France Itinerary - 2025 - last week June and first week July - request help

We just got back from the Dordogne, it may be more reading than you want to do, but here's the Trip Report.

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

Do you mean the Ibis hotel chain? I haven't stayed there but from past research I've found them a good price but very basic. If you're going to stay in Sarlat I'd recommend somewhere closer to the old town for convenience to restaurants and nice evening walks.

We loved Beynac Castle and paired it with the castle across the river in Castelnaud one day. As for caves we went to Font de Guame this trip and loved it. Access and tours are very restricted and you need to book in advance. Tickets may not go on sale until 30 days before but there is no hard rule about that. I also loved Lascaux IV which is a reproduction, but very good. I found Rocamadour overwhelmingly underwhelming and with only 3 nights and it's distance from the other sites, I'd consider skipping it.

Carcassonne will be a zoo that time of year. I'd recommend you find a hotel within walking distance of the walled city so you can visit in the evening and early morning without the crowds. If you're a morning person you might want to get up to see the sunrise against the east walls.

Personally, I think Oradour-sur-Glane is a must-see as a reminder of how horrible war can be. I was angry when I left, and I mean that in a good way.

ken,
You have chosen some terrific places to visit. I'd just like to add that travel days will cut into your sightseeing more than you might expect.
I would parse out your drive times between locations. Viamichelin.com is a good site to get an idea of how long your drives will be and which routes you have available. Be sure to add in extra time to the Viamichelin times, for food, gas and bathroom stops. Without these stops it will take about 5 hours from Blois to Sarlat-la-Caneda (and that is without going to Oradour-sur-Glane). 3 nights in Sarlat gives you 2 full days there..... castles one day, caves the other. Rocamadour is very skippable, plus it isn't close to Sarlat. There are many other towns nearby, some are "Les Plus Beaux Villages de France".
Sarlat to Carcassonne will take about 3 1/2-4 hours; Carcassonne to Antibes will take about 5-6hours. I doubt if you will have time to visit Monaco when you are in the Riviera.
St. Remy de Provence is a charming place to stay. With a car you can get to many wonderful towns and sights from there. From Antibes the drive is about 3-3 1/2 hours, so you could get to St. Remy early enough in the day to do some sightseeing, as well as the next day. And yes, the drive to Vezelay is a longer one, about 6 hours. From there to Fountainebleau is about 2 hours.
You can do it all, but it is best to plan travel times so you get to see what there is to see at your destinations. Have a wonderful trip!

Same remark as Judy, your plan is a lot of driving (at least 2500km in total) and few visits.

If you only stay one night in a place after a large part of the day driving, no matter where you choose to spend the night, you could even stop anywhere in a hotel near the highway.

Regarding the part that I know since I live in the region, 3 nights in Dordogne is 2 days. It is too short.
To visit caves, castles and sites as you plan it would take you 2 more nights at least. And it would only be a glimpse of the Dordogne.

See this map:

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

And as Allan will confirm, in the Dordogne be wary of the routes suggested by your GPS :))

I have nothing against staying in a hotel of the Ibis chain, but you can find much better and more typical in the region than this kind of charmless hotel on the side of the road. And even do like Allan, avoid Sarlat-la-Canéda which is invaded by tourists in summer.

Did you check "Gites de France" ?

https://www.gites-de-france-dordogne.com/

You could also skip Rocamadour which is not only far from Sarlat but also in summer a tourist trap and mainly a destination for organized trips in tourist coaches. But if you like the Disneyland atmosphere in the Lot department (and not the Dordogne), why not.

Same remark as Judy, your plan is a lot of driving (at least 2500km in
total) and few visits.

Take a look at toll charges in France; it's a lot. We drove about 125km one day from Collonges-la-Rouge to Saint Emilion and combined tolls were €25.

And as Allan will confirm, in the Dordogne be wary of the routes
suggested by your GPS :))

Yes, yes, yes. I wish I'd have spoken with JoLui before our trip. If nothing else in my Trip Report, read her comments about paying attention to the road signs and not your GPS in this region. It'll save you a day of headache and frustration.

Oradour-sur-Glane is a combination sight. In addition to the destroyed town, there's a very good memorial/museum. I spent at least 2 hours in the museum, I think, and then had to rush my visit to the town itself because of the bus schedule. I mention my timing since you have a long drive that day. The way Oradour is set up, you walk through the museum to get to the town. Best to figure out ahead of time how you'd like to divide your limited time.

I'll be yet another person recommending that you skip Rocamadour.

Thank you every one for your suggestions. I enjoyed the trip report, map, and information. I am going to take everyone's suggestions in to make some changes to make this a better trip. Appreciate your insight.

Agree wholeheartedly with what others have said. I’d consider serious cutting, rather than mere trimming. Last year we spent a week in the Loire Valley and a week in the Dordogne. Allan’s TR shows they spent a week in the Dordogne, as well. In 1999, we had a car and spent a week in Provence. One night near Montelimar, three in Avignon, two near Cassis and one in Nimes.

Maybe consider close to a week in the Dordogne and a week or so in Provence; include Carcassonne as a stop between the two. Perhaps take the train (or fly) from Paris to Bordeaux and toward the end take a train from Marseilles or Avignon to Paris - with a final afternoon and night in Paris. Limit the driving to the trip from Bordeaux through/around the Dordogne to Carcassonne and finally through Provence.

Your trip and you’ve identified places you’d like to see or get back to. I sometimes consider that less may be more.

Bon Vacance.