Backpacking in Sarlat

I am looking at travelling to Sarlat in October. I will be on a budget and travelling alone.

Reading through the forums it looks like Sarlat I would need a car to get from the airport in Bergarac and to see most of the sights - which wasn%26#39;t really what I was hoping to read...

I%26#39;m not that keen on hiring a car...would I really need one? I was hoping to hire a bike and do a couple of bike rides and keep it pretty local and enjoy the local life, markets etc. for a few days. Any other suggestions of other non-family/car driving orientated activities?

Any suggestions on cheap (travelling on NZ pesos) ways to get from the airport in Bergerac to Sarlat without a car.

Am I being unrealistic? Are there other similar locations nearby I should consider with better transport links?

Thanks

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Jofa, the Dordogne is very rural.

You could catch a train from Bergerac to Sarlat, or I believe there is a coach service.

The main sights are not far apart, but are 15-20 km from one another...so it depends on how much hiking you want to do, I suppose.

There is a bus service, but it%26#39;s not full-coverage, by any means.

It%26#39;s not impossible to see the Dorodogne without a car, but it is definitely more of a challenge.

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You will find this insider page on the Dordogne Valley forum of value:

tripadvisor.com/Travel-g187081-s302/Dordogne…

The train along the valley is a useful way to get around but many of the sights are many miles from anywhere, let alone a bus.

The challenge, if hiring a bike, will include the many hills. You can take bikes on all the trains by the way, free of charge.

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Can anyone suggest another option that will achieve my desire for an attractive small town, that is public transport friendly, with a few low key activities/markets/sights?

In my head there%26#39;s somewhere pretty, friendly, that I can park up in a cafe and watch the world go by, hire a bike and go for a local explore, sit and read a book and generally spend an enjoyable, stress free few days?

And it should be preferably in the south west of France!

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You%26#39;re arriving into Bergerac and don%26#39;t want to hire a car. Good for you. Take a taxi to the train station in Bergerac, train to Sarlat then hire a bike for the week. There are hills in the Dordogne, but we%26#39;re not talking mountains here. Head south out of Sarlat and its all downhill to the Dordogne valley - land of chateaux, cliff villages, and canoeing on the Dordogne (turning it into a motorway of colour - great if you like that sort of thing) Alternatively, head further south to Daglan, St Pompon, St Laurent la vallee for perfect and peaceful routes amongst these sleepy dordogne villages. You%26#39;ll soon realise that a week isn%26#39;t long enough to visit this fantastic area ..

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Thanks for the positive feedback Bikeman!

Fortunately, my style is not to see all the sights in the short time I have. So I think I will be just fine without a car. And I%26#39;m looking forward to hiring a bike for at least a day to just quietly potter around.

From what I have read, Sarlat looks like it has a great Saturday market, and enough cafes to be keep me entertained, and maybe a day trip by bike or another day trip.

My plan is arrive in Bergerac around 1pm, get a taxi to the train station and train to Sarlat. Which I think will get me there at 16:00. Which is all fine by me.

Hopefully I will have found somewhere to stay already (any suggestions - I%26#39;m a girl on a budget, and B%26amp;B probably suits me best).

I know it would be great to have more time, more $ and maybe a car - but hey, I get to explore another part of France and feel the French vibe for a few days!