A one-week loop from Périgueux: Brantôme, Hautefort, Lascaux IV, the Vézère valley, the châteaux of the Dordogne, Sarlat and Rocamadour. Little motorway, lots of small valley roads, and short stages that leave time for sightseeing.
| Days | Stop | Drive |
|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Périgueux | Start |
| Day 2 | Brantôme | 38 km · 45 min |
| Day 3 | Montignac-Lascaux | 84 km · 1h40 |
| Day 4 | Beynac-et-Cazenac | 46 km · 55 min |
| Day 5 | Sarlat-la-Canéda | 26 km · 35 min |
| Day 6 | Rocamadour | 51 km · 1h |
| Day 7 | Back to Périgueux | 122 km · 1h35 |
Road route calculated from the stops (OpenStreetMap). Driving times assume no stops and no traffic: add time for photo breaks.
May, June and September: everything is open, with fewer people. In July and August, book Lascaux IV and Padirac, and expect the pedestrianised streets of Sarlat and Rocamadour. In winter, Padirac closes from All Saints' Day to Easter and Lascaux IV from early January to early February.
🚗 38 km · 45 min of driving from Périgueux
The D939 north, with a detour via Bourdeilles on the small roads of the Dronne. No motorway.
🚗 84 km · 1h40 of driving from Brantôme
Small country roads east via Hautefort (D705), then the D704 to Montignac.
🚗 46 km · 55 min of driving from Montignac-Lascaux
The D706 along the Vézère via Saint-Léon-sur-Vézère and Les Eyzies, then the D703 along the Dordogne.
🚗 26 km · 35 min of driving from Beynac-et-Cazenac
The D703 below the cliffs to La Roque-Gageac, up to Domme, then the D46 to Sarlat.
🚗 51 km · 1h of driving from Sarlat-la-Canéda
The D704 and D703 towards Souillac, then the small roads of the Causse du Lot (D43, D32).
🚗 122 km · 1h35 of driving from Rocamadour
Sleep in Brantôme, passing through Périgueux, then in Beynac after Lascaux IV and the Vézère, in Sarlat and in Rocamadour. Nights: Brantôme 1, Beynac 1, Sarlat 1, Rocamadour 1.
| Cheapest month, November | ≈ €27 a day |
|---|---|
| Most expensive month, July | ≈ €45 a day |
| Small car, average | ≈ €38 a day (Kayak, Bergerac airport, Sept. 2026) |
| Your own car | The simplest option. From Paris, the A20 is toll-free from Vierzon to Brive. |
|---|---|
| Vehicle | A city car or compact: narrow village lanes, tight car parks at the foot of the cliffs. |
| Where to pick it up | At Bergerac airport, less than an hour from Périgueux, then the full loop: no one-way fee. |
| Age | At Europcar, from 18 with 1 year's licence; under 26, €40 a day extra. |
⚠️ In Bergerac, July costs €45 a day against €27 in November: over a week, the difference is more than €120.
Dordogne: 90 on only 287 km, signposted. Lot: 80 everywhere. Motorways 130, 110 in the rain.
Enter your number plate at the pay machine. Boulevards charged from 1 April to 15 November. Overstay: €30.
0.2 g/l on a probationary licence. Up to 0.8 g/l: €135 and 6 points; above that, a criminal offence.
Speed camera cars driven by private operators everywhere except the Île-de-France. Detectors are banned: up to €1,500 and 6 points.
July and August, from 11:00 to 06:00; late June and early September, from 13:00 to 18:00.
The street through the old town is closed from 11:00 to 18:30, from 10 July to 31 August 2026.
"Lascaux" on its own can send you to the Corrèze, an hour away. Enter 42 avenue de Lascaux, Montignac.
Probationary licence: 110 on motorways, 100 on expressways, 80 elsewhere.
≈ €2.15 per litre of SP95-E10 petrol, €2.40 for diesel (23 Sept. 2026)
Price recorded in September 2026: it changes every week, sometimes by 10 to 20 cents in a month. Today's price: prix-carburants.gouv.fr →
⛽ 367 km at 7 l per 100 km: about €60 at September 2026 prices, to share between passengers.
National averages from ministry data. Prices vary widely between stations: compare on prix-carburants.gouv.fr before filling up.
| A20 Vierzon-Brive, coming from Paris | Toll-free |
|---|---|
| A20 Souillac-Brive and A89 Brive-Périgueux (return) | Tolled (ASF), amount not recorded |
| Sarlat car parks | First hour free, and from 13:00 to 14:00; boulevards free from 16 November to 31 March |
| Sarlat, Sundays and public holidays | Charged from 15 June to 15 September only |
| Sarlat parking penalty charge | €30, reduced to €20 if paid within 48 hours |
| Rocamadour car parks | €6 to €16 depending on the car park |
| Lascaux IV and Padirac car parks | Free |
| Château de Castelnaud | Upper car park charged; free by the Dordogne, 15 minutes' walk away |
| Lascaux IV, adult | €23 (€15 for ages 5 to 12) in 2026 |
| Gouffre de Padirac, adult | €20 in low season, €24 in high season |
| Castelnaud and Marqueyssac, combined ticket | €24.50 per adult in 2026 |
| Gouffre de Padirac | Open from Easter to All Saints' Day only |
|---|---|
| Lascaux IV | Closed from early January to 6 February (2026) |
| Street through Rocamadour old town, car-free | 11:00-18:30, from 10 July to 31 August 2026 |
| Rue de la République, Sarlat | Pedestrianised in summer, from 11:00 to 06:00 in July and August |
| Gardens of Marqueyssac | From 14:00 to 17:00 from 12 November to 31 January |
A week for this loop of 6 stages and 6 nights from Périgueux: Brantôme, Hautefort, Lascaux IV, the Vézère valley, Beynac, Sarlat, La Roque-Gageac, Domme and Rocamadour. In 5 days, sleep in Brantôme, Beynac, Sarlat and Rocamadour. Add a night in Sarlat for the market and a canoe trip.
About €60 of petrol at September 2026 prices for about 350 km. Adult entry: Lascaux IV €23, Padirac €20 to €24, Beynac €12.50, Castelnaud and Marqueyssac €24.50 on a combined ticket. Parking in Rocamadour €6 to €16. Hiring in Bergerac, about €190 a week in November, €315 in July.
On the boulevards around the old town: the first hour is free all year if you enter your number plate at the pay machine, and it's free from 13:00 to 14:00. These boulevards are free from 16 November to 31 March. Avenue Gambetta, rue de la République and Grande Rigaudie are charged all year. Overstay: €30.
Yes, in summer. At Padirac, tickets are sold online only and booking is compulsory in summer. At Lascaux IV, tickets are timed: arrive 20 minutes early and allow for the walk from the free car park. Type the full address into the satnav, not just "Lascaux".
May, June and September: sites open, roads and car parks less busy. In July and August, Rocamadour old town is closed to cars from 11:00 to 18:30 and Sarlat's rue de la République becomes pedestrianised. Padirac closes from All Saints' Day to Easter, Lascaux IV from early January to early February.
Driving rules, prices and closures checked in September 2026; hotels checked on OpenStreetMap and then on Booking. Rules change: read the official source before you leave, and check your own government's travel advice for the country. Stop photos: Wikimedia Commons, authors and licences under each image.
Off We Gooo road trip guide · offwegooo.com/en/road-trips/dordogne · by Pierrick, updated 1 October 2026
