
This is not a review about what you see, but about how to do it without a car. Since I don't drive, I knew from the beginning that I would need to hitchhike. This was August 2020 and although not all the sites were open or they were already fully booked (as was Cap Blanc when I called, several days before going), I assumed that fully booked meant tourists, hence people I should be able to convince to take me, in spite of the mask. I based myself in Bordeaux and the initial idea was easy: take morning train to Les Eyzies via Périgueux, visit the museum + Cro-Magnon, reach Rouffignac and Lascaux (I had booked a few days before a tour in French for Lascaux II at 5 pm), then evening train Sarlat to Bordeaux.
However, I only managed to get 4 hours of sleep the night before (I was coming from Lyon) and wasted time packing in the morning, so when I checked the timetable board at St Jean, I saw my train had left 3 minutes before. I was so drowsy that I couldn't even panic. Luckily, the next train to Périgueux was coming soon and I used the same ticket. From there, the first stop was at the tourist office, who told me I couldn't make it ('watch me'), then to the cathedral (which is a WHS as parts of Routes of Santiago de Compostela in France) and lastly I crossed Pont Saint-Georges and started hitchhiking. 3 cars later, at around 11 am, I reached Rouffignac Cave, who weren't allowing any pre-bookings, you just had to go in person, get your booking and, if it weren't the first slot of the day, come back. I had called them before reaching, so I knew I still had a chance to get a ticket for after 2 pm and once my booking secured, I went to Les Eyzies with a couple that had just finished the visit.
The museum was impressive, the Cro-Magnon shelter (photo) not that much - probably I need a visit to Musée de l'Homme in Paris. Then I crossed the Vézère for another hitchhike to Rouffignac (I remember I had to wait for a while for that one, but then I was dropped in front of the cave) and then a family who had done the visit with me brought me to Lascaux as the highway to reach Lot wasn't far from Montignac.
I was aware Lascaux II did not have all the reproductions, but at the same time I had read that the guides were good and in hindsight, I wasn't disappointed. I can't find proper words for the excitement that followed after the guide switched off the light and said we would see the paintings through the eyes of the teenagers. At the end I asked the guide why photos were not allowed and was told that it was probably because they preferred to sell the books and postcards.
After another hitchhike, I managed to reach Sarlat station on time for my train, but this meant no time left for the TWHS (the station needs a bit of walking from the centre).
All in all, the caves were outstanding and the trip turned out well, although if I were to do it now I would probably just make it to the station on time or take the train to Saint-Cyprien, then the hitchhike to Les Eyzies should be shorter.
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