The Easiest Travel to Bergerac, France

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Situated in South-West France, Bergerac is located between Bordeaux and Toulouse in the Dordogne Purple region which makes it the perfect central location from which to explore the ‘Pays de Bergerac’.  The region is rich in vineyards and fortified ‘bastide’ towns, an extraordinary range of natural and historical heritage sites; fabulous, protected countryside; the beauty of the Dordogne River; the renowned gastronomy and wines of Bordeaux and Bergerac; a rich cultural life and numerous leisure and sporting activities.

Traveling to Bergerac for a holiday? Not sure whether you should take a plane or train? Here are the easiest travel options to Bergerac. Hope you enjoy your French holiday or yoga retreat.

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Easiest Travel From the United Kingdom to Bergerac

Fly to Bergerac

FLY! Cheap flights from the United Kingdom to Bergerac abound. Ryan Air is available for those who fly from Bristol, Liverpool, London Stansted, East Midlands, and Brussels-Charleroi. Flybe flies from Birmingham, Edinburgh, Exeter, Southampton, and Leeds Bradford to Bergerac.

Fly to Bordeaux (1-1.5 hrs from Bergerac by train or car)

British Airways flies to Bordeaux from London Gatwick and BMI Baby flies from Manchester, East Midlands and Nottingham. From Bordeaux you will take the train or taxi to Bergerac.

Easiest Travel to Bergerac From The UK By Rail

Travel time from Waterloo International (London) to Paris Gare du Nord is 3 hours. Then at Gare Montparnasse in Paris take a train direction Bordeaux, change at Libourne where you can rent a car and you will arrive in Bergerac within another 4 hours. Or from Waterloo Station in London you can change at Lille for Libourne.

Easiest Travel to Bergerac from the UK By Channel Tunnel

You can take the Eurotunnel train from Ashford (near Dover) to Calais and then drive down some 700 miles either in a day or taking a more leisurely pace over a few days.

Easiest Travel to Bergerac from the UK By Ferry

The time it takes to drive from the UK depends very much on which ferry crossing one takes (Caen is the nearest) and how leisurely one’s approach is to touring through France. It is possible to easily drive down in one day – some 300 to 450 miles of motorways.

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Easiest Travel From Amsterdam to Bergerac

Transavia has flights to Bergerac for those who fly from Amsterdam-Schiphol.

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Easiest Travel From Paris to Bergerac

Take the train from Paris Montparnasse toward Bordeaux and change at Libourne (approx. 3.5 hours) From Libourne you’ll take another train to Bergerac, which is about another hour more. The total trip time takes about 5 hours.

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Easiest Travel From the United States to Bergerac

From the United States I recommend flying into Bordeaux (easiest) or Paris. From Bordeaux you can take a taxi or train to Bergerac. If you’re flying in to Paris I recommend staying overnight in the city to catch up on sleep, eat great food and be on the first train to Bergerac in the morning to arrive by noon.

There are tons of flights from the USA to France. Vancouver, Montreal, Toronto, NYC, LAX, Miami, Boston, and Washington, DC all offer affordable flights to Paris and sometimes even Bordeaux. Another option is to take one of the LAX/NYC flights to Nice and then a train or flight to Bergerac or Bordeaux. Pro Tip: Start looking for your flight early and consider flying from a hub.

Hire cars are available in Bordeaux and Bergerac either at the station or airport.

Be a “Bad” Yogi And Enjoy That Bergerac Wine!

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Al-fresco dining at Chateau de Bardouly

It’s mid-winter here and I am at my dining room table writing, enjoying the last few moments of golden sunlight, listening to a French cafe inspired playlist and sipping a delightful white wine from Bergerac, a small township in the Dordogne valley. I sat down to plan our May yoga retreat in France, but instead I sit and daydream of long lunches with new yoga friends, sipping rosé, soaking in the sun and basking in the post yoga glow during our next yoga retreat. Attending a yoga retreat in France? You should plan an extra day (or two) to explore the local vineyards and countryside.

For our retreat attendees we always give them an afternoon off to do as they please. If they’re like me and Toni they will head out into the countryside, camera in hand and explore local vineyards, lakes and orchards. There are so many vineyards and châteaux nearby it’s hard not to explore. May and June are the best months to explore southwest France because the temperature is comfortable, not too hot and not too cold. In the late spring the days are longer and if it rains it won’t rain all day. The countryside is in full bloom. The orchards, lilac and wisteria are lovely this time of year.

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Beynac on the Dordogne River.

The Dordogne’s culinary heritage, vast fields, lazy river, and picturesque villages carved into limestone cliffs captivate. In the spring the hills are vibrant and green and the markets overflow with fresh seasonal produce like white asparagus and strawberries. The Dordogne region, Bergerac included, boasts delicious wines to suit most palates. Travelers will find plenty of interesting wine gems in the Bergerac area.

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Issigeac Sunday market.

Bergerac alone has 13 different appellations. The area’s soil has excellent drainage provided by the Dordogne river that meanders through the region and excellent growing conditions. The region mostly produces hearty red wines made from a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot blended with local varietals (they produce malbec too!). These tannic reds are perfect paired with the cuisine “du terroir” like foie gras, local pates, charcuterie, confit and red meats. They could also work well with a hearty vegetarian pasta or roasted vegetable dish.

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Bergerac wine.

The Bergerac region also produces some excellent drier white wines (with big fruit) and roses perfect for a relaxing afternoon or al fresco dinner. Château Monbazillac produces a sweet white, simply known as Monbazillac that is surprisingly good and perfect for dessert. Château Monbazillac makes a nice day trip from Château de Bardouly. You can take a peek around Château Monbazillac and it’s grounds, enjoy a wine tasting and winery tour. Château Monbazillac is symbolic of the Bergerac region. The Château has stood proudly since the end of the 16th century when the quality of its wines was well known far beyond the borders of Aquitaine. The château is exudes both renaissance and medieval architecture and just a few kilometers from Bergerac.

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Chateau Monbazillac.

For the wine geeks, I mean oenophiles, here is a list of Bergerac appellations:

  • Bergerac AOC: dry white wines, rosé wines and red wines. These are wines that can be enjoyed young (from two years old).
  • Côtes de Bergerac AOC: mellow, soft red wines (reach their prime after several years’ storage in the wine cellar)
  • Montravel AOC: dry white wines and red wines.
  • Haut-Montravel AOC: sweet white wines.
  • Côtes de Montravel AOC: sweet white wines.
  • Monbazillac AOC: white dessert wines (storable for a long time)
  • Pécharmant AOC: red wines. These are wines suitable for medium-term storage.
  • Rosette AOC: sweet white wines. This appellation, which is the smallest within the wine-growing area, produces little-known wines that are medium-sweet to sweet.
  • Saussignac AOC: white dessert wines (store medium to long-term)

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    Monbazillac vines.

Wine and Yoga Retreat in Southwest France

During our yoga retreat in France in May 2017 a local wine curator will join us at Château de Bardouly for an evening wine tasting event. We will enjoy the best Bergerac wines and learn about the history of the Dordogne wine culture and local vineyards.

Have you considered attending a yoga retreat… perhaps a luxury yoga retreat in a château??? They’re not all for hard core yogis… some retreat leaders like Toni and I like to “keep it real”. We provide an opportunity to enjoy a luxurious week away from all the daily commitments with a bit of yoga and meditation thrown in… and yes wine, friendship, and sunshine.

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Chateau De Bardouly our home during our yoga retreat in southwest France.