MegaSack DRAW - This year's winner is user - rgwb
We will be in touch
Thinking of heading there for a couple of weeks in September. Campervan-tastic. No idea which towns or villages we should be aiming for!
Interested too.
Beynac is a decent central point for chateaus, river swimming fun, canoeing down etc.
Had a lovely couple of weeks there last year, bit of reasonable biking around too, but I suffered seriously from cantbearsed-itis and mainly swam and drank red .. bliss.
Mid summer firework display was LOUD and impressive.
There's a free via ferrata at the Jardin de Marqueyssac, and the gardens themselves are a lovely walk.
CastellNaud castle really good. Full size trebuchets. We cycled there from Beynac, mainly off road options available. Beynac is good too, excellent views, but 'Naud pipped it for me.
The campsite in Beynac was decent, with a good shop and boulangerie/patisserie just across the road - my only complaint was it felt a bit crammed in compared to most sites, but its the price for being right on the town doorstep and the river.
We're heading a little north west of there this year, but I love the region.
EDIT: Oh, the obligatory Lascaux visit is only about 45 mins, and Sarlat is a lovely old town in the center, but good easy shopping on the outskirts - the E.Leclerc was the best supermarket by a mile, even having a vegan aisle for us wierdoes.
Sarlat is a good central point, some good mountain biking (and gravel biking) around there. The track from Sarlat along the river out to Rouffiliac is a great easy cruise ending in a cafe 🙂
We stayed out at Sainte Nathalene, and there was some good ridig up in the hills around there.
Sarlat is very pretty but we found it full of moaning and loud posh Brits last September. When you're cycling or sightseeing, having to listen to tales of "Tabitha's post-uni woes with that foreign chap" gets tiring after a while. We may have been unlucky but it does seem par for the course there (friends have a house there and complain about the influx every summer). The food wasn't great either compared to Brantôme or Les Eyzies.
It's a beautiful region so if you pick your town carefully you can have a great time.
You were unlucky, I didn't hear another English voice the day or two I was in town.
We stayed just outside Le Bugue last summer - very nice little town with everything you need.
We stayed here - St Avit which was great (2 kids aged 7+11) but there are literally 1000s of campsite everywhere.
Bergerac is a nice town - worth a visit.
Best thing we did was a canoe trip from Vitrac to Tournepique - would highly recommend it.
I'm keen to go back at some point - probably the nicest part of France i've been to.
@brassneck - we had 3 days there, so it must have been bad luck. The usual story of ride 5km out of town and you can escape!!
Brantôme was lovely - a suggestion from someone on here.
We had a nice few days at Camping Soleil Plage near Vitrac last year, get an ACSI card for best value in September. We were paying 19E/night, our neighbours were paying 43E without the card.
Guys, this is ace - thanks very much!
The campsite in Beynac was decent
I'd actually bookmarked that one - it looks very nice (Le Capeyrou?). Did you go during school holidays or is it just cramped all year round?
We stayed in Aubeterre Sur Dronne for a friends birthday bash. It’s a really beautiful town, and has a great looking campsite on the river which has kayaking and a swimming area.
Rocamadour is well worth a visit.
Yes, Le Capeyrou - we were there in mid August, but typically we'd get a 100 - 150m2 pitch 'Grand Confort' .. was more like 60 there with very little delimiting some pitches, which can be OK if you're in a sociable mood (and a nice family were next to us for a few nights which worked out well) but it's less private than I'd expect from a French site. By UK Devon/Cornwall standards it's normal. Don't buy Hoegaarden from the bar, much pricey 😀 - but the Thai takeaway (vendors rotate through the week) was superb. Good well maintained pool, no 'nice'n'toight' bathers rules.
Most of the pre erected tents were Eurocamp hires.
If you're in a camper with a riverside pitch you can use that as your 'hedge' and sit out front looking at the castle lit up at night. Very pleasant.
The ACSI card is a must especially in September, it saves you loads.
Some sites:
Camping La Riviera, Les Eyzies
http://lariviereleseyzies.com/camping-lariviere-eyzies-dordogne-2/?lang=en
Camping Indigo Sarlat
Brantôme site
https://camping-dordogne.net/en/
We used the ACSI card at all of them
👍
Not trying to be a contrary Mary, but I didn't really get the Dordogne.
Nice and chilled but a bit uninspiring, food disappointing, touristy and locals not that friendly. Seemed like a French version of the Cotswolds.
Did meet some very nice ex-pat Brits though.
Ive been going there for the last 15 years, albeit in Gites / houses and not camping but this place is knockout:
Only a mile or so from Saint Emilion which is the wine mecca of the world lol, 40 mins from Bordeaux.
www.bellessise.com in NE Dordogne is away from the busy toursisty areas which can be easily reached for trips out. Quiet spread out camping and a couple of wooden cabins.
Another recommendation for Aubeterre. Has a good camp site by the river.
Roque Gageac for a ride on the old time boats, plus canoeing, Domme and Gourdon are pretty. Sarlat was heaving in the centre when I was last there (it was market day though). If your budget will stretch lunch at Le Pont De L'Ouysse is highly recommended.
Been to Brantome twice staying in a lovely converted Abbey each time. Lovely town, nice food and pretty relaxed. We visited the caves at Villar which were pretty nice, did a bit of boating and pretty much chilled out.
Sounds like lots of really nice places in this area though.
+1 for Domme. Les Eyzies de Tayac worth a visit. Collonges-la-rouge is, as its name suggests, very red. I bought a lovely bottle of red from the bargain bin of the local winery, possibly one of the nicest reds i’d ever had to that point... it was 1995 though so I doubt that vintage will still be available.
Bergerac is nice, Perigeux was a bit ‘meh’ though. Lots of lovely chateaux overlooking the river (vezere?). We stayed in St Rabier, near Terrasson, not much there & I believe it now has a nice motorway/bypass running through the village
Cave system at Padirac is worth a visit, but can get very busy with long queues in the main summer season.
I'm spoilt for choice now! Thanks everyone - much appreciated.
Ordered my ACSI card last night.