Village between Carcassonne and Sarlat-la-Caneda

Not a small quaint village, but Albi would be a logical stop, perhaps for lunch, and well worth the time. Drive on the Departmental D routes and you are sure to find a village that attracts you. But, keep in mind, in France, breakfast is usually coffee and a croissant - you are not likely to find a place that serves an American or British style breakfast.

There are many lovely towns on that route, including Castres and St Cirq. But for breakfast, which is no great shakes, I would eat in Carcassonne and make a plan for lunch.

Another charming town, close to Albi, is Cordes-sur-Ciel.

Cahors is right on your direct route. I wouldn't call it small but it's not too big either. Has a beautiful medieval church and a medieval bridge with towers over the Lot river. And, as I recall, a Roman bath site.

Closer to Sarlat, and a bit east of your direct route, is Rocamadour, a much-photographed town built on a very steep hillside so it looks almost vertical from across the valley. It's very tourist-infested but an early start could get you there in time for a nice breakfast before the crowds get too bad.

When we drove from Beynac (near Sarlat) to Carcassonne we started after our b&b breakfast and were there by lunchtime on the autoroute, passing near Toulouse. As I recall it was an easy enough drive.