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Bordeaux, France
Château des Milandes, Dordogne, France
Saint-Sauveur church and the Lantern of the Dead, Sarlat-la-Canéda

Self-drive tour: Bordeaux & Dordogne

8 days from £2,550pp

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Tour highlights

  • Enjoy the freedom of your own car on this self-drive trip. Audley can arrange a rental vehicle for you if you require one.

  • Try wine blending in a reclaimed Bordeaux townhouse.

  • Visit Padirac Cave and cruise along its underground river in the Dordogne.

  • Explore the gardens and chateaux of the Dordogne.

Price includes:

  • Activities and excursions as detailed
  • All accommodation
  • In-destination transfers
  • Return ferry travel
  • 24-hour support while you travel
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Itinerary idea in detail

Using your own vehicle for self-drive touring

  • Departing from Portsmouth, you board your overnight ferry to Saint-Malo.

    • Shells, Saint-Malo
      Shells, Saint-Malo
    • Saint-Malo, Brittany
      Saint-Malo, Brittany
    • Ramparts, Saint-Malo
      Ramparts, Saint-Malo

  • From Saint-Malo, you’ll drive south to Bordeaux with a stop in Angers for a walking tour along the way.

    • Place de la Bourse, Bordeaux
      Place de la Bourse, Bordeaux
    • Red wine at a vineyard, France
      Red wine at a vineyard, France
    • Stored red wines, France
      Stored red wines, France

  • Embark on a food-focused walking tour of Bordeaux with your private guide. You’ll taste local delicacies and visit a cheese-ager’s cellars contained within a 15th-century former convent. Later this afternoon, make your way to a reclaimed townhouse, where you’ll learn to blend your own wine.

    • Bordeaux, France
      Bordeaux, France
    • Monument aux Girondins fountain, Bordeaux
      Monument aux Girondins fountain, Bordeaux
    • Fresh oysters, Bordeaux
      Fresh oysters, Bordeaux

  • This morning, you’ll drive from Bordeaux to Sarlat in the Dordogne, where you’ll spend three nights.

    • Place du Marché aux Oies, Sarlat-la-Canéda
      Place du Marché aux Oies, Sarlat-la-Canéda
    • Saint-Sauveur church and the Lantern of the Dead, Sarlat-la-Canéda
      Saint-Sauveur church and the Lantern of the Dead, Sarlat-la-Canéda
    • Local market in Sarlat-la-Canéda
      Local market in Sarlat-la-Canéda

  • Today, you’ll visit Padirac Cave and cruise down its subterranean river, before driving to Rocamadour, a town known for its cliff-edge setting and its church and Black Madonna. Finally, you’ll stop at a goats' cheese farm for a tasting en route back to Sarlat.

    • Grazing ducks, Dordogne, France
      Grazing ducks, Dordogne, France
    • La Roque-Gageac, Dordogne
      La Roque-Gageac, Dordogne
    • Garlic for sale, Dordogne
      Garlic for sale, Dordogne

  • Drive to Château des Milandes, a 15th-century castle where jazz singer Josephine Baker lived during the height of her fame in the 1940s. Afterwards, you’ll drive onto the Gardens of Marqueyssac to explore the extensive grounds.

    • Plum trees, Dordogne
      Plum trees, Dordogne
    • Medieval townhouse, Sarlat-la-Canéda
      Medieval townhouse, Sarlat-la-Canéda
    • Artisanal bread for sale, Sarlat-la-Canéda
      Artisanal bread for sale, Sarlat-la-Canéda

  • Drive back to Bordeaux for one last evening in the city.

    • Bordeaux, France
      Bordeaux, France
    • Bordeaux Cathedral, France
      Bordeaux Cathedral, France
    • Bordeaux, France
      Bordeaux, France

  • Leaving Bordeaux, you’ll drive north back to Saint-Malo for your overnight ferry to England.

    • Saint-Malo, Brittany
      Saint-Malo, Brittany
    • Bordeaux wine region, France
      Bordeaux wine region, France
    • Wine merchants, France
      Wine merchants, France

Accommodation options

While the itinerary price reflects the suggested accommodation, Audley trips are 100% tailor-made, and a specialist can help you select the option best suited to your tastes and budget.

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Audley Travel Specialist Ruth

Contact a France specialist

The specialist who designs your trip to France will have explored the country many times and, in some cases, lived there. Their first-hand knowledge gives us the belief that no other travel company can match our expertise in helping you plan your trip.

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When to go

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Place Daily max temperature (°C) Monthly rainfall (mm)
Bordeaux
 
Sarlat-la-Canéda
 

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