My wife and I will be so fortunate as to spend three weeks in Provence and Dordogne, roughly mid-July - mid-August, exploring small towns, and a few of the main tourist sites, by car. We like comfort, love local charm and authenticity, and dislike luxe and plastic. At that time of year we will need to have made reservations in advance, or can we wander around the countryside and be reasonably likely to find accommodations in whatever town catches our eye that day? Thanks for your help.
Posted by
Gettysburg, PA
1589 posts
That is the high season & I suggest that you book ahead.
Posted by
Kelowna, Canada
118 posts
I would recommend booking. My girlfriend and I are planning trip to same areas in October and find even then that places are getting booked up.
We are staying in Sarlat-le-Caneda in the Dordogne which looks a really nice place to base
Posted by
Chicago
8075 posts
This time of year you will end up wasting incredible amounts of time searching for a place with availability and probably end up paying more than you want or in a horrible place. I usually get wonderful hotels, B&Bs and apartments by planning ahead and on those occasions we have 'winged it' -- even with a list of possibles in hand, we have ended up both wasting time and ending up in places Norman Bates would be proud of. Seriously. One May we were the only residents in a place out of a teen horror movie in ambience (this was the place that also stole our box of fresh strawberries from our room) We have stayed in crummy Ibis rooms with our room directly above a highway. You may be a more gifted traveler at finding great rooms -- one night we actually began to contemplate the possibility of having to sleep in our car after 6 places on my list had no rooms. We finally found a place characterized by poured concrete platforms with a foam pad on them for beds.
I would book ahead and if you want to be flexible, book at least 2 or 3 days ahead as you travel but during high season this may be difficult.
Posted by
Lake Forest, CA, USA
1633 posts
In my previous travel life, I would wing it all of the time no matter what time of year. However, the internet has made it incredibly easy for people to reserve ahead of time and because of that, many places get booked up before I get there. Since you are going during high season, I would consider reserving at least a few places. If you're not sure about your travels in between places, you could leave those days open and find something while traveling. I have done this but by using the computer to find a B&B, not by searching when I get into a town.
Posted by
Chicago
8075 posts
I have also had the clerk of one hotel call ahead to book for me in the next town -- but that is when using something like the book of loosely connected 'independent hotels and chateux'.
Posted by
53 posts
i agree w Denise,, its so much better picking a great B&B, by way of RS's info, Tripadvisor, etc. You see the rooms, reviews, prices, you can't beat it., if you want a little leeway, you can skip a day or so, as you might want to stay on where you are, providing they have room.
Posted by
OP
Benicia, California
61 posts
"Yes, but how do you really feel?" Seriously: thanks much, folks, for the unanimous chorus. I guess things aren't the same as they were 35 (!) years ago, when I could be free & easy -- and I could tolerate the occasional foam pad on a concrete platform. Happy Travels!
Posted by
Ann Arbor, Mi
3696 posts
I have done this plenty of times as I do not like to be on a schedule for my whole trip, but I always have a car, so if there is nothing available in a town I am in, I can head to the next one. It doesn't happen that often, but I tend not to get too stressed over this and am able to figure it out as I go.... you will find most people here are organized travelers with itineraries.... but there are still tons of people who do not reserve everything and end up just fine. Big cities in the summer are a different story, and now I usually book my first and last nite even if I am doing a road trip...