Dordogne in October

It isn't as crowded in October but driving in the area is on tiny roads and cumbersome. I'd be inclined to rent a cottage in two places. If one is a city like Sarlat consider making one a small village in another area of the region. We used this agent twice for cottages in small towns and were ver pleased -- once about 15 years ago and again a couple of years ago when we rented a cottage in Cadouin with friends.
http://www.perfectionfortwo.com

We like a smaller place and mostly cook in -- a larger town like Sarlat of course has many more amenities like restaurants, bakeries etc. Cadouin and Abbey town had a bio store, a bakery , a reataurant, a cafe/bar, an ice cream shop and a tiny weekly market. We mostly shopped for food when out touring the region, either stopping at large markets or supermarkets.

I spent 11 nights in the Dordogne region in mid-May. It was probably 2 nights too long. It is easy to over estimate the time needed in some of the villages of the region. It is an extremely interesting region. To Janetravels comment, it does have many tiny roads and it can be a nightmare for the gps system, but a car is required. I took a train to Bordeaux and rented a car at the station and returned to the same. The drive to Paris is a long drive, but that is certainly your choice. I prefer the train. I stayed at this B&B and it is very nice with wonderful hosts, super quiet and very central to the region. https://www.clos-lascazes.com/en/ Christine the host is extremely helpful and friendly. Enjoy.

We took the train to Chartres and rented a car from there when we went to Normandy. It worked very well. You could also do it as a day trip from Paris -- the main advantage here is that you could spend more time. We only had time to tour the cathedral and take a quick walk through the town; I would have enjoyed spending more time.

When we went to the Dordogne region (a different trip) we stayed in an apartment in Sarlat. We loved it! It's beautiful, and it's a big enough town that there are lots of restaurants. We loved walking around the town after dinner. There are also two weekly markets, which were fun. We flew into and out of Paris because that was the only way we could get nonstop flights. That's a high priority for us, but may not be for you. I will say the drive back to Paris was pretty boring and longer than it should have been because of excessive traffic.

@Threadwear - The Airbnb in the video link you provided looks wonderful. What a magnificent landscape it is surrounded by. You gave me an envy to stay there on my next trip to the Dordogne. Thank you for sharing with us this little charming place called Le Clos Lascazes.

If you chose to drive to the Dordogne, it will be easier to visit Chartres by train and pick up the rental car there. I would stay in only one place in the Dordogne, Sarlat is a good choice. I recommend Maison Pierre d'Or if you are looking for an apartment. Clean, well-situated, full kitchen with washing machine (and dryer available in the building), sunroom, deck, living room, bedroom. Fell free to write if you have specific questions.

We have done the drive from the Dordogne to Paris 3 times and never found it boring; there are amazing stops along the way. We have stopped at a small hotel in the Morvan forrest near Vezelay and also in Auxerre on trips north and also in Burgundy at Semur en Auxois and in Beune -- a lot of marvelous French countryside between the south and north. I'd be inclined to train down and pick up a car in Bourdeux and then drive back.

Anita the drive from Bordeaux to the Dordogne region is actually less then from Chartres to Sarlat. Driving from Chartres to Sarlat is over 4 hours in driving close to 5 hours. Like the poster mentioned , renting a car in Bordeaux makes the most sense.