Dordogne region

Why don't you go first to Cassis by TGV to Marseille and local train to Cassis. When you are ready to leave Cassis, you can either pick up a car in Marseille and then drive to Sarlat or take the train somewhere closer to the Dorgogne and pick up a rental car, and finally leave the car at the Toulouse airport as you fly to the UK. You can pick up and drop off a car in different places. See autoeurope.com to get a general idea of the rental prices.

I remember the Dordogne region as being pretty hilly. (I was there 3 1/2 years ago.) We were there in late September, and the traffic was not bad. October should be no worse. We stayed in Sarlat and loved it. It is a good location to see the caves and other parts of the Dordogne. The area is well signed, and we had no problem finding our way around. You really do need a car there. We rented ours in Paris and traveled to Brittany before heading down to the Dordogne, so I can't comment on renting a car elsewhere.

Hills: I'm not sure what your concern is about them, but like much of France the area comprises limestone plateaus between river valleys. So, climbs from the valleys, flat in the valleys, and varied terrain on the plateaus (not perfectly flat).

I know it is possible without a car, but personally I would not go car-less there without a good deal of time or money (to hire drivers).

5 days is a good amount of time for the immediate area, but the whole region is fascinating and beautiful.

I do not understand the issue of going to and from Cassis. Surely you are not going to spend a whole day of your vacation retracing your footsteps to get a slightly better air fare? This is not a trivial trip, so you'd have to spend the night in Toulouse—24 hours devoted to this logistical detail. What;'s an extra day in France worth to you?

I would say widen your search beyond Easyjet. Search for an open-jaw ticket into Toulouse or Bordeaux (both about 2 hours fro Dordogne) and out of Marseilles (not Nice, a good 3 hours from Cassis), or into Marseilles and out of T or B. Even if you have to pay more you will save a ton of time (and expense, driving in France is not free).

We stayed in Sarlot and really enjoyed the area. I really can't imagine seeing the area without a car. There are some hills in the area but most you really don't need to climb except maybe when you visit the caves walking up to them. Many of the towns are right on the road along the river that you won't have to climb. if You want to got to the 'backroads' up the towns there are some hills but you really don't need to go there. Everything you want to see is on the main roads that are pretty flat. If you decide to take the drive bring a GPS. We drove down from Paris and as I remember it, the ride was about 5 hours but I really put my foot on the gas. Most of the trip you are on main highways that are very wide and open. Once you get down near Sarlot thought they can get pretty tricky to navigate.

We stayed in Sarlot and really enjoyed the area. I really can't imagine seeing the area without a car. There are some hills in the area but most you really don't need to climb except maybe when you visit the caves walking up to them. Many of the towns are right on the road along the river that you won't have to climb. if You want to got to the 'backroads' up the towns there are some hills but you really don't need to go there. Everything you want to see is on the main roads that are pretty flat. If you decide to take the drive bring a GPS. We drove down from Paris and as I remember it, the ride was about 5 hours but I really put my foot on the gas. Most of the trip you are on main highways that are very wide and open. Once you get down near Sarlot thought they can get pretty tricky to navigate.

You'll need a car for the Dordogne. There are some hills and curves but nothing too daunting. Five days is enough time to see a lot. Sarlat is a good base, though traffic in and out of there can eat up time. Consider Bordeaux as an alternative to Toulouse as your "hub" for the rest of the trip.