Random Dordogne questions

I haven’t visited Castelnaud but the Château de Baynec was a nice visit as was the Museum of Prehistory in les Eyzies. If you decide on Toulouse, your 10 year old might enjoy a tour of the AirBus factory.

While I wouldn't argue with you if you said you were going to stay in Bordeaux for a few nights (it has an attractive historic center), I preferred Toulouse by a considerable margin. Its pink-brick architecture is more distinctive, and I felt it had more sights of interest. A side-trip to Albi is also worthwhile.

I would absolutely not want to stay in Rocamadour. The street at the bottom of the historic district is one of the most overwhelmingly touristy streets I've ever seen--it seemed to be nothing but tourist tat shops and tourist cafes. Because of the bus schedule and a more-challenging-than-expected walk from the nearest (but not nearby) bus stop, I didn't have enough time to go up to the religious buildings on the hill. That area is probably worthwhile, but I can't imagine spending more time in Rocamadour than is necessary to see that area. There are so many attractive places in the Dordogne; choose anywhere else.

Bordeaux or Toulouse, there is no one better than the other since the two cities are very different.

The problem with people who want to go to Dorgogne is that they think that Sarlat is a good centralized place to visit the Dordogne (thanks to Rick Steeves) whereas Sarlat is located almost in the far west of this region which includes also the Lot, Lot-et-Garonne, and Correze départements located further east.

Taking this particularity into account (and as a resident of this region) I think that Toulouse is a better starting point than Bordeaux to go to the "Dordogne".

If you want to go back to Dordogne I would advise you to find accommodation in the Dordogne valley located further east than Sarlat.

So you can visit other places classified among the most beautiful villages in France such
Collonges-la-Rouge
https://www.tourismecorreze.com/en/tourisme_detail/collonges_la_rouge.html

Martel https://www.martel.fr/

Carennac: https://www.tourisme-lot.com/les-incontournables-du-lot/plus-beaux-villages-du-lot/carennac

I agree with acraven about Rocamadour which has for a long time not only been in no way a place to stay but also a place with its dozens of coaches crowded with tourists who arrive every day and leave after having a drink or had lunch in tourist traps and bought souvenirs made in China.

Regarding the 100 Years' War castles you have already mentioned those of Beynac and Castelnaud.

You can add the Commarque Castel:

https://www.commarque.com/

and the Excideuil Castle:

https://www.perigord.com/listings/sites-touristiques-visites/chateau-dexcideuil/

And if you are a castle fanatic, here are some others in the region:

Montal Castle: https://www.chateau-montal.fr/en

Castelnau-Bretenoux Castle: https://www.castelnau-bretenoux.fr/en

Vaillac Castle: https://www.chateaudevaillac.com/

Larroque-Toirac Castle: http://www.chateautoirac.com/

Lantis Castle: http://www.chateau-de-lantis.fr

Assier Castle: https://www.chateau-assier.fr/en

Bonaguil Castle: http://www.chateau-bonaguil.com/en

Turenne Castle: https://www.tourismecorreze.com/en/tourisme_detail/turenne.html

Thank you for the tips so far.

*GeoffB, I'd already taken a look at your Trip Report, it was helpful. I've also been following your recent Portugal and Spain TR's, because this trip was dreamt up because we're likely heading to Lisbon for a week in the Fall with friends and were going to fly to Bordeaux or Toulouse from there.

Nobody is high on Rocamadour. The only reason we targeted it is that it was an hour away from Beynac and so we figured it made sense to switch locations for a few nights that was more than a 30 minute drive. The planning is just beginning but because these locations are so small with limited hotels we figured we should book fairly early.

"these locations are so small with limited hotels"

Accommodation is not as limited as you think, on the contrary.
This is because hotels are only a very small part of the options in these rural areas.
Regular visitors to the Dordogne valley do not stay in hotels.

If you stay a week try the "Gîtes de France" there are around 20 times more than hotels. You will see "Gîte de France” signs with its little green man on the logo almost everywhere along the roads in the region

https://www.gites-de-france-lot.fr/

(English version available by clicking on "Menu" at the top right)

Your idea of Château de Castelnaud is perfect for a 10yo! I would also suggested adding some of the caves to your list as both adults and kids alike find them fun including:
1) Gouffre de Padirac https://www.gouffre-de-padirac.com/en/home
2) Grotte de Lacave https://www.vert-marine.com/grottesdelacave/en/accueil-anglais/
3) Grotte Préhistorique des Merveilles (though this may be closed during your visit depending on when during the fall you go) https://grottedesmerveilles.com/fr
I think you will enjoy either Toulouse or Bordeaux, so I'd pick whichever is more convenient (cost and/or time) for your travels.

I agree with the previous poster to look at Gîtes in the area for your stay.

Allen your 10 year old inner child will be delighted with Beynac and Castelnaud. We were treated to a weekend in the family home in Castelnaud of a friend a few years ago. Our friend described so vividly his experiences of playing on the rubble of stones (the castle) above his town and climbing on the trebuchets when he was a 10 year old boy. He was somewhat ok with paying the admission and seeing the partially restored castle above their home on the river that day with us. I say partially restored because in their own modest home, they had a massive fireplace from the old castle and most of the stone houses in the village had bits and pieces of the castle incorporated into their structures.

It was amazing that weekend sitting near his house and looking up on the cliff towards Beynac and seeing the trebuchets aimed at each other. You could still imagine the sights and sounds of conflict, BTW we were based in Albi for a month and the French family live in Toulouse, both beautiful cities.

Near Castelnaud they recommended the more “feminine” castle and gardens where Josephine Baker once lived, Château des Milandes.

I agree too about Gites for lodging in this region.

I will add to the other comments about Rocamadour itself being not worth your time. It is a very nice scene to see from across the valley. Stop along there and take your pictures and get your mental images, but the town itself is a disappointment. I did walk up to the religious buildings way above the main street and didn't see anything there to make Rocomadour a worthwhile stop.

So you can visit other places classified among the most beautiful
villages in France such Collonges-la-Rouge
https://www.tourismecorreze.com/en/tourisme_detail/collonges_la_rouge.html

Martel https://www.martel.fr/

Carennac:
https://www.tourisme-lot.com/les-incontournables-du-lot/plus-beaux-villages-du-lot/carennac

Wowzers, you've changed my mind from Rocamadour. I'm also seeing Loubressac as a possibility. Maybe Beaulieu-sur-Dordogne, it didn't make the beautiful villages list, but it has a hotel that we like the look of.

Enjoying the opinions so far, thank you. Just noticed that the last weekend in September has a hot air balloon festival in the Rocamadour region that attracts 20,000 people. Looks like I'll need to plan the trip to miss that weekend.

To get you in the mood but also to be entertained, I would suggest reading the novels of Martin Walker. His Bruno-Chief of Police series of novels are all set in the Dordogne. I have never been there, but the books certainly have heightened my interest in traveling there at some point.

We stayed in Beaulieu-sur-Dordogne, Loubressac, Carennac and Rocamadour earlier this year in May (we were on a self-guided walking tour).

We actually quite enjoyed Rocamadour. Our hotel room had stunning views overlooking the valley and town and we had excellent meals there - the hotel restaurant didn’t seem touristy, most people spoke in French. Perhaps because of the season?

Loubressac was perhaps the most picturesque of the others if you had to choose. Bear in mind that there are few restaurants and shops in these towns (with the exception of Rocamadour) and you could thoroughly tour them in an hour or two. Lovely for a slow holiday though.

We very much enjoyed our visit and the villages certainly deserve their ‘beaux’ status (I believe that Beaulieu has recently joined them).
.

Allan,
You will love visiting the Dordogne. Check my forum entry of June 27 titled "Just Returned from Four Weeks in France...Continued." We were in the Dordogne for ten days, with our children and grandchildren there for 8 days. (Grandkids were 9 and 12.) I agree with what the others have said about the many things to see. Rocomadour is a real disappointment compared to the many other castles. Both Castelnaud and Beynac are worth seeing, not duplicative. And JoLui's recommendation to search out lodging through Gites-de-France is great advice. We often find wonderful places to stay through them. Be aware that Beynac is on the side of a hill, so there is a lot of up and down walking, possibly to your accomiodations. Because of this, we stayed at a house near La Roque Gageac. It was an easy drive to just about all the places we wanted to visit. My forum entry will give more details, but everyone else here has given you excellent food for thought. I wish we had had another week to see more of what is on offer.
Martin Walker's books are a joy to read. (I am awaiting the newest from my library. A few others are ahead of me on the waiting list.) Also, a good read is "Timeline" by Michael Crichton. Fun fiction, but the setting will whet your appetite for this trip.
I haven't been to Toulouse, but if you stay there, it is a good place to get a cassoulet. We liked Bordeaux. The Bassin des Lumieres was enjoyed by our kids and grandkids. We missed it, alas.
We ate well, we drank well, we oohed and aahed and laughed in this beautiful part of France! I am ready to go back right now!

Thanks for the info about the Gites. I'm hesitant to stay outside of a town because half the fun for us is wandering a village late at night, and I hesitate to drive on dark roads in a strange area as my eyes aren't as young as the rest of me.

Also, a good read is "Timeline" by Michael Crichton. Fun fiction, but
the setting will whet your appetite for this trip.

Judy, I'd forgotten about this book. I read it a long time ago. I may have to break it out again.

Not all Gites are country homes. A few are in/at the edge of villages. I believe you can filter for this type of search.

Yes, Mona. Many are close-in locations, or even in towns.

If you are reluctant to drive in the evening or at night, which is understandable, know that in many cases you will never be very far from a small town. And there are plenty of gîtes located in town.

An example in Martel where you will find around ten restaurants, 2 supermarkets, pharmacies, bakeries, grocery stores, gas station, etc.

https://www.gites-de-france.com/en/occitanie/lot/gite-capitani-46g12911

Beynac is a nice choice. I stayed there at the Hotel du Chateau and loved it.

It is true there are not good museums about the 100 Years War. Seems a real gap that should be filled. Chateau de Beynac itself, of course, has some of that (Richard the Lionhearted stayed there).

I'll throw out the option of canoeing down the river. I went with Canoe Carsac and took a few hours to go down to Beynac. They will pick you up at your hotel, take you to Carsac, and pick up your boat at the end (or vice versa if you drive to Carsac). The route takes you right below the ramparts of Montfort Castle, past several sandbars that make great picnic places, by La Roque Gageac where you can pull out and visit, and right to a beach below Beynac.

Allan,
darrenblois is right on about a canoe/kayak trip down the river. We kayaked, and it was a highlight of our stay near La Roque Gageac. We drove to our put-in spot near Vitrac, and they picked us up at our pull-out point and returned us to our car. We spent about three hours on the river. It was a beautiful day!