept. E-mail me if you want a copy. [email protected]

Stu Dudley

Many thanks, Stu. You are unusually helpful as usual. I will e-mail you soon with a request for your itinerary. Thanks so much. I will meet with my friends this weekend to go over the houses we have liked so far so I will surely post more questions after that.

I have been searching for accomm in the Dordogne for some time for second lasst week in august and have finally landed one I think! It is about 500 metres from the town of Le Bugue and just wanted to know your opinion of that as a first place to go to visit the area - we will have it for a week. I have nearly gone crazy with all the investigations!!!
There have been mixed messages about Le Bugue on here - ST Cirq and Stu Dudley I have been following some past notes of yours and they have been helpful.
we are two adults and two teen girls adn want to be able to walk into a village to pick up bakery items etc but also be near some rural areas. Is there anyway I can contact you St Cirq directly to find out more.
Thanks heaps
Kate