# Auverne/Tarn/Lot Tour - any must see sights or aires?



## taz (Sep 28, 2005)

After a dismal trip to the Vendee in April we have decided to head further South in September. Please don't let it rain almost every day this time!!

The plan is that we will head down to the Auverne fairly speedily and then meander down to the Tarn, across to Millau and then Carcassonne and then back up via the Lot valley and the Dordogne with a stop in at Oradour sur Glane. Hopefully this should not be too much for a fortnight although we can stretch a couple of extra days if needed.

Has anyone got any tips on places to see and scenic aires to stay on? We are much more scenery people than towns, and with 2 dogs, spots by water or good walking would be especially appreciated, and if there is a good restaurant/cafe nearby we may find it hard to move on!!

Thanks in advance for any help - the responsibility for making this holiday better than the last has been put in my hands so please help!!

Sally


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## IrishHomer (May 30, 2006)

Hi Sally

We are just back from the Dordogne which has become our favourite place in France. Although we were in mobiles this time, I cast an eye over everything motorhome related out of habit and I think there are lots of aires or cheap sites in the villages around Sarlat and along the river Dordogne. The scenery is spectaular although there are lots of medieval villages etc. Very MH friendly - and dog friendly too! Have a look and enjoy.

IH


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## Zebedee (Oct 3, 2007)

Hi Sally

Just a small point, but it may be important to you.

When we visited Oradour sur Glane about 20 years go there was an aura surrounding the place that could almost be touched. Everyone, even the kids seemed to show a spontaneous reverence, and I swear the birds didn't sing there!! Although rather harrowing, it was an experience I'm glad we had.

A friend went last year on our recommendation and came back quite disgusted. Very few people showed much if any reverence, and there were groups of badly behaved kids racing around. Even worse, people were talking and shouting to each other, and chatting loudly on their mobile phones.

I'm trying not to sit in judgement here (not very successfully) but if it matters to you, it might be wise to go with a forewarning of what you may find.

Could be our friend was unfortunate and chose a bad day, but thought I would mention it.

Have a great holiday


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## GerryD (Sep 20, 2007)

Zebedee said:


> Hi Sally
> 
> Just a small point, but it may be important to you.
> 
> ...


Dave,
If your friends experience is typical of that place then I am deeply saddened. We have not visited Oradour sur Glane but it is in our plans. We have spoken to people who have visited and they all say what a special place it is and that you need to be prepared for the experience.
If it is being spoilt in the way that your friends experienced then what hope do we have any more.
Gerry


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## hmh (Jun 25, 2008)

*Auvergne/Tarn/Lot etc*

Hi,
What do you mean by Auvergne? It is a Region, including 4 Departments, Puy de Dome, Allier, Cantal and Haute Loire.

From the UK, you first reach Puy de Dome, lots of extinct but very recent and obvious volcanoes - hence the name. Vichy is a lovely town, Clermont Ferrand is the big city, so give it a miss, Mont Dore and la Bourboule are old thermal spa towns beneath the fabulous high green hills called le Puy de Sancy.

If you can, head more or less due South into Cantal department, lovely crater-lakes, woods, and rolling hills where chocolate-brown Salers cattle graze ( fantastic cheeses here, and a robust potato, cheese and garlic dish called a Truffado - nothing to do with truffles). Then the huge and old Cantal volcano, centred around the hill called le Puy Mary.

Meanwhile, a little way to the East, is the lovely Allier valley, Vieille Brioude is charming, for example. Lots of hills and lanes to wander in here.

Personally I would give Le Puy a miss, too big, despite its much-photographed but de-consecrated church on a rock . . .

If you have kids, Volcania might be interesting for them . . . (Try google.fr)

Find your way to the Gorges of the Lot valley and Entraygues, Estaing and Espalion, and so to Millau on the Tarn (in order to drive under the famous new bridge. Millau has a free "aire de camping car" to park in overnight).

Just outside Carcassonne, campervans park for free on the towpath of the 17th C Canal du Midi at the little town of Trebes, and you can cycle into Carcassonne along the towpath (about 7 miles).

Albi is lovely ( again on the Tarn), and Gaillac, the hill-top town of Cordes (amazing, in fact!) and all the Albigensian bastides, or fortified towns of the Cathars around there, Bruniquel for example.

Caussade, Caylus, and so into the tiny byroads and amazing bastide-towns of the Quercy, such as Montpezat en Quercy - try and taste the foie gras and an exquisite local sweet wine to go with it.

Cahors is lovely, too.

Try and take in the S. of the Auvergne, a part of the country called the Chataigneraie, around the town of Maurs - then St. Ceré is worth a stop, and Autoire (in a wide gorge, beneath a waterfall), Loubressac, have you time for Martel?

No time for more tonight - if you can't fit it into two weeks, well, our village neighbours say " Il faut toujours laisser quequechose pour demain . . .!"

Regards,

Helen and David


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## peejay (May 10, 2005)

Good post from hmh :wink:

A few others that spring to mind..

Tarn;

Florac, lovely village with a cracking aire..

http://www.motorhomefacts.com/modules.php?name=Campsites&op=display_results&csid=909

Nice spacious site at Mosteujouls (spelling?) alongside the river..

http://www.motorhomefacts.com/modules.php?name=Campsites&op=display_results&csid=2138

Lot;

Charming village of St Cirq Lapopie where there is a nice aire by the river...

http://www.motorhomefacts.com/modules.php?name=Campsites&op=display_results&csid=822

then make sure you pop up to Rocamadour, a monastery hewn into the rocks, a bit touristy but stunning nonetheless.
Free overnight parking at the top of the Roc....

http://www.motorhomefacts.com/modules.php?name=Campsites&op=display_results&csid=594

Or theres a nice campsite at L'Hospitalet overlooking the Roc...

http://www.motorhomefacts.com/modules.php?name=Campsites&op=display_results&csid=593

There's loads more in the stoppover database, make sure you take advantage of it and have a great one 

pete


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## tonyt (May 25, 2005)

Oradour - get there early before the masses. 

It still has an eerie aura and we found ourselves silenced by the need to show respect.
The most poignant sight for me was the almost weather erased scorched sign at the bakery - I don't know if it's the original but it certainly touched my soul.
If you can get hold of a copy of the book and read some of the facts before you get there it will bring it all to life as it were.


There is a small aire at the town.


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## taz (Sep 28, 2005)

Thanks for all the suggestions so far.
hmh - I think you have saved me hours of planning and research, many thanks for the time spent typing.
zebedee - will let you know - i will be hugely disappointed if it is as your friend described. Hopefully going out of the school holidays there may be a bit more respect shown.
IH - will certainly visit Sarlat - my parents have fond memories of it from 15 years ago.
Thanks Peejay for the site advice - have already started searching the database - hopefully I may be able to add to it on our return 

More advice gratefully received and thanks again for all posted so far.

Sally


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## hmh (Jun 25, 2008)

We were at Oradour a couple of months ago and it was perfectly restrained, respectful and just as it should be. I guess you could hit it at the wrong time but, mostly, it's overwhelming and a total must-see.
I hope it's good for you but, whatever, enjoy the trip. The weather can't be predicted but last spring was the wettest for 25yrs and not entirely your fault I guess.


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## nozzmoking (Mar 29, 2008)

I'd just like to add my thanks also, for some great information in this thread!

Cheers

Paul


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## homenaway (Jul 27, 2005)

Hi,

We visited Oradour last year and decided to visit early in the morning having stayed at the aire the previous night It was a damp day and there were only a handful of people around but judging by the parking at the visitor centre it must get busy and there will be school trips in term time which can be worse as a few of the children will have a different agenda. 

(We found this at Mauthausen WW2 concentration camp in Austria this year.)

Anyway we enjoyed the Lot valley and there are several aires we stayed at in small towns along the river - and Millau Viaduct is awe-inspring, drive under it rather than across it  

A long way in two weeks though

Enjoy your trip

Steve


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## Zebedee (Oct 3, 2007)

I was going to send this as a PM to Gerry, but maybe it should be here as several people have picked up on my comment.

Hi Gerry

Yes indeed. Let's hope my friends went on a bad day!!!

It's one of the places (if not the one) which has made the biggest and most lasting impression on us.

I swear the birds didn't sing in the trees. We didn't really know what to expect, but it was truly staggering to be in the company of so many silent and reverent people. Very few, me included, felt able to take photographs - although in a way it would have been good to preserve the memory.

I hope it's the same for you as it was for us, so take a hanky - and I'm being deadly serious here. It brought me to tears and I don't mind admitting it.

Regards

Dave 

I really hope it will be the same for you Sally. I would like to go back, but don't know if I could!


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## ChrisandJohn (Feb 3, 2008)

We endorse Peejay's recommendation of Rocamadour. 

Also, recommend the village of Floirac (different from Florac) on the Dordogne. It's about 20k north of Rocamadour, on the N140, before you get to Martel (a lovely town). Go east on the D43 to the village and make your way down the the river. Lovely for views, swimming, dog walks.

Can't give info about aires or sites as we only bought our motorhome this year and haven't been to France in it yet.

Chris and John


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