Dordogne advice needed

I highly recomend visiting Rocamadour, about an hour and a half away. If you are not familiar with the town, use Google images to take a look. Worth at least a whole day.

Are you thinking of picking up the rental car in Paris for the drive to the Loire? You're probably better off taking the train to your destination there. We drove from Amboise to the Dordogne region. I used (of course!) the RS book extensively to plan the trip, but the Michelein (spelling?) maps are really crucial, for distance. It's misleadingly far. We stopped in Oradour (sp?)-sur-Glane, another RS suggestion, which was unbelievably moving, on the way. With the smaller roads detour and time spent there, it was 12 hours from Amboise to Beynac. His book has great driving route suggestions to explore the villages. If you are a prehistory lover, there are lots of other caves. The canoe trip was an excellent way to explore several of the villages along the way.

Your list does not mention the old chateaux that face each other across the river, but perhaps they simply go without saying.

These are not ancient regime palaces like those of the Loire, but medieval fortresses. I'd try to visit at last one or two. Combine this with a stroll through the small old towns they are in (e.g. Dome, Beynac).

South of the Dordogne (but not far) are two of my favorite sights from the region: the Grotte du Peche Merle, and the village of St. Cirq LaPoppie. The former is my favorite cave-art cave in the region (but see lots of them!) and the latter is a very pretty French hilltown.

Note that Rocamador, which bills itself as the second pilgrimage sight in France after Mont St. Michel, can be crowded during the day. You can avoid some of this by arriving either on the late side or else very early.

In terms of transportation, I would try very hard to fly into Tolouse, even if you have to change your tickets. The you can break your trip to Paris by stopping in the Loire.

Or, fly home from Tolouse--same idea. You effectively get an extra day in France doing this. Need I say more?

Perigord (Dordogne et al.) is hard to get to but extremely lovely and September is a great time to travel.

Some of the places I like in the Dordogne: Beynac, Castlenaud, Domme(Thursday market),the bastide town of Monpazier , La Roque-Gageac.

We were in the Dordogne area this past May and loved it. Have you considered renting a car in Chartres? We did this when we went to the Loire several years ago. You have some good suggestions from the above posters. I was a bit disappointed in Rocamadour. St Cirq LaPopie was absolutely gorgeous--do not miss it. Peche Merle is also a must see. Near Sarlat is a smaller town called Salignac. On the outskirts of this town is a wonderful restaurant, Meynardi and beautiful gardens, Les Eyzeries (sp?)--both of these should not be missed imo.Enjoy France!

I just returned from a 3 week france trip that included a stay in Domme. I highly recommend a restaurant that we enoyed twice in Domme. It is called Cabenoix and Chatainge. Domme is small so you should be able to find it. It is just off the main street that has most of the shops, just beyond the epicerie. Great menus started at 19 euros for 2 courses. Excellent foie gras, lamb tagine and cassoulet. Great desserts. Speaking of foie gras, check out the shop Maison du Foie Gras in Domme - excellent selection of wine and local foods with helpful, friendly staff who speak English. We really enjoyed the cave Font du Gaume. Reserve way in advance. We previously had done Lascaux II which is also impressive. When you get a nice day, do the canoe trip down the Dordogne. Keep in mind that you will need to book in advance if you want to do a longer stretch of the river than the standard trips. BTW, dinner is tasty at the Esplanade in Domme, but it is overpriced for what it is. I would probably decide the Car/TGV issue based upon price and time. Hertz did not charge drop-off fees for our rental so you should be able to return your car wherever Hertz has an office which should be any good-sized town.