Love to look ahead and read and plan......and now need advice on our next destination. We have heard so much about the Dordogne.....and we LOVE France......but should we consider Alsace region next if we are WW2 buffs and would like to see Luxembourg as well....and drive into Belgium? I would think that the best flight prices are into Paris but it looks like if we do the Dordogne we could fly into Bordeaux and rent a car there. Anyone flown into these 2 regions and rented a car that could advise us? Does one region look better than the other for us planning our next tour?
Thank you for your help......this website is THE BEST!
Posted by
11 posts
Never flown into said areas but driven thru and taken the train.
Dordogne is rougher, dry with some barren rocky hills. Great for outdoorsy pursuits with hikes and canoeing opportunities.
Alsace is rolling hills and lots of vineyards. Alsace is Germanic so has lots of cute half timbered buildings and littered with vineyards.
My preferrence is the Alsace, since we are foodies.
Posted by
New York, NY
1586 posts
Jane -
A) Dordogne is the winner here. I have done the Dordogne region and since you are a WW2 buff, Oradour-sur-Glane is definitely a "must see" if you have any interest in WWII in the southwest of France. While being the most significant of its type, it's representative of many "actions" that occurred in the summer of '44 as the Resistance was disrupting the German effort to stop the allies from breaking out of Normandy. It has a good interpretive center that puts it in context and may lead you on to other sites in the region.
B) While in Bordeaux, you can see the museum to the French WW2 resistance. Bordeaux Museums: Centre National Jean Moulin - Place Jean Moulin, Bordeaux, 33000, France, FR
Tel: +33 05 56 79 66 00
C) If you are prepared for a drive of some 90 miles out of Bordeaux, you can visit the ruins of the many German defense installations still standing in the area of the Pointe de Grave, Soulac sur Mer and Montalivet and generally the tip of the Medoc region. This area was heavily fortified and saw some intense combat in April 1945. There is a little museum in the village of Soulac sur Mer, from where they make occasional conducted tours of some of the remains.
Posted by
Portland, Maine
2916 posts
I've spent a fair amount of time in both regions, and they're both glorious. Although the small villages of Alsace are totally charming, it's tough to beat the Dordogne for the beauty of its villages. The food in the Dordogne is among the best in France; I'm not talking about the restaurants, but the types of products and dishes. The Dordogne is not known for its wine (except for sweet Monbazillac), but Cahors and its wines are nearby. If you like white wines, Alsace is superb.
As far as getting to the Dordogne, we've rented a car in Bordeaux and drove to the Sarlat area. You can fly to Bordeaux, or, as we did, fly into Paris and take the TGV to Bordeaux (as fast as 2+ hours). As far as Alsace is concerned, there are trains to Strasbourg from Paris, as well as from Germany and probably other nearby countries.
Posted by
Boston
4132 posts
The Dordogne is stellar and, for me, even beats Alsace (have visited both). That said, I would not go unless I had at least 4 nights to spend there, and more would be better. Also your northern itinerary argues for Alsace.
If you do go to the SW, consider flying into Toulouse, which is about the same distance and a city of considerable charm.
Posted by
Chicago
8556 posts
I like both, but love the Dordogne which we have visited in spring and in fall -- both wonderful. It is a place to absolutely have a car and base in a rental in a small village. Lovely villages, in summer there are the Night Markets (village square, food, tables, dancing into the night -- we caught the last one of the season in early September -- they are mostly July and August in different villages in night). Canoe on the Dordogne (not he Vezere) for views of villages and chateaux from the water; visit gardens and chateaux, hike the trails. Wonderful area.
Posted by
Washington DC
28085 posts
Unfortunately, the Jean Moulin Center in Bordeaux is currently closed for an extended and undefined period. Going from memory (verify!), I think there's a Resistance Museum in Limoges. However, the amount of English explanatory material in French museums is highly variable.
Posted by
Calgary, Alberta, Canada
4590 posts
I can't speak for Alsace but we Just got back from the RS Loire Valley to the South of France tour which included 3 nights in Sarlat. The Dordogne region was the highlight of the tour for me. It was mentioned in another comment above that Oradour-Sur-Glane is a must-see for WW2 buffs, and anyone else for that matter to get an understanding to get a sense of evil. Loved, loved, loved Beynac. Walk the town from the castle at the top down to the river. And the caves, don't forget the caves. We visited Rouffignac and Lascoux Caves, Lascoux had 20,000 year old paintings and Rouffignac had 16,000 year old drawings.