Dordogne Valleys & Villages: Self-Launched Cycling Adventure

Take the train to Souillac from Paris Austerlitz or Brive-la-Gaillarde (connections via SNCF, book at sncf-connect.com — roughly £35–55 from Paris). Souillac is served by its own station. Walk or take a short taxi to your guesthouse in the town centre. Spend the afternoon exploring the impressive Romanesque Abbaye Sainte-Marie and the quirky Musée de l'Automate (mechanical toy museum, ~£8 entry). Grab a pre-dinner aperitif at a local bar and enjoy your first taste of Périgord cuisine — try confit de canard or a walnut salad.

🚌Train to Souillac via SNCF (sncf-connect.com). From Paris Austerlitz ~£35–55. Collect your pre-booked hire bike on arrival or day 2 morning — try Cycles Souillac or book via a local rental shop (~£15–20/day for a quality hybrid, or ~£25–35/day for an e-bike).

🛏Guesthouse or budget hotel in Souillac centre — e.g. Hôtel Le Quercy or a chambre d'hôtes via Booking.com (~£45–60/night for a private room)

• →Visit the Abbaye Sainte-Marie de Souillac (free entry to exterior)
• →Explore the Musée de l'Automate (~£8)
• →Wander the town centre and browse local markets

Pick up your hire bike early and set off westward along the Dordogne Valley (~35 km). Load your route onto Komoot (free app) beforehand. Stop at the spectacular Château de Fénelon, perched above the valley — entry ~£9, with a superb collection of armour and art. Continue along the old disused railway line (a gentle, scenic track) before a final gentle climb into Sarlat. Check into your guesthouse just outside the old town and relax before dinner at a local restaurant — try Le Présidial or a brasserie on Place de la Liberté.

🚌Self-navigated by hire bike (~35 km). Luggage can be transferred to your next hotel by taxi or you can use a small luggage forwarding service — ask your accommodation to recommend one (~£10–15 per transfer).

🛏Guesthouse or 2-star hotel near Sarlat — e.g. La Maison des Peyrat, Hôtel de Selves, or Booking.com options (~£50–70/night)

• →Cycle 35 km along the Dordogne Valley using Komoot GPS route
• →Visit Château de Fénelon (~£9 entry)
• →Evening stroll through Sarlat's medieval Vieux Quartier

A rest day in one of France's most beautiful medieval towns. Sarlat's Vieux Quartier is a UNESCO-listed labyrinth of honey-stone architecture spanning six centuries — almost entirely pre-17th century. Pick up a free self-guided audio tour from the tourist office. On Wednesday or Saturday, browse the famous weekly market. If you're feeling energetic, cycle to hilltop Domme (~10 km each way), a perfectly preserved bastide town with panoramic Dordogne views, or to La Roque-Gageac (~10 km), dramatically built into a cliff face above the river. Both are easy half-day rides on quiet lanes.

🚌On foot in Sarlat; hire bike for optional rides.

🛏Same guesthouse as night 2 (~£50–70/night)

• →Self-guided audio walk of Sarlat's Vieux Quartier (free from tourist office)
• →Browse the Wednesday/Saturday market
• →Optional: cycle to Domme or La Roque-Gageac (~20–25 km round trip)
• →Optional: canoe hire on the Dordogne from La Roque-Gageac (~£20–25)

A magnificent day's riding (~45 km) along the Dordogne, one of the most scenic stretches of cycling in France. Roll down to Beynac-et-Cazenac — listed as one of France's most beautiful villages (Les Plus Beaux Villages de France). Climb to the formidable Château de Beynac (~£9 entry) for sweeping river views. Continue along the riverbank to St-Cyprien for lunch at a riverside café — the 12th-century abbey is worth a look. Your final stretch heads through wooded glades past the Font-de-Gaume cave paintings to Les Eyzies-de-Tayac, the self-declared prehistoric capital of the world. Book into a guesthouse with gardens.

🚌Self-navigated by hire bike (~45 km). Use Komoot route downloaded offline.

🛏Guesthouse or logis hotel in Les Eyzies — e.g. Hôtel des Glycines or Les Glycines, or a chambre d'hôtes on Booking.com (~£55–75/night)

• →Cycle ~45 km along the Dordogne riverside
• →Visit Château de Beynac (~£9 entry)
• →Lunch stop in St-Cyprien
• →Arrive in Les Eyzies and visit the Musée National de Préhistoire (~£6)

Les Eyzies draws 600,000 visitors a year for good reason — it sits at the heart of the world's richest concentration of prehistoric art. Book ahead to visit Font-de-Gaume cave (one of the last original polychrome painted caves open to the public, entry ~£12 — tickets sell out fast, book via the official fr.chasses-lascaux.fr site). Alternatively, visit Abri du Cap Blanc (~£8), home to the only prehistoric sculpture frieze still open to the public. For active types, rent a kayak or canoe from a local operator on the Vézère River for a half-day paddle (~£18–25). If cycling, load the Gorges de la Vézère loop (~29 km) on Komoot for a spectacular ride.

🚌On foot or by bike locally. Canoe hire operators are based in the village.

🛏Same guesthouse as night 4 (~£55–75/night)

• →Pre-book Font-de-Gaume painted cave visit (~£12 — book well in advance)
• →Visit Abri du Cap Blanc prehistoric sculptures (~£8)
• →Optional: kayak or canoe hire on the Vézère (~£18–25 half-day)
• →Optional: cycle the Vézère Gorges loop (~29 km)

A satisfying ~29 km day with an initial climb rewarded by a freewheeling descent. First stop: La Roque-St-Christophe (~£9), the oldest and largest troglodyte cliff settlement in western Europe — five terraces carved into a limestone cliff 80 metres above the Vézère. Continue to the charming village of St-Léon-sur-Vézère with its 12th-century Romanesque church and perfect riverside picnic spots (pick up supplies at a boulangerie beforehand). Roll into Montignac in the afternoon — a handsome medieval town on the Vézère. Check into your hotel for two nights; the Hôtel de la Roseraie is a lovely option with gardens.

🚌Self-navigated by hire bike (~29 km).

🛏Guesthouse or 2-star hotel in Montignac — e.g. Hôtel de la Roseraie or Logis de la Roseraie (~£50–65/night)

• →Cycle ~29 km from Les Eyzies to Montignac via Komoot
• →Visit La Roque-St-Christophe troglodyte site (~£9)
• →Riverside picnic in St-Léon-sur-Vézère
• →Evening wander through Montignac's medieval streets

Don't miss Lascaux — ranked Europe's number one prehistoric site. The original cave is closed to protect the paintings, but Lascaux IV (the International Cave of Prehistory, ~2 km from Montignac) is a stunning full-scale replica with an excellent museum. Book tickets online at lascaux.fr (~£20 adult) — it's immensely popular in summer so pre-booking is essential. The short bike ride there takes about 10 minutes. Back in Montignac, explore the ruined château, browse artisan shops, and enjoy a long, indulgent Périgord dinner — foie gras, truffle-infused dishes and Bergerac wine are the local specialities.

🚌On foot or short bike ride to Lascaux IV (~2 km).

🛏Same guesthouse as night 6 (~£50–65/night)

• →Pre-book and visit Lascaux IV International Cave of Prehistory (~£20, lascaux.fr)
• →Optional short cycle up to Lascaux IV (~4 km round trip)
• →Explore Montignac's ruined château and old town
• →Long Périgord dinner at a local restaurant (foie gras, truffles, Bergerac wine)

The longest day (~45 km) but largely flat through glorious open Périgord countryside. Head first through the atmospheric village of St-Amand-de-Coly (a remarkable fortified Augustinian abbey, free to enter). Continue to Salignac-Eyvignes, then detour to the Manoir d'Eyrignac (~£12 entry) — 18th-century formal gardens rated among the finest in France, all white topiary and sculpted yew hedges. Roll on through chestnut groves, sunflower fields and traditional stone villages including St-Génis and Eyvignes before descending into the Borrèze valley and back into Souillac. Optional stop at the Distillerie de la Vieille Prune for a tasting before dinner.

🚌Self-navigated by hire bike (~45 km). Return bike to rental shop on arrival or arrange drop-off.

🛏Return to your night 1 guesthouse in Souillac, or book a different option (~£45–60/night)

• →Cycle ~45 km back to Souillac via Komoot
• →Visit St-Amand-de-Coly fortified abbey (free)
• →Tour the Manoir d'Eyrignac gardens (~£12)
• →Optional tasting at Distillerie de la Vieille Prune in Souillac (free/small fee)

Breakfast at your hotel, then make your way to Souillac train station on foot or by taxi (~£5–8). Return connections to Paris Austerlitz, Brive-la-Gaillarde (for TGV connections), or Toulouse. Book your onward train in advance at sncf-connect.com for the best fares. If your train departs late afternoon, there's time for a final pastry at a local boulangerie and a browse of Souillac's abbey one last time.

🚌Walk or taxi to Souillac station (~£5–8). Train onward: Brive-la-Gaillarde ~£8–12, Paris ~£35–60 depending on booking lead time.

• →Check out and transfer to Souillac train station (walk or taxi)
• →Onward train connection — book via sncf-connect.com