I'm going to France in October, small budget travel. I'd like to spend time in La Dordogne and perhaps also do a group or class activity for the social connection. I'm fluent in French, a retired teacher, travelling alone but meeting up with friends in various areas (Paris, Nantes and perhaps the southeast near Avignon). I prefer to stay in one place and travel out from there. Do you have suggestions for where to get help planning a loose itinerary?
Posted by
Paris
6905 posts
How much time do you have?
Dordogne is lovely but a major downside is that it is difficult to get around without a car, which would add to your budget. And getting from Dordogne to Avignon or Nantes takes a lot of work without a car.
Otherwise, you are asking where to get help, but I am not sure that you should use a travel agent/planner for a low-budget trip with very few stops. It should be cheaper to find apartments (or hotels for briefer stops) and book transportation on your own.
Posted by
3122 posts
Meeting up with friends in various areas seems like it will dictate your basic itinerary. You'll have a lot more flexibility if you rent a car, but it's easier to meet people and have interesting conversations if you take trains. So, consider where your top priority destinations are and how well/poorly they are served by public transportation.
When you say "October" do you mean you'll be there for the entire month? If not, how much time will you have?
On the Trip Reports section of these forums you can find lots of information about places to go, where to stay, etc.
Posted by
OP
4 posts
Yes, I'll be in France for the entire month of October. I'm currently looking for an apartment in Rennes, from where I can go to Nantes and environs by train easily. As for the Dordogne, my thought was to do a bike tour, where I would travel from village to village with a group, ideally and won't need a car as the transport/lodging, etc. is included in the tour. Or, if the price of that is prohibitive, perhaps a two or three day side trip to La Dordogne, rent a car and stay in one of the villages?
I appreciate the suggestions.
Posted by
Washington DC
27138 posts
There are some very attractive side trips to be made from Rennes, including Vannes, Fougeres, Vitre, Dinan, Dinard and St-Malo. Check rail/bus schedules, though, to be sure your travel time will be reasonable. For Nantes you'd need to travel Mon-Sat and depart Rennes no later than 8:36 in order to have most of the day at your destination.
I also enjoyed Quimper, but it's over 2 hours from Rennes.
Posted by
Seattle, WA
268 posts
RE: Bike Tour - That is a great idea. We thoroughly enjoyed that in May, though the e-bikes we had were less than ideal. (I say this as part of a couple who are avid e-cyclists; I have logged over 10,000 miles in the last 5 years; my spouse has probably logged 13,000+).
The trip we took started in Bergerac, followed the Dordogne to the Vezere and then we went up the Vezere to Montignac (2 nights). From there, down to Sarlat. After a couple of nights in Sarlat, back to Bergerac via Belves. Total of 6 nights, plus the one additional night in Bergerac to start and the second additional night in Bergerac to finish.
For planning a self guided tour, I suggest you start with Freewheeling France on their Acquitane (Bordeaux/Dordogne/Lot) page. https://www.freewheelingfrance.com/directory/self-guided-tours/Aquitaine/page-1/?1=1&theme=&ability=&cycling_type=Leisure%20%2F%20touring%C2%A0
SEE ALSO
https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/france/3-weeks-in-perigord-dordogne-lot
While many will suggest Sarlat as a base if you choose a hub and spoke approach, rather than a loop, I think I might choose Montignac, instead, depending on what bike rental options are available to you.
Posted by
1 posts
Hi you can also visit Strasbourg in Alsace, you can try 2 private driver with free cancelation :
good trip in France
Posted by
OP
4 posts
Thank you for your links and your suggestion. I'm now rethinking my trip, Paris to Avignon (Caromb, a village nearby where my friend is), Avignon to Bordeaux or Toulouse, nearer the Dordogne area where I would take the easy bike tours along the canal rather than the strenuous ones, then Nantes to return to Paris.
I've spent lots of time in Paris but not for many years, so a week in Paris, several days in the south, a train ride to Bordeaux or Toulouse or La Rochelle, somewhere nearer La Dordogne, a few days in that area doing the bike tour or daily bike trips, up to Nantes for a few days, a stop in Rennes for a few days, back to the Paris area for a few days prior to my departure.
Small budget means the train tickets would be the most pricey, I'd stay in HomeExchange or similar lodgings, and with friends in everywhere I can: Paris, Caromb, Nantes and La Vendée.
Biking in La Dordogne, since I'm a solo traveler, I'd welcome suggestions. Years ago I biked some of the Loire valley solo, rented a bike in Amboise I think, to the chateau Chenonceaux for a very memorable lunch and back. Lovely. I imagine I could do the same in La Dordogne, basing myself in the recommended town, Montignac.
Posted by
France Southwest
1820 posts
Beware that next September and October in France will take place the Rugby World Cup.
It's a mega global event involving 16 countries and the prices of accommodation of all kinds will increase considerably in the cities where the matches are held.
Paris, Toulouse, Nantes, Bordeaux, Lille, Lyon, Marseilles, Nice.
All the south west of France being a "rugby" region, there will certainly be a more than very lively atmosphere on match days, in the cafés, bars and in the fan zones set up to broadcast the matches.
Posted by
OP
4 posts
Oh, thank you for that; it helps narrow down the possibilities for me!