Wonderful Dordogne (Languedoc & Lot)
Aug 16th, 2011, 12:54 PM
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Wonderful Dordogne (Languedoc & Lot)
We recently returned from France after spending 20 days in the Languedoc, Lot and Dordogne areas (June 11 – July 1). We had a great trip and many thanks to all (particularly Stu Dudley and St. Cirq) who gave advice and all who wrote trip reports that were most helpful in the planning stages.
Overall Impression of Dordogne:
There is so much to see and do here. We spent 20 days in the area and could have easily spent another week (or forever) here! We were captivated with all this area offered from the beautiful towns and villages to the fascinating pre-historic caves, the weekly markets, gorgeous castles and scenic rivers. We were fascinated with the history and architecture of the area.
We spent 3 weeks in Provence last spring and loved the area but must admit we preferred this region for the variety of things to do and the spectacular scenery and history. Maybe it’s just that this is our most recent trip and those fond memories are so fresh in our minds. I really don’t think you can go wrong with any region of France but this area we will definitely return to soon.
Weather
Traveling during the spring & fall seasons can be wonderful. We prefer these times of year as there are fewer tourists and better chance of temperate weather. We had mostly beautiful warm weather, mixture of clouds and sun most days. We had a few days of on/off rain but it never poured and it seemed like the rain stopped whenever we reached our destination to explore the town. We had 2 days that hit 100 degrees but most days were pleasant in the 70’s & 80’s with a few days in the upper 60’s.
GPS
We purchased a Garmin last year for our trip to Provence and planned to use it again this year. It was wonderful! It made our trip so much more pleasant getting around the larger cities. I wish we had had one on all those other trips! Of course, we still made a few wrong turns, but the GPS would recalculate and get us right back on course. We still had our Michelin maps and consulted them often. We had a GPS in the car rental this year and mostly used it instead of the Garmin. We called her Bridgette and much preferred the English accent to the monotone of the Garmin. Additionally, she always says “turn here now”. The Garmin will tell you to turn in x kilometers and if you miss the turn, it will say “recalculating”. We soon tired of hearing that word. We found that once we got out of the larger cities and towns, we relied mostly on the signage which is very good in the Dordogne.
The cities, towns, villages and caves we visited:
* ** Enjoyed Immensely/ Highly Recommend
* *Liked / Recommend
* Worth a Visit
Abli***
Abri du Cap Blanc*
Autoire**
Beaulieu-s-Dordogne*
Belves**
Beynac***
Canoeing the Dordogne***
Carcassonne**
Carennac**
Castlenaud***
Castelnau de Montmiral*
Chateau Biron***
Chateau de Hautefort***
Chateau Des Milandes***
Castlenau Bretenoux**
Chateau de Fenelon**
Collonges-La-Rouge**
Cordes sur Ciel**
Domme**
Figeac**
Font de Gaume***
Forte de Reignac***
Grotte Rouffignac***
Jardin de Marqueyssac**
Jardins d’Eyringnac**
La Bugue*
La Madeleine*
La Roque Gageac**
La Roque St Christophe***
Lascaux II***
Les Eyzies de Tayac*
Loubressac**
Martel**
Monpazier**
Montignac*
Pech Merle***
Rocamadour***
Sarlat***
St-Amand-de-Coly
St Antonin Val Noble*
St. Cere**
St Cirq Lapopie***
St. Cyprien**
St. Genies*
St Leon sur Vezere**
Toulouse***
Turenne*
Where we stayed:
We liked all of the hotels we stayed at and loved the apartment we rented in Sarlat. We would recommend them all. We always like to stay in the center of town so we can easily walk to restaurants and sites. The only exception for us this visit was in Rocamadour where we stayed at a beautiful country estate just 10 minutes from town.
Toulouse - Albert 1: http://www.hotel-albert1.fr/en/home-page.php?no_cache=1
This hotel was conveniently located to everything in the city centre. Room was basic but clean and comfortable. Get a bath with tub. Our first night here was in a room with shower only and the shower door leaked at the bottom so water flooded the floor. On the night before we left the area, we also stayed here and had a nicer room with shower/tub combo. Good breakfast offerings.
Albi - Hotel Les Pasteliers: http://www.hotellespasteliers.com/
This hotel was also conveniently located to everything. It was a little quirky but we liked it. The room was again basic, but clean and comfortable.
St. Cirq Lapopie - Auberge du Sombral: http://www.lesombral.com/sombral_gb.html
I believe this is the only hotel in town. It was a lovely converted home and was very nice but no A/C. We could have used it that night. The room and bath were spacious and lovely with beautiful views out the windows. It had a charming dining area but the breakfast was a basic continental.
Figeac: Best Western Hotel Le Pont d’O: http://www.bestwestern.fr/en/hotel-F...ont-D-Or,93511
We had a river view and it was a nice room with large bath. The front desk personnel were wonderful and we had a great dinner at this hotel.
Rocamadour: Domaine de La Rhue: http://www.domainedelarhue.com/
This hotel is a converted stable on the property of the owners Christine & Eric, who were wonderful hosts. We had a large room with large bath and beautiful views of the property.
Sarlat: Apartment Josephine rented through in-sarlat agency: http://www.in-sarlat.fr/holiday-rent...s-rentals.html
We loved staying in Sarlat and would recommend staying at this property. The only downside is that it has no A/C. Although the apartment stayed relatively cool, we had a few 100 degree days and could have used a fan. The apartment is large, clean, beautifully decorated and in a quiet courtyard (Cour des Fontaines) near the TI office. Both Phillipe and Beatrice were a pleasure to deal with. As with some apartment rentals, it does not come with basic starter items. We had only 1 roll of TP, no soap, coffee or tea, no paper products or salt/pepper, etc. We would not hesitate to rent this apartment again. There is satellite TV but you can only get a few French stations. No CNN or BBC. We really didn’t mind as most days we were too busy to think about watching TV. The apartment has a washer/dryer combo which we had to figure out how to use by reading the manual.
Paris: Novotel Convention & Wellness: http://www.novotel.com/gb/hotel-5418...dg/index.shtml
This is a better than average airport hotel. It is also convenient to the town of Roissy if you want to walk around this pleasant town. We have stayed here several times before leaving for an early morning flight out of Paris. The biggest complaint I have about these airport hotels is the airport shuttle service. We had to wait almost over 45 minutes at the airport for the shuttle and then upon leaving the hotel for the airport, the shuttle was very full and it makes a lot of stops. They need more shuttles. I’m not sure if the other hotel shuttles are quicker.
Our Blog and Photo Album:
This is the link to our blog if you are interested in reading what we did day to day
http://winnick-france2011.blogspot.com/
This is the link to our photo album:
http://www.blurb.com/bookstore/invit...9b33b7d1760a3f
Overall Impression of Dordogne:
There is so much to see and do here. We spent 20 days in the area and could have easily spent another week (or forever) here! We were captivated with all this area offered from the beautiful towns and villages to the fascinating pre-historic caves, the weekly markets, gorgeous castles and scenic rivers. We were fascinated with the history and architecture of the area.
We spent 3 weeks in Provence last spring and loved the area but must admit we preferred this region for the variety of things to do and the spectacular scenery and history. Maybe it’s just that this is our most recent trip and those fond memories are so fresh in our minds. I really don’t think you can go wrong with any region of France but this area we will definitely return to soon.
Weather
Traveling during the spring & fall seasons can be wonderful. We prefer these times of year as there are fewer tourists and better chance of temperate weather. We had mostly beautiful warm weather, mixture of clouds and sun most days. We had a few days of on/off rain but it never poured and it seemed like the rain stopped whenever we reached our destination to explore the town. We had 2 days that hit 100 degrees but most days were pleasant in the 70’s & 80’s with a few days in the upper 60’s.
GPS
We purchased a Garmin last year for our trip to Provence and planned to use it again this year. It was wonderful! It made our trip so much more pleasant getting around the larger cities. I wish we had had one on all those other trips! Of course, we still made a few wrong turns, but the GPS would recalculate and get us right back on course. We still had our Michelin maps and consulted them often. We had a GPS in the car rental this year and mostly used it instead of the Garmin. We called her Bridgette and much preferred the English accent to the monotone of the Garmin. Additionally, she always says “turn here now”. The Garmin will tell you to turn in x kilometers and if you miss the turn, it will say “recalculating”. We soon tired of hearing that word. We found that once we got out of the larger cities and towns, we relied mostly on the signage which is very good in the Dordogne.
The cities, towns, villages and caves we visited:
* ** Enjoyed Immensely/ Highly Recommend
* *Liked / Recommend
* Worth a Visit
Abli***
Abri du Cap Blanc*
Autoire**
Beaulieu-s-Dordogne*
Belves**
Beynac***
Canoeing the Dordogne***
Carcassonne**
Carennac**
Castlenaud***
Castelnau de Montmiral*
Chateau Biron***
Chateau de Hautefort***
Chateau Des Milandes***
Castlenau Bretenoux**
Chateau de Fenelon**
Collonges-La-Rouge**
Cordes sur Ciel**
Domme**
Figeac**
Font de Gaume***
Forte de Reignac***
Grotte Rouffignac***
Jardin de Marqueyssac**
Jardins d’Eyringnac**
La Bugue*
La Madeleine*
La Roque Gageac**
La Roque St Christophe***
Lascaux II***
Les Eyzies de Tayac*
Loubressac**
Martel**
Monpazier**
Montignac*
Pech Merle***
Rocamadour***
Sarlat***
St-Amand-de-Coly
St Antonin Val Noble*
St. Cere**
St Cirq Lapopie***
St. Cyprien**
St. Genies*
St Leon sur Vezere**
Toulouse***
Turenne*
Where we stayed:
We liked all of the hotels we stayed at and loved the apartment we rented in Sarlat. We would recommend them all. We always like to stay in the center of town so we can easily walk to restaurants and sites. The only exception for us this visit was in Rocamadour where we stayed at a beautiful country estate just 10 minutes from town.
Toulouse - Albert 1: http://www.hotel-albert1.fr/en/home-page.php?no_cache=1
This hotel was conveniently located to everything in the city centre. Room was basic but clean and comfortable. Get a bath with tub. Our first night here was in a room with shower only and the shower door leaked at the bottom so water flooded the floor. On the night before we left the area, we also stayed here and had a nicer room with shower/tub combo. Good breakfast offerings.
Albi - Hotel Les Pasteliers: http://www.hotellespasteliers.com/
This hotel was also conveniently located to everything. It was a little quirky but we liked it. The room was again basic, but clean and comfortable.
St. Cirq Lapopie - Auberge du Sombral: http://www.lesombral.com/sombral_gb.html
I believe this is the only hotel in town. It was a lovely converted home and was very nice but no A/C. We could have used it that night. The room and bath were spacious and lovely with beautiful views out the windows. It had a charming dining area but the breakfast was a basic continental.
Figeac: Best Western Hotel Le Pont d’O: http://www.bestwestern.fr/en/hotel-F...ont-D-Or,93511
We had a river view and it was a nice room with large bath. The front desk personnel were wonderful and we had a great dinner at this hotel.
Rocamadour: Domaine de La Rhue: http://www.domainedelarhue.com/
This hotel is a converted stable on the property of the owners Christine & Eric, who were wonderful hosts. We had a large room with large bath and beautiful views of the property.
Sarlat: Apartment Josephine rented through in-sarlat agency: http://www.in-sarlat.fr/holiday-rent...s-rentals.html
We loved staying in Sarlat and would recommend staying at this property. The only downside is that it has no A/C. Although the apartment stayed relatively cool, we had a few 100 degree days and could have used a fan. The apartment is large, clean, beautifully decorated and in a quiet courtyard (Cour des Fontaines) near the TI office. Both Phillipe and Beatrice were a pleasure to deal with. As with some apartment rentals, it does not come with basic starter items. We had only 1 roll of TP, no soap, coffee or tea, no paper products or salt/pepper, etc. We would not hesitate to rent this apartment again. There is satellite TV but you can only get a few French stations. No CNN or BBC. We really didn’t mind as most days we were too busy to think about watching TV. The apartment has a washer/dryer combo which we had to figure out how to use by reading the manual.
Paris: Novotel Convention & Wellness: http://www.novotel.com/gb/hotel-5418...dg/index.shtml
This is a better than average airport hotel. It is also convenient to the town of Roissy if you want to walk around this pleasant town. We have stayed here several times before leaving for an early morning flight out of Paris. The biggest complaint I have about these airport hotels is the airport shuttle service. We had to wait almost over 45 minutes at the airport for the shuttle and then upon leaving the hotel for the airport, the shuttle was very full and it makes a lot of stops. They need more shuttles. I’m not sure if the other hotel shuttles are quicker.
Our Blog and Photo Album:
This is the link to our blog if you are interested in reading what we did day to day
http://winnick-france2011.blogspot.com/
This is the link to our photo album:
http://www.blurb.com/bookstore/invit...9b33b7d1760a3f
Aug 16th, 2011, 01:38 PM
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I've been waiting for this, Winnick. We were there in the Lot & Dordogne at the exact time you were (last two weeks of June, leaving on the 4th of July). I hear you about the heat. There were definitely more than a couple of 100-degree days.
Can't wait for more. You've beat me to it, though. It'll be a couple more days before I get to writing about the Dordogne portion of our trip. Now, will you be updating here on Fodor's, or solely through your blog? I'll definitely check out the blog & photos, too.
BTW, nice approach with the starring system right of the bat.
So glad you had a great time in the Dordogne, too. What's not to love? (We liked Provence almost as much and would like to revisit both, but have to give the edge to Dordogne for the food!)
Finally, I must say that you really accomplished a lot in your time frame. Wow! You must have energy.
Can't wait for more. You've beat me to it, though. It'll be a couple more days before I get to writing about the Dordogne portion of our trip. Now, will you be updating here on Fodor's, or solely through your blog? I'll definitely check out the blog & photos, too.
BTW, nice approach with the starring system right of the bat.
So glad you had a great time in the Dordogne, too. What's not to love? (We liked Provence almost as much and would like to revisit both, but have to give the edge to Dordogne for the food!)
Finally, I must say that you really accomplished a lot in your time frame. Wow! You must have energy.
Aug 16th, 2011, 05:07 PM
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sap,
Yes, I'm a little late in getting my trip report written. That pesky little thing called "JOB" keeps interfering with my time
.
I just saw your report on the LOT and started reading your Provence section. You are an incredible writer. I love all the detail you put into your report including the history of each town. I wish I had that before we left on our trip.
Since we created a blog while we were in the Dordogne, I thought I would just provide a link to it for those that may want to see our day-to-day exploits.
We've spent the past month just working on our book which finally went to press on Friday. I've also included a link to that.
I agree with you that doing more than 4 towns in a day is too much. We also tried to break up the days by visiting no more than 1 chateau and 3 towns in one day.
I was somewhat surprised about your take on Toulouse. We enjoyed it there and didn't see any beggars. We also really enjoyed Albi.
I'll be looking forward to reading more about your trip. Keep up the great writing.
I think Cali Nurse was in the area around the same time. I'm hoping she also posts her trip report soon.
Yes, I'm a little late in getting my trip report written. That pesky little thing called "JOB" keeps interfering with my time
. I just saw your report on the LOT and started reading your Provence section. You are an incredible writer. I love all the detail you put into your report including the history of each town. I wish I had that before we left on our trip.
Since we created a blog while we were in the Dordogne, I thought I would just provide a link to it for those that may want to see our day-to-day exploits.
We've spent the past month just working on our book which finally went to press on Friday. I've also included a link to that.
I agree with you that doing more than 4 towns in a day is too much. We also tried to break up the days by visiting no more than 1 chateau and 3 towns in one day.
I was somewhat surprised about your take on Toulouse. We enjoyed it there and didn't see any beggars. We also really enjoyed Albi.
I'll be looking forward to reading more about your trip. Keep up the great writing.
I think Cali Nurse was in the area around the same time. I'm hoping she also posts her trip report soon.
Aug 16th, 2011, 05:19 PM
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I was just looking at your itinerary again from your blog. There was definitely some overlap on our days. For one thing, we were in St. Cyprien at the market on the same morning you were (June 26th).
Also, we were in Les Eyzies on June 28th and then spent the day in that neck of the woods, but we went to La Roque Saint-Christophe and Font de Gaume whereas you went to Rouffignac, etc. Who knows, we could have passed on the road or street that week.
Will have fun w/the picture viewing next.
Also, we were in Les Eyzies on June 28th and then spent the day in that neck of the woods, but we went to La Roque Saint-Christophe and Font de Gaume whereas you went to Rouffignac, etc. Who knows, we could have passed on the road or street that week.
Will have fun w/the picture viewing next.
Aug 17th, 2011, 05:34 AM
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sap,
We really enjoyed La Roque St. Christophe and Font de Gaume. Those sites were definite highlights in the area.
Looking forward to following your report.
We will be getting ready to think about next year's trip soon
aussie_10,
Thanks for your kind words. I used your trip report last year when we were planning our trip to Provence. It was great. Are you planning any more trips to France anytime soon?
We really enjoyed La Roque St. Christophe and Font de Gaume. Those sites were definite highlights in the area.
Looking forward to following your report.
We will be getting ready to think about next year's trip soon
aussie_10,
Thanks for your kind words. I used your trip report last year when we were planning our trip to Provence. It was great. Are you planning any more trips to France anytime soon?
Aug 17th, 2011, 01:09 PM
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Enjoyed your report and blog. We were in the Dordogne (staying in Beynac) June 10-17 and, apparently, really lucked out on the weather. We were on the Riviera and in Paris when it was so hot in the Dordogne.
Aug 17th, 2011, 02:01 PM
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Thanks for posting a trip report. I love your album! We leave for the Dordogne area in less than 3 weeks. Between your report and sap's report, I can hardly wait to leave.
After reading a few negative comments here about Toulouse, I was happy to read that you enjoyed it. We are also staying at the Domaine de la Rhue for two nights. Your apartment in Sarlat looks wonderful. Thanks again for posting!
After reading a few negative comments here about Toulouse, I was happy to read that you enjoyed it. We are also staying at the Domaine de la Rhue for two nights. Your apartment in Sarlat looks wonderful. Thanks again for posting!
Aug 17th, 2011, 03:15 PM
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Another thank you to both Sap and you for posting these trip reports at the right time, at least for my husband and I (and Kansas). We are heading to the Dordogne for 2 weeks, (9/10-9/24) staying in an In-Sarlat apartment (Rambeau). My husband and I have visited France several times, often returning to Provence, though we have explored other areas. This year, we decided to visit the Dordogne. These days, when we travel, we try to stay in one place for the duration of our vacation- we have done this in Bonnieux( 3 weeks), Montepulciano (2 weeks), and San Sebastian (2 weeks). We find that we really love to truly immerse oursleves in the chosen region. I speak a slightly passable French and my husband speaks French, Italain, and Spanish.
We actually visited the DordOgne almost 20 years ago, shortly after our then young teenage daughter had spent a summer in Beynac. Because of the host family connection ( and we were traveling wioth our daughters), we actually did little touring and we decided it was time to revisit the area. St Cirq, Stu Dudley, Carlux, and other Fodor's posters like the 2 of you have provided a great deal of information, so again, thank you.
In advance, I've been reading about the Dordogne and pre-historic man and their presence in the region. I am excited to see the caves and abris as well as the gardens and castles. And, I love French markets.
I always put together several word files that I carry in my husband's net book as well as, this year, in my newish Nook. I have a file on restaurants and one on Dordogne activities.
Kansas, how long will you be in the Dordogne and where will you be staying?
I have a few questions, but I'll post them on another link. Thanks again for a great report.
We actually visited the DordOgne almost 20 years ago, shortly after our then young teenage daughter had spent a summer in Beynac. Because of the host family connection ( and we were traveling wioth our daughters), we actually did little touring and we decided it was time to revisit the area. St Cirq, Stu Dudley, Carlux, and other Fodor's posters like the 2 of you have provided a great deal of information, so again, thank you.
In advance, I've been reading about the Dordogne and pre-historic man and their presence in the region. I am excited to see the caves and abris as well as the gardens and castles. And, I love French markets.
I always put together several word files that I carry in my husband's net book as well as, this year, in my newish Nook. I have a file on restaurants and one on Dordogne activities.
Kansas, how long will you be in the Dordogne and where will you be staying?
I have a few questions, but I'll post them on another link. Thanks again for a great report.
Aug 17th, 2011, 03:26 PM
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Gosh, I better get to the rest of my own trip report before kansas and justretired leave! I've been too busy with work, too.
Winnick, I'll partially respond for twk if he doesn't mind. He has a really nice report, which can be found here: http://tiny.cc/o5ugj and then his photos are here: http://twkfrancetrip.shutterfly.com/
The rental twk stayed in was apparently just up the street from the one we stayed in -- and speaking of that, I wanted to tell you that you actually have a picture of our rental house in your album! It's the narrow one with the little curved porch, on page 106 of your book, top left corner. We LOVED that place. The owners call it La Petite Maison. I wish it was my second home.
Your album is one of the best I've seen. I really like the way you've put it together.
Winnick, I'll partially respond for twk if he doesn't mind. He has a really nice report, which can be found here: http://tiny.cc/o5ugj and then his photos are here: http://twkfrancetrip.shutterfly.com/
The rental twk stayed in was apparently just up the street from the one we stayed in -- and speaking of that, I wanted to tell you that you actually have a picture of our rental house in your album! It's the narrow one with the little curved porch, on page 106 of your book, top left corner. We LOVED that place. The owners call it La Petite Maison. I wish it was my second home.
Your album is one of the best I've seen. I really like the way you've put it together.
Aug 18th, 2011, 06:32 AM
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Thank you all for your kind words.
Kansas & Justretired: I'm so glad that we were able to get our trip report finished and you found it helpful for your upcoming trips. You will absolutely love the area.
Kansas: The Domaine de la Rhue is gorgeous. It was a beautiful country estate and we were glad we stayed there.
Justretired: We also like to stay put in one place but sometimes we want to visit places that are just too far for day trips so we have to put up with the 1 or 2 night hotel stays. We were so relieved to get to the apartment. I'm sure the apartment you have chosen through in-sarlat will be lovely. I noticed that you arrive on a Saturday. You may want to stop and pick up some essentials before arriving at the apartment. I was a little disappointed that they did not have some starter items (unlike other apartments we have rented).
sap: Thanks for providing twk links. I'm glad to hear you loved that house in Beynac. When I saw it, I thought it was so charming and thought I would have enjoyed staying there. Looking forward to your final installment but totally understand about work interfering with your hobby!
Kansas & Justretired: I'm so glad that we were able to get our trip report finished and you found it helpful for your upcoming trips. You will absolutely love the area.
Kansas: The Domaine de la Rhue is gorgeous. It was a beautiful country estate and we were glad we stayed there.
Justretired: We also like to stay put in one place but sometimes we want to visit places that are just too far for day trips so we have to put up with the 1 or 2 night hotel stays. We were so relieved to get to the apartment. I'm sure the apartment you have chosen through in-sarlat will be lovely. I noticed that you arrive on a Saturday. You may want to stop and pick up some essentials before arriving at the apartment. I was a little disappointed that they did not have some starter items (unlike other apartments we have rented).
sap: Thanks for providing twk links. I'm glad to hear you loved that house in Beynac. When I saw it, I thought it was so charming and thought I would have enjoyed staying there. Looking forward to your final installment but totally understand about work interfering with your hobby!
Aug 18th, 2011, 07:57 AM
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Hi Winnick-we're not rigid in our choice of staying in one place. In the past few years, though, we've moved around more than we prefer (in Spain and in the Languedoc), and really wanted to stay put for this trip. Although we want to explore the Lot and have never been to Toulouse, we thought we'd do that on another trip. Boy- there are truly always places to see and explore.
I think I noticed on another thread that In-Sarlat apartments do not provide starter stuff- someone ( maybe it was you) gave me a link to the supermarket north of town. I think we'll stop there first and then, go to the St. Cyprien market on Sunday to get veggies, fruits, etc.
I would certainly apprecaute any further suggestions you might have.
Thanks for your report- it's very helpful.
I think I noticed on another thread that In-Sarlat apartments do not provide starter stuff- someone ( maybe it was you) gave me a link to the supermarket north of town. I think we'll stop there first and then, go to the St. Cyprien market on Sunday to get veggies, fruits, etc.
I would certainly apprecaute any further suggestions you might have.
Thanks for your report- it's very helpful.
Aug 18th, 2011, 12:29 PM
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winnick: Saw your reply on my trip report, so you have all the details on where I stayed. I really liked the Dordogne. Since I was the trip planner, I wasn't surprised, but I think that the rest of my party, who, like most Americans, didn't know much about the Dordogne, were really suprised. It was challenging to drive in a full sized van, so, whenever I go back someday, I hope to be driving in a much smaller car.
Beynac was nice, and the house was excellent. If I had it to do over again with the same party of four, I would make the same choice, but perhaps more for the house than for Beynac. A town with slightly more commercial offerings would have been nice, but, Beynac had enough that it wasn't like staying at some remote location. We did, however, have to get in the car to go someplace for evening meals, even if it was just to go to the lower village. Sarlat is probably a little larger than my ideal small town rental. After going to the market in St. Cyprien, I'd say that if you could get a rental within walking distance of the main commerical street there, with easy parking, someplace like that would be just about ideal, although you wouldn't have the "staying in Disneyland" experience we did staying next to Chateau de Beynac, or that you did, staying in central Sarlat.
Beynac was nice, and the house was excellent. If I had it to do over again with the same party of four, I would make the same choice, but perhaps more for the house than for Beynac. A town with slightly more commercial offerings would have been nice, but, Beynac had enough that it wasn't like staying at some remote location. We did, however, have to get in the car to go someplace for evening meals, even if it was just to go to the lower village. Sarlat is probably a little larger than my ideal small town rental. After going to the market in St. Cyprien, I'd say that if you could get a rental within walking distance of the main commerical street there, with easy parking, someplace like that would be just about ideal, although you wouldn't have the "staying in Disneyland" experience we did staying next to Chateau de Beynac, or that you did, staying in central Sarlat.
Aug 18th, 2011, 02:22 PM
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>>A town with slightly more commercial offerings would have been nice<<
Consider Cenac.
Nice grocery in town, large produce/produits regionaux store, several boulangerie & patisserie shops, a boucherie or two, a magazine/news shop, ATM machine, wine shop, and even a "chicken-a-go-go" for roast chickens & excellent roast potatoes (it was there in '09 - but not previous years). Canoe rentals, and even a beach. It has a cafe (maybe two) - but not a real "dinner" place. Domme is just minutes away for dinner options and Roque Gageac is very close as is Vitrac for more dinner options. It has an adequate Tuesday morning farmer's market in the summer. It is on the "quiet" side of the Dordogne, so there is less traffic than at Beynac or Roque Gageac.
Stu Dudley
Consider Cenac.
Nice grocery in town, large produce/produits regionaux store, several boulangerie & patisserie shops, a boucherie or two, a magazine/news shop, ATM machine, wine shop, and even a "chicken-a-go-go" for roast chickens & excellent roast potatoes (it was there in '09 - but not previous years). Canoe rentals, and even a beach. It has a cafe (maybe two) - but not a real "dinner" place. Domme is just minutes away for dinner options and Roque Gageac is very close as is Vitrac for more dinner options. It has an adequate Tuesday morning farmer's market in the summer. It is on the "quiet" side of the Dordogne, so there is less traffic than at Beynac or Roque Gageac.
Stu Dudley
Aug 19th, 2011, 08:24 AM
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justretired:
I think you have a good plan. In town on Rue Repubblic was Le Petite Casino. On the edge of city centre is a Leclerc, just off the 704 going South, and the Supermarche Casino, on Avenue de la Dordogne on the way to N46 and N57 circle. There's a Carrefour also on Route de Brive. We also tried to avoid leaving or coming back to Sarlat during rush hour as it can be quite busy during those times.
twk: We also had a larger car than we would have liked and there were times it was a little scary on those tiny winding roads but I actually got used to it and it turned out to be fine for us. Sarlat was actually very nice in the evenings, not too many people when we were there. There are a lot of good restaurants in the center of the town which we liked having available. I need to take some time now to look at all your pictures.
I think you have a good plan. In town on Rue Repubblic was Le Petite Casino. On the edge of city centre is a Leclerc, just off the 704 going South, and the Supermarche Casino, on Avenue de la Dordogne on the way to N46 and N57 circle. There's a Carrefour also on Route de Brive. We also tried to avoid leaving or coming back to Sarlat during rush hour as it can be quite busy during those times.
twk: We also had a larger car than we would have liked and there were times it was a little scary on those tiny winding roads but I actually got used to it and it turned out to be fine for us. Sarlat was actually very nice in the evenings, not too many people when we were there. There are a lot of good restaurants in the center of the town which we liked having available. I need to take some time now to look at all your pictures.
