Hello! Husband and I (mid 60s) are planning to fly to Paris and then spend the majority of our two weeks in the Dordogne. We've spent lots of time in Paris -- this is our first trip outside the city. I can't figure out the best way to get from Paris to Wherever is Best in/near Dordogne so that we can rent an automatic shift car! Fly from Paris to Bordeaux the same day? Spend a few days in Paris and train to ???? I will be making accommodation reservations near Sarlat and may spend the whole time there doing day trips or maybe staying a few different places if that is advisable. This would be at the end of September. Thanks for all your help!
Your closest airport is Bergerac, but no flights from Paris.
Its only a 4 hour train ride from Paris to Bordeaux.
We stayed in Beynac, and it was wonderful. Smaller than Sarlat, but right on the river. Sarlat can be quite congested on market days, and is not on the river.
The train ride from Paris to Bordeaux is a little over 2 hours, not 4. I am sure you can get an automatic car at Bordeaux Saint Jean train station, it is a major station.
I took the train from Paris-Lyon to Brive (~ 3 hours). I picked up a rental car in Brive and drove the rest of the way (~ 1.5 hours) to a B&B/farmhouse (La Tour de Cause) near Beynac.
The closest airport to Sarlat is Brive-la-Gaillarde which is 40 km away, but there are quite a few flights from Paris Orly (1 or 2 per day)
https://www.aeroport-brive-vallee-dordogne.fr/
In Brive-la-Gaillarde you will find several car rental companies: Hertz, Avis, Europcar etc but I don't know if they have automatic shift cars