alainr

My husband and I will be in France from Mid-September to Mid-October. We will begin and end our trip in Paris. We are looking forward to being in beautiful countryside and seeing charming villages and markets. Planning to take TGV from Paris to LaRochelle; rent car in La Rochelle; return car in Marseilles and take train to Lyon and then to Paris.
Did we balance it well between Dordogne and Provence?
We won't be visiting the caves this trip due to claustrophobia and we have seen them before. We have been to Bordeaux, so thought to see La Rochelle on the way to Dordogne.
Would like to break up the long drive from Carennac to Gordes .

TGV from paris to La Rochelle
3 nites La Rochelle, visit Ile de Re---hopefully not too late in the year.
1 nite Brantome on a Sunday; would everything be closed? Or should we just stop there and continue to Sarlat? I know we will miss the Sunday market in Sarlat.
5 Nites Sarlat--countryside, not the city
2 nites Carnnac (cuz Stu Dudley says to stay east of the A20)
5 nites Gordes
3 nites Marseilles -return car
3 nites Lyon

Michael

The La Rochelle market (daily?) is worth a visit.

https://flic.kr/p/7mMi3w
as is the town itself:

https://flic.kr/p/7mMhfU

FTOttawa

Lots of ways to break up the drive from Carennac to Gordes — it’s not clear if you want an overnight or just to get out and walk.

You’ll pass right over the Viaduct de Millau, a must-see with a handy picnic site beneath it. A bit off your route is La Couvertoirade - surprisingly touristy for being in the middle of nowhere, but if small well-preserved mediaeval villages are your thing, put it down as an option. I liked Guilhem le Désert much better, but that starts to be well off your route.

The area around Lodève and Lac du Salagou is quite scenic. If you do have an overnight to spare in that vicinity, you might consider wandering around the Cirque de Mourèze.

Saturday markets in pretty Pézenas or Sommières: or if that is not the morning you might be in the area, check this Web site for Hérault markets — sort by date will give you the appropriate towns:
https://www.herault-tourisme.com/fr/...s-de-lherault/

Michael

From Brantôme to Sarlat you might want to stop and visit Bourdeilles, although I think that Brantôme and Bourdeilles deserve a full day:

https://flic.kr/p/7yi86D
and/or Hautefort:

https://flic.kr/p/7yBmEQ
The old Hospice in Hautefort contains a good tourist information office.

Southam

Would you consider flying home from the south, rather than returning to Paris? Marseille, for instance, has an accessible international airport. Even if your return requires changing planes in a gateway such as Paris or Amsterdam, it saves a lot of time and usually is no more expensive when the cost of land transport is considered. The trip has to be booked as a single itinerary through a multi-destination search function, not as individual tickets.

alainr

thank you for the photos. Does 2 full days seem the right amount of time? i thought we'd spend time in the town and then go to the isle de Re. This would be in late September.

alainr

Thank you. i think we want to get out and walk and have lunch. thank you for the suggestions.

alainr

My husband wants to spend time in Lyon so that is why we made this a circular trip.

alainr

We would be in Brantome and Bourdeilles on a Sunday in late September. Would everything be closed?
we would be on our way from La Rochelle to Sarlat. It seems like we should spend a night in either Brantome or Bourdeilles. Which town would you suggest?
Thank you.

Michael

Restaurants should be open for Sunday lunch. Evening might be more problematic. However the building in the forefront by the bridge in Bourdeilles is a hotel which might also offer meals. It should not be difficult to find, as there are few hotels in Bourdeilles.