After visiting Paris, my friend and I planning to spend several days in the Dordogne area (basing in Beynac) and were trying to figure out the best way to get there. We plan to take one train south to a nearby town/city (either Bordeaux or Brive) and then pick up a rental car and drive the rest of the way. The question is: should we go via Bordeaux or Brive?
There is a TGV train to Bordeaux that takes about 3 hours. From there, it's about a 2-hour drive to Beynac. The train to Brive is a non-TGV that takes about 4 hours, but from there it's only about a 1-hour drive to Beynac. So either way, it will take about 5 hours. Basically, the Bordeaux route has 3 hours on a train and 2 hours in a car and the Brive route has 4 hours on a train and 1 hour in a car.
Most of the posts I've read recommend going via Brive instead of Bordeaux, but they don't say why. I'm leaning toward Brive because it seems like a prettier drive (the drive from Bordeaux seems to be mostly via highway). The costs seem comparable, although there is an IDTGV ticket available now for one Bordeaux train for about $30 less than the Brive train.
Does anyone have a preference? If so, why? Thanks in advance for any insights anyone can provide!