Dordogne France

Dordogne France 8 Days

Another region of France which has nurtured a close relationship with Britain over the centuries is Aquitaine and the Dordogne is possibly its most attractive part for British tourists and ,in recent years, settlers. One of the longest rivers in France and said by many to be the most beautiful, the Dordogne flows through countryside of astounding beauty and variety. Confusingly, the region is often referred to by its ancient name, Périgord, which is divided into three separate regions, Périgord Vert, Périgord Blanc and Périgord Noir. The scores of prehistoric sites testify to years of human habitation and today some of France’s most attractive villages are to be found here as well as caves and some more grandiose castles. Gastronomy based around the local produce such as nuts,duck,geese,fruit and wine is known far and wide. Our holiday here stints on nothing and we aim to give you a close up view of many of its attractions. Leading this tour will be John Russell.

We set off on Saturday and travel to Portsmouth to catch the overnight ferry to Caen. A cabin is provided.
As Sunday is the quietest day on the roads we will make today our longest drive in order to get to our destination as quickly as possible. We head through the western regions of France past Nantes, Saintes, Angouleme and Périgueux to Montignac, a small village between Périgueux and Sarlat where we stay for the next five nights at the lovely 3* Hotel Le Relais du Soleil d’Or. A former Middle Ages Post house it has a swimming pool and its gastronomic restaurant enjoys a fine local reputation. One of the most famous world heritage sites is nearby, the Caves of Lascaux.
On Monday we will set off after breakfast to do some serious sightseeing and our first stop will be the famous cliff top village of Rocamadour. We leave here in the early afternoon and drive the short distance to La Roque Gagéac where we will board an old gabarre and have a cruise on the River Dordogne. We return to the hotel for dinner.
After breakfast on Tuesday we drive to Bergerac and spend the morning in the town. We then drive to the Chateau of Montbazillac for a visit and taste of their wine followed by lunch at the castle. In the afternoon we will visit another vineyard to sample some sweet Saussignac wines. The evening is free.
Wednesday is market day locally and we have an entirely free day. Take time to explore Montignac and few people will resist the temptation to visit the Caves of Lascaux. Alternatively you could do little more than lie around the pool all day if you prefer and we suspect that many will!
On Thursday we travel towards Bergerac and our first tasting will be of a local speciality, Pécharmant. We continue to Ste Foy la Grande to sample some local wines. We return to the hotel for some final relaxation and our last dinner here.
We leave Montignac on Friday and travel northwards to Cognac, first to visit the Hennessy establishment then to sightsee in the town. After our visit we settle down and resume the drive northwards to Fontenay-le-Compte and our overnight hotel.
We set off on Saturday morning for a short drive south of Nantes to sample some Muscadet at the Chateau de la Preuille at St Hilaire de Loulay. In the afternoon we cross the River Loire and continue our drive to Caen where we have dinner near the port before catching the overnight sailing to England. A cabin is provided.
We reach Portsmouth at 0630 and the coach then returns to the original pick up points.

(Cost includes: all travel by executive coach ;ferry crossing  with cabin both ways; six  nights 3* hotel accommodation with breakfast and  lunch or dinner each day; all excursions as detailed; all entrances; Tour Escort)

Departure dates

Dates	Price
June 12th	£765

Single supplement £145

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Pick up points:
Plymouth – Newton Abbot – Exeter- Bridport - Portsmouth