Dordogne and Loire Valley?

Since you can take a two-hour TGV train directly to St-Pierre-des-Corps near Amboise from CDG airport immediately after your arrival, it will be easier to visit the Loire Valley first and then the Dordogne. You also will find more car rental agencies in Amboise including Sixt, Avis, Hertz and Europcar.

Training from Paris CDG to Sarlat takes a minimum of seven hours.

Both options are possible. If you start in the Dordogne, take the train to Bordeaux and rent a car at the train station (where all the major car rental companies are located), then drive to Sarlat, and then on to Amboise. Sarlat is just a small tourist town (but large for the Dordogne) where there is only one, maybe two, rental car agencies.

The train journey from Paris Montparnasse station to Bordeaux takes 2 hours. It then takes about 2.5 hours to drive to Sarlat.

Of course, this only applies if you arrived in Paris the day before or earlier.

Both itineraries are possible. I like the idea of going by train from Paris to Amboise. The next day, pick up a rental car. After your stay in the Loire Valley, drive toward Sarlat. To break up the drive, I suggest stopping at Oradour-sur-Glane for a few hours. It's a unique site and quite different from everything you'll see in the Loire and Dordogne regions. The day before your flight home, drive to Bordeaux, maybe detouring for a look at St. Emilion, and take an afternoon train to Paris. Have dinner and a stroll for your final night in France.

I would really caution you against staying in Sarlat with a car. Parking is a challenge there, and accommodation runs expensive. You can search the forum for other recommended Dordogne bases. I know a lot of folks like Beynac (which is the best castle I visited in 15 countries). If you are traveling during or after the first weekend of July, be sure to visit Abjat sur Bandiat, which hosts the Felibree this year. The town will be decorated with artificial flowers well into fall (which is the best time to visit this area, BTW). It's unique and very pretty.

I think your plan of heading to Sarlat first then up to Amboise is fine. I agree with JoLui's recommendations of how to proceed. Renting a car from the Bordeaux train station then driving to Sarlat is easy to do and there are many wonderful places to stop on your drive from Bordeaux to Sarlat. As for parking in Sarlat, I've never found it to be that difficult except on market days, which are Wednesdays and Saturdays. I suggest you have a chat with your accommodations to get specific advice on where to park in Sarlat. Most of the time we use the Parking Lots (pay parking) though we have found street parking a bit further, but still walkable, from the old town center. Enjoy your visit!

Just wanted to add that I enjoyed staying at Maison Pierre d'Or on the edge of Sarlat. It's a very short walk into the center of town, provides private off-street parking, and has easy access to the main roads outside of town. Besides all the comforts of a nicely decorated apartment, it has a washer and dryer.

We stayed at Villa Des Consuls in Sarlat about 10 years ago. The villa consists of apartments, suites, and rooms, and is located in the medieval quarter. Our apartment had 2 bedrooms, one bathroom and kitchen/living area, and a patio. Very conveniently located, clean, and beautiful. The Villa does have private parking in a nearby garage.

https://www.villaconsuls.fr/en

Have you considered flying -or taking a fast train - through CDG to Bordeaux and spending a couple or 3 nights there to adjust to the time difference. Then you could easily rent a car in Bordeaux, do the Dordogne first, then the Loire and on to Paris.

How long do you have for one or both of these regions? I hope it’s close to two weeks.

Are you spending more time elsewhere on this trip? You mention Paris - for how long? Other?

What are your interests in these two areas? History and, if so, any particular era(s)? Food? Art? Wine? Anthropology? Are you interested in Ailenor of Acquitaine? Joan of Arc? There is a nice museum in Bordeaux - Musee d’Acquitaine - that might set your trip up well, depending on your interests.

We covered the same basic ground in 30 days (by train and e-bikes; no car). We started in Bordeaux, visited a friend in Nantes between the Dordogne and the Loire and we took in Chartres and Versailles on the way from the Loire to Paris.

smnjdanty,
Perhaps I missed it, but how long is your trip? How many nights? What month or time of year?