justretired: One thing I forgot to mention is to have Phillipe or Bertrice show you how to operate the washer/dryer combo, the microwave and oven. There were directions only for the washer/dryer but not for the microwave or oven. It sounds like it would be intuitive but my DH set the clock on the microwave and oven to be accurate and we could never get them to work. We didn't really cook much and used the cooktop for everything so wasn't a major problem, but we probably would have called Phillipe again if we really needed it. We recommended to them that they provide a manual for each appliance.

I will definitely return to your report, having not been to the Dordogne. I know you can't visit everywhere, but there were some notable exceptions to your Languedoc visit and wondered whether these were because you had been there before? I particularly liked Sete, Agde, Banyul sur Mer and Collioure both aren't too far from St Cyprien - but you don't mention these.

@stevelyon I believe there are two St Cypriens (well three, if you include St Cyprien la Plage) -- one is in the Lot, the other (two) are in Languedoc-Roussillon on the Mediterranean Coast. Winnick didn't get that far into Languedoc, just Toulouse and Carcassonne. They'll need to take another long trip in SW France to check out the places you mention. (We spent a month there last year and it has become our favorite part of France, just edging out Dordogne and the Lot!)

stevelyon:
uhoh_busted is correct - we didn't get too far into Langeudoc-Roussillon, just Toulouse and Carcassonne. The rest of the trip was in the Lot and Dordogne. We definitely plan to return to France again in the near future and will make note of your recommendations. We needed more time in the Dordogne region and will have to plan a month's stay next time!

>>two St Cypriens (well three, if you include St Cyprien la Plage) -- one is in the Lot<<

There are actually 7 St Cypriens in France (8, with la Plage)
Dordogne
Pyrenees-Orientales
Loire
Lot
Vienne
Aveyron
Correze

The St Cyprien that has the Sunday market is in the Dordogne department.

Stu Dudley

Hi Winnick- I appreciated your succinct report and asterisk system. If the weather is still good in a few wks we plan to try river canoeing. But we only have time for one of the following- which of these was your favorite?:
Font de Gaume, Pech Merle, or Lascaux II? (I see you didn't do Gouffre de Padirac). Opinions from others also welcomed and appreciated :)
We'll be based in the Lot near Souillac.
Thanks!

I'd have to put Font de Gaume first and Pech Merle second. There's no doubt Lascaux was very good but since it was a reproduction it had less of an impact. Font de Gaume left you feeling the painters just left, though Pech Merle too did that in one area where you could see the footprints in a mud pool that also made you think they were watching you from some dark corner.

calville
We were in the Dordogne in July and were able to see the four caves you listed. We enjoyed them all.If I had to select one, it would be Font de Gaume. The location(cave entrance a fissure among rocks and trees above the valley-a dark 100m long narrow passage of irregular height leading to the cave art),authenticity,the knowledge and enthusiasm of the guide(english speaking), and the beautifully preserved 10000 to 18000 year old polychrome paintings.

Having said that, I would make every effort to see the breathtaking superb replica of Cro Magnon art at Lascaux II in addition to Font de Gaume.

Calville: My husband, son and I preferred Pech Merle over Font-de-Gaume, but that could partially be due to a better tour guide. We did like them both. We also thought Pech Merle was a prettier cave overall aside from the cave drawings. We didn't make it to Lascaux. (Gouffre de Padirac was the favorite of my son and husband, but of course it doesn't have cave art. They just loved the boat ride and formations)

Thanks so much everyone for responding. It's great to get a collection of fodorite opinions. I'll report back when we return in early Oct.

I'm glad this came up again. Taking notes. I like the way you rated the towns at the beginning of your report.

I look forward to reading this report quite carefully tonight. We are thinking about going to Dordogne or Provence in Sept. DH feels Provence will be too similar to Tuscany and I am tending to agree. Finding the diversity of this area fascinating. Any thoughts along these lines for starters?

I have traveled to the three regions you mentioned and think that there are similarities and differences between them. There are several regions of Tuscany, Provence, and the Dordogne, so it is difficult to talk about favorites though, of course, we do. You will find that, here on the Europe Forum, there are champions of each region. So, do read a lot of trip reports on all the areas before making your decision. There were several of us who visited the Dordogne over the past year or so, and I think we all have a somewhat different take on the region.

In order to say if Provence is similar to Tuscany, I would need to know why your husband thinks this. What part of Tuscany is he referring to? Yes, both regions have hill top towns, beautiful vistas, wonderful art and culture, and fascinating sites. But, they are quite different, in my opinion. I love both regions (Tuscany and Provence), and have visited both a few times each. Since I speak French and am an artist, I think I am drawn to Provence in a somewhat different way. The light is just different- one just feels bathed in a kind of warmth when one visits the area. I love Provence and its culture and people and I always seem to look for any excuse to visit or pass through. Tuscany has wonderful cities- Sienna, Assisi, etc while Provence has cities of a different feel- Avignon, Arles, Marseilles, etc.

Our last trip was to the Dordogne (our second one to this region) was this past October, where we based ourselves in Sarlat for 2 weeks while we explored the area. It is also a fascinating and beautiful one. However, in our opinion, it lacked the diversity of the other areas. The caves are utterly intriguing and interesting – I have to say that I was completely fascinated by the cave paintings. The old castles and their history are also wonderful. There are some lovely gardens. However, we found the sites somewhat repetitive. After the three activities (which, as I said, are great), there just didn’t seem to be as much to do. We absolutely loved Sarlat and found the people friendly. The food, for the most part, was good, but also repetitive- on almost every menu, there is fois gras, duck, and truffles (depending on the season). We met someone who said that they called eating in the Dordogne “Duck, duck, goose.” Now, we love all the items, but again, we found the food repetitive. Would I go back? Certainly, it was lovely, and I would expand our travels to the Lot region. Incidentally, Languedoc is another great area with all sorts of things to do and is quite an attractive region.

As you investigate and research regions, make sure you ask Stu Dudley for his extensive files on all the regions your mentioned. He, and many others, has generously helped many folks here on the forum.

Good luck and enjoy your travel planning. We are heading to Sicily in September, a region not yet explored. What fun!

<i>We met someone who said that they called eating in the Dordogne “Duck, duck, goose.”</i>

Good one. I am so stealing that.

virginia: Key question... how many days, total?

If it's a two-week trip, I'd consider doing both. With one week, pick one (I'd go with Dordogne, but that's just me).

Also, justretired is 100% right about Stu Dudley.