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Fun ideas plus logistics for 2-day trip between Paris and Bergerac with 11 year old son

Posted by on

Hi! How lovely to have this as a resource! Thank you in advance.

So excited that my son and I have a last minute opportunity for 2 days in Paris then depart early the third day (Thursday a.m.) to head down for a family retreat in a tiny town outside of Bergerac that begins Saturday at noon.

It's the Thursday and Friday that I'd like your help with.
If I follow Rick's plan, we could rent a car and drive to the Loire Thursday morning, and then spend Friday in the Dordogne (Sarlat).
In the Loire, we would see Chamord and x, and then drive down (Thursday afternoon, I presume) and check in late at hotel in Sarlat or La Roque.

My son likes adventure, so we could do the canoe trip on Friday morning.

1 With the castles that we will have already seen in the Loire, and more on the canoe trip, is that too many castles for an 11 year old? Would you suggest something other than the canoe trip?

2. Is there anything that he would find fun and exciting (horseback riding?, skeet shooting (I know!), rock climbing, he loves cooking, and cemeteries :)
I get that we are too late to book the cave paintings.

  1. Any hotels that you would recommend for an 11 year old? Thoughts on what to do on Friday evening in the Dordogne? This will be July 21.

Saturday morning, we drive 98 km to Plum Village.

One big logistics question:
Although I love trains in France, I think driving is the way to go because after our week-long retreat, we have to get from this small village 30 minutes from the Ste. Grande la Foy train station to the Bordeaux airport for a 12:30pm flight to Paris. I'm worried about that connection, so I thought renting a car and keeping it (although unused) during the retreat so we have a sure way to get to the Bordeaux airport when we leave. I would have to drop the car off (a one way car rental) in Bordeaux on the way.
Does that make sense to rent a car in Paris and drop it in Bordeaux 10 days later? Or should we take the train from Paris and use taxis when needed, and then train to Bordeaux when we leave?

I know this is quite a lot of questions. Thank you!!

Posted by
4132 posts

The Loire chateau are Renaissance mansions and palaces. Those on the Dordogne are Medieval fortresses. So, not the same thing, really.

The Dordogne is so wonderful, with so many interesting things to see (add in the cave art), that in your place I should be tempted to go straight there. Note there is the option of taking the train partway, to Angouleme, and renting your car (which you will definitely need) from there.

Still there is nothing intrinsically wrong with your plan to drive the whole way, stopping at Chambord and "x." 2 chateaux and that driving will make for a long day.

Note that for at least some of the Dordogne chateau, access is via a guided tour, which may not be in English (though in my experience that does not mater too much). Tours and cave access should be arranged in advance once you have made your plans.

Posted by
10629 posts

I agree that the Dordogne will be more interesting for your son and you should go directly. The new TGV train Line to Bordeaux opened this week, putting Bordeaux two hours from Paris. You can pick up a car there.

You can still see many of the caves, just too late for advance tickets to Font de Gaume.

Posted by
3279 posts

If you're driving, consider two unique visits.

  1. Guedelon Medieval site where they are constructing a castle using original methods. It's about a 2 1/2 hour drive south of Paris.

  2. Oradour-sur-Glane, the village where the Nazis killed all the town's residents in an act of revenge. Today, the village stands as it was left during WWII and there's a nice museum with interesting exhibits explaining this tragedy. Oradour is about 25 minutes NW of Limoges.

Have your son check them out on the web. I really think both would appeal to an 11 year old boy.

Posted by
1825 posts

Dordogne. Canoe, Castelnaud, Lascaux, prehistoric museum.....all home runs for an 11 year old boy. La Roque is a nice place to stay. We took the train to Bordeaux and rented a car there.

Posted by
653 posts

I would not do what you have suggested. The first and last hours of the Loire to Dordogne drive are on surface roads, which require much concentration. The drive time between chamborg and Chenenceau alone is 45 minutes. I would tgv it to Bordeaux and rent the car from there and maximize time in the Dordogne.

Posted by
10629 posts

Oradour is not my concept of a "fun idea" as requested in the title. It's shocking, haunting, a memorial and something best prepared for ahead of time. People need to learn about it and teach others, certainly, but it takes a lot of thought and planning to teach an eleven-year-old. It is taught in school in France and classes go on field trips.

Posted by
4132 posts

Guedelon is not remotely enroute for this trip, though you and your son might enjoy it some other time.

Posted by
2 posts

Thanks to all of you so far for your valuable feedback.
I'll TGV to Bordeaux and rent a car there!

Beside going on the canoe ride, are there any particular activities (including particular caves with only a week's advance notice) that you would recommend in the Dordogne?
We'll be there on Thursday eve through Saturday morning.

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