Self Supported In Perigord

This is a self supported tour, meaning everyone carrys his/her own stuff and looks out for each other. The mileages are low, mostly in the 30 to 40 range. Thirty to forty miles as a loaded traveler of course is much more demanding than riding with an empty bike. There are 10 actual days on the road with four double nights with a loop. All the loops are well worth doing. You may want to add a day or two before and after, especially in Paris. Meet Paris and train down to Liborne the next morning on a TGV leaving from Montparnasse. At the end of the trip train back from Bretenoux. Perigord is a terrific place to cycle. When I did this commercially it was my favorite tour. Learn a little more HERE (Use your back button to get back to this page.) Itinerary and route are below. At the end of the trip trains leave Perigord in the morning and arrive in Paris in mid to late afternoon.

If you have a folding bike it's a piece of cake, just practice it a few times. If you have a standard bike it's necessary to pack it down very compactly so as to be sure of having it on the train with you both ways. Pack it in the states and unpack it in Liborne. Pack it again Beaulieu and unpack it in your home. This year (2007) we discovered that there are some train that will carry your bike to Paris as is. That could always change though, so be prepared. Please don't let bike packing be a stumbling block. It's not that hard. It takes a half hour and it makes you feel incredibly self sufficient. Find out a little more about it HERE. It's really not particularly difficult. Others will pitch in and help. Travelers have been doing it for years. Why would you want to go so far to ride a strange rental bike of questionable quality? Take your own trusty steed. That way you can look at it when you get home and remember where it took you. You'll know you can go any place, any time.

1. Friday Night over water

2. Saturday Paris to Hotel de Senlis 01 43 29 93 10 93�
Nice little place with an indoor court, handy for packing and unpacking. They will keep our suitcases.

3. Sunday to Ste. Foy la Grande Grande Hotel de Ste. Foy, 05 57 46 00 08, 50 �
46K Pedal and/or taxi to Montparnasse. TGV to Liborne. Assemble/unfold bikes.
Leave Liborne on D243 to St. Emillion, lunch, wine, macaroons.
Continue on D243
Str & R. D17 into Castillion la B.
Cross Dordogne and quick L. onto D130e. Up and down.
L. at bottom thru Pessac and look for abandoned road.
Rejoin D130
L into Ste. Foy

4. Monday to Villereal Hotel du Lac 05 53 36 01 39 50 - 80� 2 nights
50K
Leave Ste Foy to SE on D18 then D14
R, onto D13 and up to visit Chateau de Monbazillac.
South to Ribagnac
L. onto 156 to Bouniagues.
L and quick R.
R. onto D14 to Issigeac. Imbibing.
Continue on D14
D207 to Villereal and swimming pool.

5. Tuesday 60K Villereal - Loop to two incredible fortresses the Chateau de Biron and the Chateau de Bonaguil. Some short climbs.
Leave Villereal to the east on D104.
R on D53. Visit and maybe tour Biron. Continue on D53 & D150 to La Capelle. Exit on D426
R. at T dir St. Front.
L. on D710
R. across tracks onto D440.
L. on small road and follow signs to Bonaguil. Visit and lunch under the walls.
Leave on D158.
R. on D673
R. at T & up into Fumel.
R. Ave Thiers.
BL. Ave Edouard d�H.
STR on Ave Jean Jaures.
X D710
L. at T.
QR on D276 & follow to Salles.
R. on D150.
R. again on 150 to la Capelle.
Leave west on D255 to Villereal.

6. Wednesday to Les Eyzies de Tayac Hotel le Cro Magnon 05 53 06 97 06 75� 2 nights
64K Rolling.
Leave Villereal to the east on D104 dir. Montpazier.
Visit roadside dolmen.
Continue on D2.
After Monpazier continue onto D. 53 dir. Belves.
Visit intact medieval dwellings recently discovered buried under the main square in Belves. (A bus fell through the pavement.)
After Belves L. onto D710. straight across bridge and L dir.Coux et Bigaroque.
Str. Onto D51 L. and R. on D51 to Limeuil.
Exit on D31 and R. on D701 to le Bugue.
Exit on D701 and L. on D706 to les Eyzies.

7. Thursday Les Eyzies de Tayac - Visit Font de Gaume, real not painted, prehistoric cave paintings and Musee de Prehistoire.
Loop to Montingnac on D706, gentle climb through beautiful gorge and back down. Lascaux

8. Friday 25K Sarlat, Hotel de la Mairie 05 53 31 93 88 62� 2 nights
Exit les Eyzies past Font du Gaume. On D47 to Sarlat. 25K
Beautifully restored medieval city. Nazi's couldn't find FFI in the narrow convoluted streets and tiny squares.

9. Saturday 46K Sarlat - Spectacular loop to La Roque Gageac, the fortified city of Domme for lunch then hilltop fortress of Castelnaud.
Exit south on D46 dir. Vitrac .
Cross river and follow D46E UP to Domme.
Back DOWN on D46, cross river and L. on D703 to la Roque Gageac, spectacular cliff dwelling. Imbibing.
Continue on D703.
L. on D57, cross river and UP to Castelnaud. Medieval siege machinery. Imbibing. Back DOWN cross river.
L. on D703.
R. on D49 then D57 to Sarlat. Climbs of course but short and doable and the experience is worth it.

10. Sunday to Rocamadour Hotel Bellevue 05 65 33 62 10 51K
Exit Sarlat south on D704. Cross river.
Hard left dir. Veyrignac.
Continue D50 then D 43 across river and into Souillac.
R. on N20, main drag. Lunch. Imbibing.
Exit Souillac on N20.
Str.. on D43 dir. Pinsac Belcastle, la Cave.
In la Cave R. on D247 .
L. on D673 into Rocamadour
.One climb, a little longer and harder but nothing like last year. Rocamador is a city built up the side of a cliff. So steep it needed fortified gates but no walls.

11. Monday to Beaulieu 76K Hotel les Charmilles 05 55 91 29 29 55� 2 nights
Exit Rocamadour R. on D673 dir Alvignac.
L. on D90 in Padirac dir. La Gouffre de P. Visit La Gouffre de Padirac vast cavern with an underground lake to boat across.
Leave la Gouffre on D91 dir. Miers.
R. on D20 dir. Carennac.
Exit Carennac on D30.
L. on D43 dir. Bretenoux.
L. D940 and cross river.
R. still on D940 and get train tickets at �Gare� (to Left)
R. from gare and onto D703 across stream.
Quick R. on D41 to Beaulieu.

12. Tuesday Beaulieu
52K Beautiful loop to Argentat Gentle up and down. Or paddling on the river.
Exit Beaulieu on D940.
R. onto D12 dir. Argentat. Lunch, imbibe.
Visit le Splash water park? Take a canoe back downriver to Beaulieu?
Exit on N120
R after bridge dir. L�Hopital.
L. D116 dir.Vergnolles
R. on D41 & D940 into Beaulieu. Celebrate.

13. Wednesday Taxi to train to Paris.

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