by train

Can you visit Dordogne valley by train without

renting a car and still see and have a good

experience?

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You can certainly get to the main towns by train, but I feel you would need a car to get about the area conveniently.

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Please see this Trip Advisor %26#39;inside%26#39; page for information

tripadvisor.com/Travel-g187081-s302/Dordogne…

The current train timetable, storms and strike permitting, is at

ter-sncf.com/Images/AF15_Sarlat_Bordeaux_tcm…

The summer timetable does usually have a couple more trains running.

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Thank you - It does sound a bit difficult.

I will have to rethink my plans!!

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Don%26#39;t be hesitant about driving around the Dordogne - the driving rules in France are very much like the US (and same side of the road). Really, you wouldn%26#39;t have any major problem, and it is the best and easiest way to see the sites.

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If you don%26#39;t rent a car, all you%26#39;ll see are the major towns, and that%26#39;s not where the sights will be. I know in Sarlat, there%26#39;s a man with a taxi who%26#39;ll take you around to a few places, but most of the good sights (castles, prehistoric caves, etc...) are fairly far apart.

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Hi again

Thanks for all the responses, I am wavering between

Annecy and the Dordogone valley- my first trip

to france and with two 14 year old boys!

I just watched a Rick Steves viedo and fell in love with the Dordogne valley.

Anyone know what the weather might be like 2nd week

of April and can it be done in 4 days traveling to

and from Paris, it looks like its a all day train

ride and then I could rent a car in Sarlat.

Thanks!!!

M

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Getting trains all the way to Sarlat might be time consuming - you should make better time over all if you go to either Brive or Perigueux from Paris, and rent a car there (the major train stations always have car rental agencies right at the station, including the major US companies you know, so you can reserve on line from home).

If your arrival city is Perigueux, you are already in the Dordogne (it%26#39;s a very old city, the church in the medieval area probably dates to around 1200 and there also are modest size Roman ruins). Brive would be maybe an hour or so from Sarlat, but also close to many other interesting attractions.

I suggest getting a guidebook to see what%26#39;s near the cities where you might be arriving, so you can plan from that. This is my favorite part of France, so I%26#39;m a bit prejudiced - I don%26#39;t think you can go wrong, any time of year (April should be much less crowded than later, so you will have many places more or less to yourself). Have a great trip!

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Annecy is beautiful but Dordogne seems like there would be more to do with your boys, we are taking our children to see the cave, some castles, etc. in the Dordogne, we haven%26#39;t been there yet. I am also curious about the weather in April that is when we are going. Anyone know the weather for this time of the year?

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Well I was last there in July 2008 and it rained every other day!

Have a look at www.wundergound.com for Bergerac - that%26#39;s the airport more or less in the Dordogne and prowl around the weather history. That should give you a good idea.

April 2008 varied from a cool 15C to a ridiculous 26C (almost 80F)so looks like anything is possible.

I hope it is better than last year for my next visit in June.

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