After a few days in Marseille in mid-June, my son and I will be picking up a car at the Marseille airport and driving, eventually, to Sarlat for a few days there before joining the rest of our family back in Provence. We have a total of 4 nights for this part of our journey. We currently have a hotel reserved in Sarlat for 2 nights. We are trying to decide how to schedule our transit days - should we drive straight through to Sarlat and back, maximizing our time in Sarlat but spending 2 long days on the road with little time to stop along the way, or should we stop overnight on the way there and back, giving ourselves time to meander and see sights, villages, and landscapes along the way? My inclination is to do the latter. We are interested in places like Uzes and Conques and Belcastel along the way. We love discovering little churches and other sites as we travel, being able to stop and linger for lunch, etc. We want to stay away from cities like Nimes and even Ales or Rodez on these transit days so that we don't waste time or patience with traffic and parking issues. I have read a handful of the threads here, and some of those refer to lots of threads discussing this route, but I don't seem to be finding the right search terms to locate them. Thoughts, advice, recommendations, including about places to stay and eat, are very welcome!
Posted by
Irving
2948 posts
Whatever option you're leaning toward is the way to go. I suggest driving from the airport in Marseille to Uzès (1h 45m) and do some sightseeing. When you're done drive to Belcastle (3h 30m) and sleep there. The next day stop in Conques before continuing on to Sarlat (2h 15m).
Posted by
752 posts
pgoodpasture, I love the idea of your road trip with your son!
A very good resource for trip planning is Viamichelin:
https://www.viamichelin.com/web/Routes/Route-AeroportdeMarseilleProvence-13700-BouchesduRhone-France-to-Sarlatla_Caneda-24200-Dordogne-France
Perhaps you are already using it? Very helpful as you look at the timing of your itinerary. Add a bit of time to their estimates to be on the safe side.
Posted by
Washington DC
27096 posts
Do check ViaMichelin for driving-time estimates. Not only along your scenic route to Sarlat-la-Caneda but also for the trip back to Provence. It looks like a lot of driving.
You're smart to avoid trying to sightsee in the larger places en route because of potential traffic issues, but even in fairly small places you still have to find a place to park your car and walk to the historic center--assuming that's what you want to see.
Posted by
OP
12 posts
Thank you, all. Yes, it is a long drive. I have been using viamichelin.com to help plan. Can anyone answer why the driving estimates there are SO much longer than the Google Maps estimates? I assume it has to do with many many years of local knowledge, etc. But it so drastically different, I am very curious what is behind it! Thanks, and back to planning.
Posted by
752 posts
With advance planning, are you checking both sites at the same time of day? I just compared the direct routes on both sites, and they were fairly close.
However in using Viamichelin when actually in France, I’ve found their prediction more accurate. Perhaps different algorithms and different access to data, different speed in posting live traffic updates?
Even here in the states I find google to be more optimistic than my actual travel time.
Also because of stringent enforcement of speed limits in France, I’d rather use the longer time estimate.
Posted by
OP
12 posts
Thank you, Barbara, for the explanation. I discovered that my viamichelin was set for the "discovery" route, too, which made it much longer.
Posted by
OP
12 posts
Another approach to this question is to ask what lodgings are most appealing on this drive. We can probably adjust accordingly, driving more or less on day 1 or 2 if there is a great hotel or b and b we know we are heading towards!
Posted by
Paris
9562 posts
Well this doesn’t really work since you don’t want to stay there overnight, but your mention of targeting desired lodging along the way reminded me of a wonderful place I stayed at 15 years ago outside of (west) Uzes. To me it would be worth it to go there the first day, enjoy a dip in the pool, and stop and visit the fabulous Pont du Gard.
https://mas-oleandre-maison-dhotes.business.site/?utm_source=gmb&utm_medium=referral
You would want to check more recent reviews, of course but I saw that it is still the same owners, so I am sure it is still wonderful.
(Sorry I know I am not helping!! But may be you needn’t really go as far as Sarlat??? I liked the countryside outside Sarlat much better anyway . . . )
Posted by
OP
12 posts
You are all so helpful and patient with me and my question that has no ideal answer! That is why I asked it here, hoping to come up with a plan from your collective wisdom. Yes, it is a day's drive each way. That is not ideal, but also I don't mind a long drive if it is an interesting one and if the destination is a worthy one. We are very excited to spend a few days in Sarlat - we like to have a base that has walkable boulangeries, cafes, restaurants, etc. We are excited about our lodging in Sarlat, and it is in the spoke of the wheel of sights we are interested in. I think we have decided to drive straight through. I am not seeing overnight options that are appealing enough to keep us from getting settled in for a multi-day base at the end of a long day of driving. So now, what to see on the way? We will take the northern route, I think. Conques is a must-see for me either on the way there or back. Other favorites? Towns, churches, lunch spots? Thank you!
Posted by
Washington DC
27096 posts
It looks as if your route takes you near the Millau Viaduct.
You'll definitely be passing Figeac, a very attractive town I really liked. However, it is not tiny and I think navigating to a parking spot and seeing the historic area would take a lot more time than you'd want to spend on a day that requires so much driving.
Gourdon is a tiny, perched village. I don't know whether the drive to the top (if permitted) would be slow.
Domme is off your route but fairly near Sarlat (so you'll know where you stand, time-wise, by the time you're in the area), and it looks as if you can approach it along a road ViaMichelin thinks is especially scenic. (VM marks scenic roads in green, though you have to zoom way in to see that.)
La Roque Gageac isn't far from Domme.