Self-driving in Southern France, Nice to the Dordogne Valley Travel Guide

Although compared to ten years ago, the keywords for French travel have slowly become: terrorism, robbery, strikes, turmoil …., even some people think that going to France is a heroic act of hitting the terrorist lair. But in my mind, the keywords of France are always “Chanson, Jazz, Coffee, Blues”, “Elegance, Indulgence, Playfulness, Sadness”.

Floating Ice Sister likes to write travelogues that combine beauty and wisdom, so as usual, I will dedicate the original Sunflower Treasure Book. But in fact, with the development of major travel websites today, I think there is no need for non-professionals like me to write any detailed and comprehensive strategies, because Ctrip, Mafengwo Pocket have already condensed and refined all the information you need, and all the problems you need to solve at your destination can be found in the Pocket. So in order to streamline the article, I will only share what I think is useful with you, and various Pocket Guides and help posts obtained from other channels will not be elaborated here.

This strategy mainly provides you with travel strategies for Nice, the Dordogne Valley, and the Loire Valley in the south of France. The Mediterranean scenery of the French Riviera, the classic Nice, Marseille and various Mediterranean towns are suitable for vacations and slow travel. There are also valleys represented by the Dordogne Valley and the Loire Valley, as well as various castles along the valleys, which were once war fortresses or palaces of major nobles and royal families.

Note: The strategy content is original to Floating Ice, all pictures are taken by Mountain Eagle, please do not steal or reprint without permission, thank you for your attention!

LP 2015 Edition

The reason why I strongly recommend this book is that I fell in love with the scene on the cover of this book at first sight, but after flipping through the entire book and Baidu, I couldn’t find the shooting location of the cover. So Mountain Eagle, relying on his rough understanding of French terrain, according to the architectural features of this picture, the direction of the valley, the distant mountains and bridges, found the location of the photo on Google Maps, and added this Castelnaud castle in the Dordogne Valley to our itinerary.

Travel the World France Edition

Compared to LP, in fact, in the past two years, we have been reading more of the Travel the World series of books. Although so far, the best one I have read is the Travel the World Switzerland edition, but as a comprehensive understanding of a country and planning your route, Travel the World is still a good book.

The above two books can help you have a comprehensive understanding of the destination country you are going to, which is helpful in determining your itinerary.

If you are going to the southern coast and Provence, I recommend you read the following two books:

Marcel Pagnol’s “The Four Parts of the Day”

“The Four Parts of the Day” is Marcel Pagnol’s classic autobiographical novel. It tells the story of various interesting events that happened to the author when he grew up in his hometown of Marseille, with a strong southern French flavor and nostalgia.

Peter Mayle’s “A Year in Provence” series: A Year in Provence, Back to Provence, Forever Provence

Linda’s “Take a Book to Paris”

Highly recommended, at least I personally like it very much. In fact, this is a travel journal of Linda and her husband, but when they talk about each scenic spot, they perfectly integrate French history, using a lot of historical details and scenes to enrich their understanding of art, culture, history, society, and “revolution”. It is not boring to read at all, and after reading it, you will have a comprehensive understanding of major events in French history.

Nice is a Mediterranean coastal city, I like it very much, because it is a slow-paced resort city, the old city has a strong Mediterranean flavor, and it can also be used as a gateway city to visit all the classics around the French Riviera, including Cannes, Marseille, Monaco, and various famous towns on the Mediterranean coast, such as EZE. The driving time from Nice to these cities and towns is generally controlled within one hour, which is very convenient. Moreover, Nice’s bus lines are very developed, and you can reach these cities by bus.

Nice Airport to Downtown

The cheapest way to get from Nice Airport to the city center is to take bus No. 23, but No. 23 is not in the airport area, but on the road outside Terminal 1. Because this is just a bus that passes by the airport, the airport is just one of the stops. So, for people like us who landed at Terminal 2, we need to take the free shuttle bus to Terminal 1 first, and then drag our luggage to the road to find No. 23. Although it only costs 1 euro, it is not in line with our travel rules, we don’t consider this at all.

So we chose the airport bus, 6 euros per person. Although the airport bus stops along the way, very few people get on and off, so it is almost the same as a direct bus. There are two lines of airport buses: No. 98 and No. 99. No. 98 goes to the city center near Place Massena, and those staying in the old city can choose No. 98. No. 99 goes to Nice Central Station, our hotel is on Madison Avenue, a 5-minute walk from the train station, so we take No. 99.

Tickets for the airport bus can be purchased at the INFORMATION TICKET inside the airport, not on the bus.

You can also purchase other Nice bus cards at the airport, 10 tickets for 10 euros, a one-day pass for 5 euros.

Nice Attractions

Nice is surrounded by mountains on three sides and faces the sea, with a 7,500-meter coastline. The blocking of the mountains makes Nice free from the cold north wind, the warm winter and cool summer are the main climate characteristics of Nice, and the coastal terrain makes Nice sunny and sunny all year round. Therefore, Nice is one of the warmest cities on the French mainland, with pleasant weather all year round, warm winter and cool summer, a typical Mediterranean climate. Nice is not big, it is divided into a new city and an old city, the old city is even smaller, we live in the most central location of the new city, a 10-minute walk to Place Massena, a 15-minute walk to the beach, passing through Place Massena is the old city of Nice, so in Nice, it doesn’t matter which street you live in, because the walking distance is within a reasonable range.

I think the best way is to walk around. Nice has several major check-in points:

The Promenade des Anglais (also known as the Anglo-French Promenade) and Angel Bay

The entire coastline along the Mediterranean is the Promenade des Anglais, the bay here is called Angel Bay, it feels amazing to stroll along the beach in the evening.

Place Massena and Old Town Nice

Massena is just a square, there is nothing special to see, but the old town of Nice is right next to Place Massena. My favorite is the ancient town of the old city, it’s old and warm, especially the old city at night is more charming.

Castle Hill

A highland in the east of Nice, the main attraction is the panoramic view of Nice, especially the charming sea view of Angel Bay. There are also parks and squares on the top of the mountain.

Place Saleya

In the morning, it is a bustling flower market, and in the evening, it becomes a food square, with a strong local flavor.

First of all, the Dordogne Valley is definitely the biggest surprise of this trip. This valley, which rarely appears in Chinese travelogues and strategies, was first seen by us when we were doing our homework for “Travel the World”, which called it the heart and soul of beautiful France. But at that time, our itinerary was basically confirmed, so we didn’t leave time for the Dordogne. Until we saw the cover of LP 2015 Edition, we found that this Castelnaud castle is in the Dordogne Valley, we felt that there was no reason to refuse it, so we adjusted our itinerary, shortened our trip to Provence by one day and Arles by one day, and left it to the Dordogne Valley. We were overjoyed to find that the Dordogne gave us more than just the shock of the Castelnaud castle, the castles and towns on both sides of the valley were beautiful and exquisite. As a result, the old city and towns of Nice and Provence paled in comparison. So, if you have time, please don’t miss the Dordogne Valley, which is more than 700 kilometers away from Paris. Of course, it is most suitable for self-driving here.

How to Get There

The Dordogne (Dordogne River) is located in southwest France, with a mild climate, dense forests, vineyards and fruit trees abound. Its beauty has conquered many French people, and it has therefore been called the Tuscany of France. People often like to describe the Dordogne, which is divided into four parts by the Dronne River, the Dordogne River, and the Vézère River, in four colors: green, white, purple, and black. Green is meant to evoke the forests and fields in the north; white represents the valley in the middle where limestone is abundant; purple represents the Bergerac region known for its red wine production; and black represents the delicacy of the southeastern region: “one gram of black truffle for one gram of gold”.

More than that, the Dordogne region is one of the oldest inhabited areas in France. People have been living in caves here for about 20,000 years, so there are a large number of caves and cave paintings, which record the daily life of ancient humans who once lived here.

The ancient buildings in the Dordogne region are very well preserved, and many buildings have remained almost unchanged since the Middle Ages. The architecture in this area, especially religious architecture, is most commonly Romanesque. This is not because the Dordogne is not moved by the brilliant culture of the Gothic and Renaissance periods, but simply because, for various reasons, it was not economically developed during these periods. The huge construction costs required to build or expand those ancient buildings were beyond the reach of people at that time. But there is no need to be too regretful, as the Chinese saying goes, “Where there is gain, there is loss”. Losing the solemn Gothic architecture and the magnificent Renaissance architecture, but it has preserved these ancient Romanesque buildings for people today, and also preserved the treasures of architectural art of that era and the capital of people’s imagination about the Middle Ages.

Compared to the south of France and Provence, the Dordogne Valley in southwest France is relatively inconvenient in terms of transportation. The best way to get there is to self-drive. We didn’t do our homework on other means of transportation, but there are several cities along the Dordogne Valley that have high-speed rail lines, such as Sarlat (SARLAT) and Bordeaux. There should be high-speed rail lines from Paris to these cities, but to enter the real countryside and valley, you can only drive, because the essence of the Dordogne is still in the villages and caves.

Travel the World France Edition mentions that people who don’t self-drive can choose “fransatem”, a professional travel agency in southwest France. This travel agency has a small bus tour departing from Toulouse, visiting the beautiful villages and caves of the Dordogne Valley. We actually saw a small group when we were at Castelnaud Castle.

Suitable for Playing for a Few Days

Excluding the journey to the Dordogne, it is recommended to spend at least two days in the Dordogne region, because there are so many towns, castles, and valley caves. It is a pity to rush through the long journey. We squeezed out time to go to the Dordogne, so we only had a whole day, which was a bit inadequate, and we didn’t get to the decorated caves of the Vézère Valley in the end.

What to Play

Castles

Speaking of ancient castles, most Chinese people will think of the Loire Valley. But in fact, there are far more castles in the Dordogne Valley than in the Loire region, reportedly 1,200. Most of them were built from the Hundred Years’ War onwards, during the long war years, it would be more appropriate to call them abandoned fortresses rather than castles. Unlike the palaces and castles of the royalty and nobility in the Loire Valley, which are extremely luxurious, the castles in the Dordogne Valley are desolate and imposing, with the scars of war left behind. We later went to the Loire Valley and visited Château de Chenonceau. Compared with it, we both prefer the castles along the Dordogne River.

Among the castles along the Dordogne Valley, the most famous are Château de Beynac and Château de Castelnard.

Château de Beynac, known for its perfect preservation, stands on a cliff overlooking the Dordogne River. It was originally built in the 12th century and was reduced to ruins in the early 20th century. It was purchased by its current owner in 1961 and restored. It has been the setting for many films, the best known of which is “Joan of Arc”.

Another castle, Château de Castelnard, is the cover of LP 2015 Edition that made our trip to the Dordogne possible. During the Hundred Years’ War, Château de Castelnard and Château de Beynac were enemies. The Dordogne Valley was the border between England and France at that time, and the two castles stood opposite each other across the river for a hundred years.

Ancient Towns

Sarlat

It should be a relatively large city along the Dordogne Valley, we didn’t go. The introduction of Sarlat in “Travel the World” is: The whole city is an architectural museum, preserving streets with buildings from the Middle Ages to the Renaissance period, mixed with buildings from the entire 17th century.

Domme

A large 13th-century fortified city located on a hill, we didn’t go.

Beybac et Cazenac Villages

Located at the foot of Château de Beynac, on the slopes on both sides of the castle, there are many stone-structured old houses.

La Roque-Gageac Village

The whole village is built on a hillside facing the Dordogne River. The old and exquisite houses are like inlaid in the stone wall.

Boat Trip on the Valley

The water flow of the Dordogne River is calm and gentle, so rowing a boat or taking a sightseeing boat on the valley is also a good choice. If you take a boat directly, you can take a nostalgic sightseeing boat in La Roque-Gageac and sail downstream, return to the foot of Castelnaud Castle, which takes about an hour. Many people also rent kayaks in La Roque-Gageac and paddle along the valley slowly and leisurely.

Château de Chenonceau

From the Dordogne Valley to the Loire Valley, we chose the free highway. We set off in the morning and arrived at Château de Chenonceau in the early afternoon. It took a total of 5 hours, including the lunch break at the rest stop.

Château de Chenonceau (French: Château de Chenonceau) is located in the Loire Valley region of the Indre-et-Loire department of France, near the small village of Chenonceaux, built on the Cher River, a tributary of the Loire River.

The left and right wings of Château de Chenonceau are built on both sides of the Cher River, a tributary of the Loire River, and are connected by a five-arched bridge in the middle. Therefore, it is also called “the ship moored on the Cher River”. After being managed by generations of mistresses, Chenonceau has become the most delicate, elegant, and romantic of all the ancient castles in the Loire Valley. Although it is not as magnificent and magnificent as Chambord, its delicate tenderness and exquisite beauty, as well as its rich feminine aura, are something that Chambord does not have. Therefore, Château de Chenonceau is also known as “the castle of women”.

There are many castles along the Loire Valley. Unlike the Dordogne Valley, the castles here are mostly castles of emperors, nobles, dignitaries, etc., the most famous of which are “Château de Chenonceau”, “Château de Chambord”, “Château d’Amboise”. The castles here are extremely luxurious and exquisite. However, we both agreed that we were not very interested in this kind of castle. We think that compared to the desolate and imposing castles of the Dordogne Valley, the castles of the Loire Valley are too delicate and regular. Moreover, in terms of the valley, I personally think that the Loire and the Dordogne are incomparable. The Dordogne is winding, tortuous and changeable. All the way along the Dordogne, we saw forests, rivers, towns, all kinds of scenery changing, dazzling. And all the way along the Loire, the scenery on both sides of the valley is relatively monotonous.

We stayed in a town near Château de Chenonceau that night. This hotel is amazing. As mentioned before, the hotel’s restaurant has won a French Gastronomy Award, the French food is delicious and needs to be booked in advance.

As usual, all hotel accommodation issues are solved by Booking. Actually, I wanted to try other websites every time I travel in recent years, but after getting used to one website, I am really too lazy to study the pages and payment methods of other websites.

French B&Bs are still good. There are quite a few homestays in Nice and Provence on Airbnb. Because I booked early this time, and the cancellation policy of the homestays is relatively strict, so I didn’t consider it, but I actually like B&Bs very much. The few rural homestays in the Tuscan countryside in Italy back then made me still think about them now.

In this trip to the south of France, I mainly recommend the following two accommodations:

L’Oustal de Vézac in the Dordogne Valley

The most cost-effective homestay on this trip, located in Vezac in the Dordogne Valley, is situated on a large farm. The hotel’s swimming pool overlooks the Castelnaud castle, and it costs only 80 euros per night. Breakfast is particularly delicious and plentiful. It takes 5 minutes to drive to the castle, and 10 minutes to drive to other towns in the valley.

Auberge du Bon Laboureur Chenonceaux near Château de Chenonceau

The four-star hotel itself is very good, a 5-minute walk from Château de Chenonceau, and the key is that the hotel’s own restaurant is a Michelin-starred restaurant, and it has also won the 2018 French Gastronomy Award. We had a meal of authentic French food, which was really super delicious!

I think it is necessary to say to those who want to go to France: Travel teaches us humility, teaches us humility, teaches us to be happy with fate. Changing scenery, wonderful experiences, casual travel companions, sudden surprises, everything that may happen on the journey is a kind of unknown charm. France is beautiful and safe, French people are elegant and casual, enthusiastic and hospitable. Don’t be stingy with your steps, take your soul with you, you will find that every day you spend in France is wonderful…….