We were thinking about splitting our time in the Dordogne region between Sarlat and Bergerac. There appears to be plenty of interesting sites near Sarlat. However, Bergerac seems to be all about wine. If your spouse isn't interested in wine, should Bergerac be more of a day trip than place to stay for a few days?
Nina
I think there is more to Bergerac than wine. For one, it's actually on the river, so you can take a barge trip. It's also bigger, so more to offer as far as accommodation, restaurants and shops. I haven't stayed there, though. I wouldn't stay in Sarlat again. Parking is a pain there, and it's easily done as a day trip.
We always stayed in villages with a car and then day tripped to other spots -- gardens, markets, chateaux, canoe rentals.
I’m not sure how many days you are talking about, but assuming it is less than 7, I would spend them all in the Sarlat area over the Bergerac area.
Bergerac is at the western end of the Dordogne Valley region, if you want to visit the Dordogne for what makes it popular, the villages, castles, caves, etc, Bergerac doesn't have much to offer.
Also considering the Dordogne region as a whole, Bergerac is close to Sarlat, so splitting your time between Sarlat and Bergerac doesn't make sense.
If you are really passionate about the wines of the Bergerac region.. Cote de Duras, Montbazillac and other local appellations you can stay in either of these two places
But if it is about wines in general there are plenty of other places in the region with local vineyards to satisfy you. The wines of Cahors at the eastern end of the valley in Quercy are also very famous.
As already mentioned Sarlat is hell if you have a car, which is essential in the Dordogne. Staying in Sarlat is like staying in the visitor center of a national park. It is crowded with tourists. Moreover it is not really a central place to visit the Dordogne whose particularity is not really to be in a town with lots of restaurants and shops but to visit pretty rural areas with its small scenic villages lost in the middle of nowhere.
See this map to get an idea of the places to see in the Dordogne.
(I also put some winemakers where you can go for tastings)
https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=1OdPOg8AgsNn0Jlv1cNHkujaWv9p_Jpc&usp=sharing
bmcbride,
Jolui knows her stuff. Listen to her. Stay in one of the other lovely towns in the area and drive into Sarlat for a day. Parking and getting into and out of Sarlat is not easy. Just too m uch traffic. We stayed in a gite between Vitrac and La Roque Gageac and it was perfect. Each day we drove to someplace different. (This was early June) Driving in the area was easy and places we visited were all within a reasonable distance. Bergerac, to me, is too much one the edge of the area. You can find the local wines in the restaurants and the groceries, and there are probably some tasting rooms. Many of "Les Plus Beaux Villages de France" are all around the area.
You caught me by surprise by writing that Bergerac is all about the wine. We spent an afternoon there last Fall and didn't know. Old Bergerac is very pretty and worth a day trip but if you really want to focus on wine for a few days I'd suggest St Emilion. Depending on your interests in the Dordogne we found Beynac to be small but a perfect base for us to explore castles and caves. Here's my Trip Report if you're interested. https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/trip-reports/trip-report-part-2-hills-and-castles-dordogne
