This July my husband, my girls (15 years old)and I will be visiting Southwest of France for the first time. We are renting a car starting from Poitiers (2 nights), visiting Loire Valley (2 nights) driving to La Rochelle (2 nights), then Bordeaux (2 nights ), Dordogne (Sarlat, 1 night), and finally driving back to Poitiers. Can you recommend any sights or activities within our targeted towns or on our rout driving through the towns that can help us with exploring the region? Thank you in advance,
Posted by
Denver
799 posts
The area of the Dordogne, in which Sarlat is located, is absolutely gorgeous, and has many tings to see and do - the most significant area prehistoric cave art and a bunch of old castles to tour. Bordeaux, in comparison, is not so pretty and is not as interesting. If you can manage it at all, try to spend three nights (at least) in Sarlat. We took our then-10-year-old son there several years ago (after enjoying the area without kids, on an earlier trip), and he loved the town and the area. Rick Steves has a lot of info about the Dordogne, as well as a video. And while I haven't visited Poitiers, and don't know anything about its attractions, I would also vote, on the basis of our experiences of the attractions of the Dordogne, that you take time from Poitiers to spend in the Sarlat area.
Posted by
Boston
4132 posts
Only you can really know what will be the best trip for you and yours, but I will add my voice to Lexma's about the Dordogne (and, incidentally, the Lot). It is a superb destination that really deserves more than a night, which basically means you have dinner there before heading off to Poitiers the next morning. In any case: If you are free to do so, I would rethink your route to be a little more efficient. If the Loire is on the itinerary, rent the car there and then go something like Loire > La Rochelle > Bordeaux > Dordogne > Poitiers. To really save travel time, arrange your itinerary so that you end in Bordeaux and fly home from there, or to your connecting airport.