Which UK airports fly to the Dordogne in 2026, how long the drive from Calais really takes, the turn you must not miss in Saint-Pompon, and which week of the year we would choose ourselves.
Checked 11 September 2026. Hours and prices change, so follow the links to the official sites before you set off. Distances are from Sol du Mazel.
By air
Routes change every season, so check the airport sites before you book. As at September 2026:
Bergerac
Ryanair from London Stansted daily in summer, Jet2 from Leeds Bradford. Jet2 has announced Manchester and Birmingham for 2027.
The closest, about an hour's drive.
Brive-Souillac
Ryanair from London Stansted twice a week in summer.
Handy for the Lot side.
Limoges
Ryanair from several UK airports, around nineteen UK flights a week in summer.
Often the cheapest fare.
Bordeaux
easyJet, British Airways from Gatwick, Ryanair and others.
The most choice, and a motorway most of the way.
Toulouse
easyJet, Ryanair and British Airways.
Similar drive time to Bordeaux.
Hire cars are at every airport. Book child seats with the car, and check them on collection.
By car from the Channel
From Calais to Sarlat is 725 to 770 kilometres, seven to eight hours on the motorways with tolls of roughly 40 to 65 euros depending on the route, or about ten and a half hours toll-free on the N roads. From Caen or Cherbourg it is 580 to 630 kilometres, six and a half to seven hours, with tolls of about 35 euros. Plan on ViaMichelin.
By train
Intercités trains run from Paris Austerlitz to Souillac and Gourdon, five to six hours, around eight a day. Both stations are about 40 minutes from the house by taxi or hire car. Book on SNCF Connect.
The last mile
From Bergerac take the N21 ring road, then the D660 along the Dordogne to Creysse and Lalinde, then the D28, D29, D25, D51 and D52. Enter Saint-Pompon on the D60 and take the only left turn, the D57, over the bridge towards Besse. After about 150 metres turn right and follow the road uphill for about 500 metres. Sol du Mazel is the first house on the left, before the road bends left. The pool and play areas are visible from the road.
Park at the end of the driveway on the right as you come through the gate, and please keep off the grass. Hope Cottage is down the path to the stairs on the right of the house (///outlines.discerning.rousing). Rose Barn is the stairs on the left (///pulsates.debriefed.unpaid). We send full directions and the key safe code by email before you travel.
When to come
| Month | What it is like |
|---|---|
| May | Green, warm, quiet. Pool heating starts on 1 May. Wild flowers in the meadow. |
| June | Long evenings, strawberries at the market, the river warming up. Our own favourite. |
| July | Hot. Night markets start. Book caves and canoes ahead. |
| August | Hottest and busiest. Pool heating is off because the water is warm anyway. Everything is open and everything is full. |
| September | Warm days, cool nights, cèpes and grapes. Pool heating runs to the end of the month. |
| October | Walnuts, wood smoke and empty castles. Stoves lit in the evening. |
Walking from the door
The Boucle Le Maine is a five-kilometre waymarked loop, about an hour and three quarters, with 130 metres of climb, starting at the sign board on the school car park in Saint-Pompon. Yellow marks. The village has two other marked trails, a nine-kilometre loop from the market car park below the cemetery and a fifteen-kilometre trail from the old fairground. Maps and GPS tracks are on Visorando. The walk down to the village bakery is our daily one.
Questions we are asked
- Which UK airports fly to Bergerac in 2026?
- London Stansted with Ryanair, daily in summer, and Leeds Bradford with Jet2. Jet2 has announced Manchester and Birmingham routes for 2027. Routes change each season, so check the airport website.
- How long is the drive from Calais to the Dordogne?
- Seven to eight hours on the motorways, 725 to 770 kilometres, with tolls of roughly 40 to 65 euros. We recommend an overnight stop on the way.
- What time can we arrive at Sol du Mazel?
- From 4 pm on Saturday. Departure is by 10 am. We send directions and the key safe code by email before you travel.