The Dordogne region of south-west France is really beautiful, in both a natural and architectural sense. If the entire region was plonked in the English countryside 700 years ago it might now present as one continuous touristy high street fringed by tidy B&B conversions. But this is France, and the villages of the Dordogne mostly feel authentic and aged, rather than touristy or twee. There is, however, a problem that can really burst your travel bubble. Getting around by car (and it’s really the only way to travel here) is tricky. Here are my tips for visiting the Dordogne, or Perigord as they call it on the continent:

1. It’s a large region. Try to stay for a week minimum, particularly if you plan to visit a prehistoric cave and several towns. We had a measly three days which left little time to explore the town we stayed in, let alone drive around other parts.
2. If you’re planning to use your mobile device with Google maps to navigate the area, proceed with caution. That little blue dot that shows where you are moves along the map really slowly in this region. By the time it catches up to where you actually are, you’ve driven too far. And ‘too far’ might find you perched on the edge of a steep hill (yes, it happened to us) or halfway along a narrow cobblestoned lane with nowhere to turn around. Pack a paper map as back-up.
3. Allow plenty of time to reach your destinations. Points of interest are further apart than you think. The back roads are slow and indirect. Signposting is infrequent. And you might get lost on your way to that prehistoric art cave and risk missing out on the spectacular cave tour that was the main reason you came to the Perigord in the first place. Yes, it happened to us and we had to sprint through the forest to make the tour (but it was well worth the effort).
4. If you’re driving to the region from Bordeaux, choose your route carefully. The main freeway is a faster option than cruising through the gorgeous historic towns. And if you’re mastering the lefthand drive, those narrow town streets can be hard to negotiate. Don’t scratch the hire car!