Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
He can pick you up anywhere—including Bordeaux's airport (€350) or remote train sta-
tions. His taxi rates are the same as given above (“By Taxi”); for excursions, he charges
€40/hour for up to four people (€60/hour on Sun). Book early (tel. 05 53 59 39 65, mobile
06 08 57 30 10,
http://allophilippetaxi.monsite.orange.fr
,
allophilippetaxi@wanadoo.fr
)
.
Gentle
Christoph Kusters
speaks flawless English and provides similar services in
his Land Rover, which fits up to six people. He provides a general, flexible plan that al-
lows for a fast or slow pace, based on your interests (€38/hour, mobile 06 08 70 61 67,
Ophorus Excursions
offers a full range of scheduled half- and full-day trips to
caves, castles, and villages in a comfortable minivan with English-fluent guides and up to
10 fellow travelers (€65-70/half-day, €105-140/day, private tours also possible, mobile 06
33 05 10 09,
www.ophorus.com
,
info@ophorus.com
)
.
Caves and Castles
is run by a delightful British couple (Steve and Judie Burman)
whooffertourstothearea'smainsightsforadayorlonger.Theyoffertranslationservices
for French-only cave visits, and Steve has plenty of tricks to keep families happy and kids
entertained(tel.0553503121,
www.cavesandcastles.com
,
cavesandcastles@gmail.com
).
Béatrice Mollart and Bruno Elure,
a fun local guide team headquartered in the
L'OeildelaGazellecaféinSarlat,createtourstailor-madefortravelerswantingtodiginto
Dordogne culture and get off the beaten track. Full-day tours can include a tasty picnic,
access to private caves, or other creative ideas such as touring in an iconic Deux Chevaux
car—a 1960s-era Citroën 2CV (€180-250/day, 9 Cours des Fontaines, mobile 06 79 63 28
By Boat:
Non-drivers should rent a canoe, my favorite mode of transportation for
exploring a slice of this region. A canoe offers easy access to the river's sights and vil-
lages, and canoe companies will pick you up in Sarlat for no extra charge. Since a canoe
costs €12-18/person (for the trip I recommend, from Vitrac to Beynac), and you can spend
all day on and off the river touring sights I cover, this is a swimmingly good deal. For the
same scenery with less work, you can also take a boat cruise from Beynac or La Roque-
Gageac. Details on all these options are covered later in this chapter.
By Bike:
Cyclists find the Dordogne beautiful but really hilly, with lots of traffic on
key roads. You can pick up a basic bike for the day in Sarlat; serious riders will be im-
region.
The Dordogne's Cuisine Scene
Gourmets flock to this area for its geese, ducks, and wild mushrooms. The geese produce
(involuntarily) the region's famous foie gras. (They're force-fed, denied exercise during
