Bordeaux region, Dordogne?

Hi Bonnie,

I have some answers for you:
- Can you recommend any good wineries/vineyards for tastings near Bordeaux? Yes, Chateau Pape Clement and Les Carmes Haut- Brion are within the city of Bordeaux. There are many good tasting opportunities in Margaux as well, which is not too far. I'd recommend you take a look at Sauvistication (www.sauvistication.com). The website will teach you how to navigate the wine scene.

I'd like to consider booking ahead (or is it necessary?) In Bordeaux you need to book your visits in advance. Most wineries do not accept walk-ins.

Is the Medoc region worth visiting? If you want to do some amazing wine tasting, than yes, absolutely.

- What are the best little French villages closest to Bordeaux worth visiting? Saint-Emilion is a must visit, it's accessibly by train and offers some more great wine tasting. Don't miss the underground tour.

Stefan,
Thank you so much for the great recommendations. I will look into Sauvistication for sure--sounds like an amazing resource! I'm unfamiliar with the underground tour in Saint-Emilion, so I will also look into that as well. I appreciate the information very much!

Thanks,
Bonnie

bcampos4,
Kayaking on the Dordogne River can be done on your own, no tour necessary, but you rent the kayak or canoe through one of several companies that put you on the river and pick you up for return to your car. Some will take you upriver from where you park for put-out, and you go downriver to where your car is. You should reserve in advance as July is a busy time there. Plan on about 4 hours total (getting the equipment, paying, shuttle return to car,etc., plus the time on a beautiful river). Rick's guidebook talks about some of the logistics. I can't recall the name of the company we rented from, but we embarked in Vitrac. It may have been Canoes Loisirs. Be sure to wear waterproof shoes, or tennies you don't mind getting soaked. No flipflops! Closed shoes. Also, hat, sunscreen, sunglasses and water are really important. It can get hot on the river, especially in July.

I assume you plan on staying in the area the night before and the night after the kayaking. I wouldn't want to drive 3 hours that same day, and 3 hours back. There are any number of charming towns to sleep in. It is not a day trip from Bordeaux.

Rocomadour IMO is one of the most disappointing towns to visit in the area. The main street through the town is full of touristy shops selling many items made in China. If I had to pick a castle to see in the area, I would go to Beynac or Castelnaud-la-Chapelle, both closer to Sarlat or La Roque Gageac. I fact, they are both close to Vitrac, in case you are staying the night after your kayak trip. Or you could visit one of them the day before kayaking.

We loved it when we (7 of us, from age 9 to 80) were there in June 2023. It was one of our favorite days in the Dordogne. We rented two double kayaks and 3 singles. Sometimes we paddled, sometimes we just let the current carry us. It was idyllic.

Enjoy your trip. If driving, be careful after wine tasting. The authorities are very, very strict about driving under the influence. Also, when using various map sites (Google, ViaMichelin, etc.) for planning your drives, add some times to what they say. They don't allow for gas/food/comfort stops, possible traffic slowdowns, and tie-ups, and we always tack about an hour on plans for longer drives, to be safe.
Amusez-vous bien!

Winery tour recommendations: Chateaux Cos d'Estournel and Marquis de Terme. Visit St Emilion for sure. Please report back on kayaking or canoeing on the Dordogne!

Rocomadour IMO is one of the most disappointing towns to visit in the
area.

I agree, but if your heart is set on it, don't trust the GPS once you get close, it'll try to take you into some narrow roads that no cars have any business trying to squeeze into. There is a parking lot and hotel at the top of Rocamadour and you can work your way down and skip the main tourist street.

In fact be wary of GPS in the Dordogne. Eventually you'll want to follow the white road signs instead. When we were there in the Fall the GPS on numerous occasions tried to get us to turn into one-way roads going the wrong way. Others on this forum have written about being turned onto private farm roads.

My favourite town in the Dordogne was Beynac which you'll probably pass on a canoe trip.

St Emilion was my favourite town outside of the Dordogne and in the Bordeaux wine region, it can be crowded during the day with tourists but can be fantastic in the evening. I'd recommend reconsidering basing in Bordeaux and spend some nights in St Emilion and the Dordogne. From Bordeaux you could be in the car 4-6 hours a day.

You have been given the essential information about Bordeaux, the village of Saint Emilion could be suitable, both for wine tasting and for the village itself, classified among the most beautiful villages in France.
Note that there are dozens of Bordeaux estates that offer tastings, not all are great Bordeaux wines. Only the appellations with the mention "Grand Cru" are wines classified among the best, there are about 60.

Beware of alcohol tests if you drive, the limit is about 2 glasses of wine. Above that you are liable to a fine of €135 and no longer have the possibility of driving. Taste "like a professional", spitting instead of drinking and everything will be fine.

About Rocamadour, I confirm that in July you will be among the hordes of tourists from all over Europe who come to visit it, many of whom arrive by coach on an organized tour, stay an hour or two, buy trinkets made in China and get back on their coaches. Also avoid restaurants which are tourist traps.

On your way to Rocamadour you will pass through the Dordogne valley which has some typical villages classified among the most beautiful villages in France which are worth a visit and are not mass tourism destinations.

The best way if you want to stop and do some Kayaking is to take the departmental roads D936 then D660 along the Dordogne river and not the A89 motorway. You will take the scenic roads and via the villages of Beynac and Cazenac, La Roque Gageac and Domme.

I see that Allan still remembers his adventures using a GPS on the small roads of Dordogne. Don't forget his advice! LOL

That being said I think it will be very difficult to have enough time in one day to kayak/canoe all the way to Rocamadour.
There are kayaking/canoeing bases all along the Dordogne river, however this activity takes time, at least 2-3 hours plus the transfer time by minibus to get you back to the starting base, and in July this activity often requires advance booking.

In my opinion the best option would be to skip Rocamadour which is definitely not worth the time lost in travel and the hassle of finding parking, especially if you are visiting the other villages closer by.

On this map you will find information on visits and activities in the Dordogne and Lot valleys, including some kayaking/canoeing bases and even local winemakers who offer tours and tastings.

https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=1OdPOg8AgsNn0Jlv1cNHkujaWv9p_Jpc&usp=sharing

Hi Bonnie! July will be a fun time to visit the greater Bordeaux area. To answer your questions first:
1) Some great wineries to visit include Chateau Guadet, Chateau Franc-Mayne, Chateau Soutard (all in St. Emilion); C;hateau Pape Clement (Pessac/Bordeaux); Chateau Talbot (St. Julien) though there are many, many other wonderful wineries in all of these areas. And, yes, I do think the Medoc is worth visiting if you have a car and if you focus on one area (ie: St. Julian, St. Estephe, Pauillac, etc.) If you don't have a car, it's a bit harder to access (and then you might consider a tour.)
2) St. Emilion is easily access from Bordeaux and is a 30 min train ride from Gare St. Jean to Gare St. Emilion (was just on that train today, in fact!) It is about a 20 min walk from station to the start of town. It is a truly beautiful town. Some of my other favorite towns are a bit further a field (Duras, Monsegur, Issigeac, etc.)
3) There are a LOT of Kayak/Canoe places. In a town close to us (Pessac-sur-Dordogne) there is a Canoe/Kayak place that opens in spring and offers a bunch of different kayaking or canoeing opportunities. And afterwards, you wind up back at their place where there is a lovely Guinguette (pop up restaurant) with great food and drinks, right on the bank of the river.

Since you will be here in July, you will have the opportunity to go to night markets, which are so much fun! There's food, music, local vendors. They're great. Also, take a look at the blog Lost in Bordeaux (www.lostinbordeaux.com). She is a local that writes up all the events happening in the greater Bordeaux region. Her update on July Events should come out end of May.

I hope you enjoy your visit to this beautiful part of France!

If you do decide to make the drive to Rocamadour, be sure to stop by Sarlat-la-Caneda to see the decorations for the Felibree, which is July 4-6. If you're there while the festival is on, it might be crazy and impossible to find parking.

Wow! Thank you! You have provided some great thoughts, plans, recommendations, and more for our trip! I will begin researching the villages and winery recommendations right away to make reservations. Several of you have said that Rocomadour was disappointing. I am sad to hear that, but will definitely do more research and probably go with some of the other recommendations shared here instead like Beynac, Castelnaud-la-Chapelle, Cazenac, La Roque Gageac, Sarlat-la-Caneda or Domme.

It looks like I still have a lot of research to do! I truly appreciate this input. It is way more helpful than the research I have found on my own so far. I'll start looking at the villages and wineries recommended here.

Judy, thank you for the additional advice about the kayaking day--very helpful!
JoLui, thank you for the map and the information about "Grand Cru."
KimberlySEA, I will reach out to the canoe/kayak place in Pessac-sur-Dordogne. I didn't know about night markets either, so that's very exciting. Thanks for the info!
G3rryCee Thanks for the info about Felibree. That definitely could change our plans with big crowds!

I also appreciate all the tips on driving after wine tasting. We definitely want to be safe! I'll let you know how it all goes!
Merci beaucoup!
Bonnie

If you're interested here's my Trip Report from last Fall. We spent a week in Bordeaux and the Dordogne.

https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/trip-reports/trip-report-part-2-hills-and-castles-dordogne

Thank you, Allan! I will definitely check into it! I'm researching all the villages mentioned right now, so that would be helpful.
I think you actually helped me with our Portugal portion as well. We got that part all booked (finally!), so now I look forward to looking at your post.
Thanks!

A lot of good information provided to you already in replies. If you are a serious connoisseur, it is definitely worth renting a car and visiting the Medoc. As it is home to some of the world's best wineries. Another good resource to look at is the Wine Cellar Insider.

I would recommend that you avoid two websites, Lost in Bordeaux and Bordeaux Travel Guide. Both sites are in an affiliate program with Rue des Vignerons (a wine booking service), and are recommending wineries that will pay them a commission if you book from their links. Many of the wineries they are recommending are not good wineries. Both websites are just trying to make a buck of off you through ads or affiliates.

Thank you, Billy. I will check out Wine Cellar Insider and Medoc. Thanks!

Thank you all so much for the great recommendations! We took all of the information and made some, I think!, exciting changes to our plans! We are going to spend 2 nights in Bordeaux and will visit Chateau Pape Clement and Chateau Kirwin (in Margaux) for tours and tastings. Then we will spend 2 nights in Verzac in the Dordogne region. We will be visiting villages along the way as suggested, and will canoe/kayak the Dordogne. We may not go to Rocomadour, but instead visit Sarlat, La Roque-Gageac, or Beynac-et-Cazenac. We will then spend 2 nights in Saint-Emilion. I have requests in to either Chateau Trolon-Mondot or Chateau Pavie for tours and wine tastings there.

I am so thankful for the great ideas as the trip is coming together much better for us now! I appreciate all the input!

Adieu!
Bonnie