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12-15 days between Bordeaux and Avignon.

Posted by (Buffalo) on

This is kind of a revision of an earlier post. I am now planning a trip probably in the fall (Sept-October) starting in Paris, train to Bordeaux, rent a car and spend 12-15 days driving through the Dordogne, the Lot, perhaps a quick late day stopover in Carcassonne before heading east. My thought is perhaps a night or 2 in Bordeaux (although willing to skip), a night or 2 in St. Emilion, then multiple nights in Sarlat to take in the town, as well as day trips to caves and gardens and towns. Question: how many is ideal? Then I am thinking heading down to the Lot River and doing something similar...stay 3-5 in one place (where? Cahors?) to do day trips. Is Albi worth staying or just stopping in? I have the luxury at this point of adding days, but it would be nice to not unpack every two nights.

After that we will head to Avignon for 5 nights, stop over in Vence or Grasse, then head to Alba, Italy for the White Truffle Fair. End with a few nights in Milan.

Advice?

Posted by
4132 posts

What a marvelous plan! I think you would not regret 6 nights in the Dordogne. For the Lot, I have always said that if I returned to that area I would try to stay in St Cirq, if that is possible.

Albi is worth an overnight, but can be enjoyed as a stopover (but from where to where?). There are some enticing small towns between the Lot and Albi that we merely drove through.

One stop on that trip that we enjoyed very much was 2 nights recharging in Collioure, with a stop to visit the Haute Corbieres on the way there.

Posted by
110 posts

I thought about a few nights in Collioure. Sounds inviting! How many nights though, if we stopped in St. Cirq or nearby?

Posted by
4132 posts

Are you asking for St Cirq or Collioure? I think two nights would be nice in both places, more, maybe, for St Cirq, depending on your plans.

Collioure just to be clear is a kind of break day, it is a pretty coastal town without a ton to do, but very refreshing after a week or more of athletic sightseeing. I suppose it could be a base for day trips along the coast, to Perignan, or into the foothills, but cannot advise about that.

Try making a list of likely sights in these areas and see what seems best.

Posted by
225 posts

The significant other and I are doing this same trip, in September, but in a different order. We are flying in to Barcelona, staying two nights in Cucignan, staying two nights in Puycelsi, two nights in St. Cirq Lapopie, 5 nights in Sarlat, and then two nights in Bordeaux, before heading down for two weeks in the Pays Basque and Barcelona. We are not staying in Albi, but are planning to spend the full day we are staying in Puycelsi visiting Albi. We are also not staying in St. Emilion, but planning on visiting it for much of the day of our move from Sarlat to Bordeaux.

Is this pace ideal? Who knows? I won't have formed an opinion until October!

Just out of curiosity, where are you staying in Sarlat?

Posted by
110 posts

Matt, can you tell me why you chose those two places for two nights each, just out of curiosity. I don't actually have any reservations yet as I can;t be definite until May for a few reasons, but I would like to stay right in Sarlat village. I am thinking about purchasing a few books, maybe Back Roads France, and the rough guide to the Lot and Dordogne. Seems like you have to have some focus to explore this region as there are a lot of places to see and things to do.

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