We will be in the area from July 7th to 12th. We'll be coming from Avignon [after river cruise]. Should we take the train or do you recommend renting a car in Avignon to drive up to Dordogne area and use it to get around? Is a car a good thing to have in this area, or an albatross? Would it be better to take taxis or find tours? Any other information on your experiences in this area would be much appreciated. We need to be in Bordeaux by morning of July 13th. Thanks
Posted by
San Francisco Bay Area
5697 posts
Agreed that a car is needed -- we drove down from the western Loire to Sarlat, drove to the Lascaux IV caves (reserve online!), saw a few towns, turned the car in at Bordeaux train station. We stayed in an apartment just outside the old city of Sarlat so spent two days just walking -- great market day!
Posted by
1230 posts
I will third the car ;p We also drove from Paris through the Loire, and had a wonderful 4 days in Dordogne and went to the caves. I would then drive to Bordeaux and return the car there
Posted by
OP
12 posts
Thanks so much for your quick responses. So we can reserve for the caves online? How far in advance? Did you do that before leaving on your trip? Do you have any recommendations on car rental. I'm supposing it would be best for us to rent the car from Avignon all the way to Boudeaux for better price and selection.
Posted by
Chicago
8166 posts
There are also guide tours of the area for those tourists without means to rent or drive a car.. You can arrange one at the Tourist Information center in Sarlat.
Posted by
OP
12 posts
Did any of you do the Dordogne canoe trip in the guide book? It looks like fun. My husband & I are 70. Are the canoes difficult to carry and maneuver in the river?
Posted by
Portland
3643 posts
Lots of the caves now operate without reservations. They allow a limited number of people, say 25, on each tour. There are 25 chairs outside the headquarters. Only those on a chair get into the cave. I suggest you google something like “painted caves in the Dordogne,”. The web sites give all the details.
Canoeing on the river is fun. We did it in our 70’s. The river is shallow and slow-moving. The typical operation is that you rent at one place, and they give you the details for the pick up at another. They carry the canoe down to and up from the river bank.
Posted by
OP
12 posts
Thank you very much for this information. I now will make plans for the canoe trip. We are really looking forward to our trip.
Posted by
Kelowna, Canada
118 posts
definitely need a car in the Dordogne
Also would recommend Font de Gaume caves, which unlike Lacseux are the actual prehistoric caves and not a replica.
You need to get to Font de Gaume early as you cannot pre-book. We arrived at 8am and we were not the first for the 9am opening
Plus would recommend m,uch more Maison forte de Reignac (which has excellent Torture chamber), Beynac, Domme, et al