Day 1 Early morning departure for the ferry from Portsmouth to Caen and then on to the Tours area (or similar) for an overnight stop.
Day 2 Continuing the journey through France to Limoges for a lunch stop before travelling to Altillac and the Chateau du Doux for a four night stay.
Day 3 This morning you will visit Collonges-la-Rouge, with its houses built entirely of red sandstone and where 25 towers peek above the village’s narrow streets lined with manor houses, artisan boutiques and terraced restaurants. There is also an amazing ice cream shop here for you to indulge. Plenty of
free time to explore and obtain lunch before travelling to the Gouffre de Padirac, a natural 75 metre chasm in the limestone plateau of the Causse de Gramat. Descend underground by lift where you will join a boat for a trip on the river and enjoy a guided tour of the caves to see the stunning rock formations.
NB: take a jumper as it can get rather cold.Day 4 Today you will travel by way of the beautiful village of Carennac to Rocamadour, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a crucial pilgrimage site for a thousand years and the 3rd most visited village in France. The Rue de la Couronnerie is Rocamadour’s one and only street, and is a lively one with its boutiques, restaurants and souvenir shops. If you would like a more leisurely pace, there is a small tourist train which travels through the village. Every last week-end in September, 30 balloons from all over Europe take off from Rocamadour. You are in for a captivating event as these magnificent flying machines lift gracefully in to the air in front of the medieval grandeur of the ancient city in a festival of flight.
Day 5 Morning visit to Beaulieu Sur Dordogne’s historic centre a stunning medieval village with lots of shops and restaurants. Time to visit the Abbey Church of Saint-Pierre, stroll along the quays and the medieval streets and have some lunch before returning to the Chateau for the afternoon to enjoy the pool and grounds or the library.
NB: As this is a Sunday, shops and restaurants could be closed.Day 6 You say a farewell to Abbie and her lovely family and depart for Poitiers for a lunch stop and free time before continuing to the Tours area (or similar) for the overnight stop.
Day 7 After breakfast you will depart the hotel and travel to Caen for the Brittany Ferries 16.30 hours sailing to Portsmouth and the homeward journey.