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Transport for Sarlat, Dordogne, France | |
| The easiest way to reach Sarlat is by train or car, but some flights are available. Parking in the town is a bit complicated. Plan in advance! | ||
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Sarlat-la-Canéda lies 175 km (109 miles) east of Bordeaux and 520 km (323 miles) south of Paris (map). Major flight and train transportation is via Bordeaux. AirportSarlat does not have its own airport, but two small airports serve the town: Aéroport Brive Vallée DordogneThe Aéroport Brive Vallée Dordogne (BVE), 42 km (26 miles) northeast of Sarlat near the towns of Nespouls (map) and Brive-la-Gaillarde offers connections with Ajaccio, Amsterdam, Brussels, London, Nice, Paris and Porto. More... Aéroport Bergerac Dordogne PérigordThe Aéroport Bergerac Dordogne Périgord (EGC), 70 km (43 miles) west of Sarlat (map), serves flights to numerous cities in the UK as well as some in Austria, Belgium, Corsica, Croatia, France, Italy and the Netherlands. More... TrainTGV trains depart Paris-Gare Montparnasse several times daily speeding to Bordeaux (2 hours), from which you take a TER regional train to Sarlat (2.25 hours). The entire trip, with the correspondance at Bordeaux, takes 5 to 6 hours. You may also find a TGV train right from Paris's Aéroport Roissy-Charles de Gaulle (CDG) to Bordeaux, from which you can take a TER regional train to Sarlat. Several TER Aquitaine trains run daily between Bordeaux, Bergerac and Sarlat, making the journey in about 2-1/2 hours. Gare de Sarlat SNCFThe train station in Sarlat is 1.5 km south of the Place de la Liberté (the center of medieval Sarlat). You can walk to the center in 20 to 25 minutes (map), but it's not a particularly pleasant walk, or take the free Sarlat'BUS (see below). You can rent/hire a car at the Gare de Sarlat to explore other towns in the region. More... Local TransportThe Sarlat'BUS connects the Gare de Sarlat with the place Pasteur in the town center (map), for free. More... Lines 6 & 7 of Modalis, the regional bus service of the Transports de Région Nouvelle-Aquitaine, also run buses between the Gare de Sarlat and place Pasteur in 6 minutes, at a fare of 2€. More... Parking in SarlatThree types of car parking in Sarlat: pay-on-exit, horodateur, and free. Here's my map of Sarlat showing the various parking places. Note that if you use the Flowbird smartphone parking app, you can extend your parking time without returning to your car. It's best to download the app, set up an account and a payment method before you attempt to park. Place de la Grande RigaudieFor most visitors, the most convenient (and expensive) car parking lot is beneath the big old trees of the Place de la Grande Rigaudie, on the SE side of the historic center only 300 meters (4 minutes' walk) from the cathedral (map). Because you pay-on-exit, you can stay as long as you like without having to watch the time as you do with a horodateur. However, you are charged for all time from 09:00 am to 12:00 noon, and 14:00 to 22:00 (2 pm to 10 pm). Place M AlbeJust northeast of Place de la Grande Rigaudie, Place M Albe is horodateur, whereby you buy a ticket for a certain amount of time at a horodateur (ticket machine), place it visibly within your car, and you must leave by the time printed on the ticket (or buy another ticket). This lot is also only 300 meters (4 minutes) from the cathedral. Horodateur TimingIn horodateur lots you are charged from 09:00 am to 12:00 noon and 14:00 to 19:00 (2 pm to 7 pm). If you buy two hours' parking at 11:00 am, the ticket will give your exit time as 15:00 (3 pm), because you are not charged for the time between 12:00 noon and 14:00 (2 pm). More... Northern Parking LotsLots on the north side of the historic center such as Place du Marché aux Noix off avenue du Général de Gaulle (750 meters, 10 minutes to the cathedral), and Place des Cordeliers off rue Fournier Sarlovèze (600 meters, 8 minutes), are free of charge, but a farther walk from most points of interest...and uphill.
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