Cahors and Lot valley
Discussion
It was c 10 years ago now, but we flew to Bergerac a couple of years in a row in Aug/Sept and rented gites in a few places 30 min to an hour and a half south of the airport. We had a hire car and were out most days going to basdide towns and the usual rural tourist type locations across the area. I think we skirted around Cahors at one point, but didn't go into it.
The roads were less busy than I expected, and in far better condition that the UK (not unexpectedly). We did avoid autoroutes though and were not often on major "non-autoroute" roads from memory.
It was my first time driving on the right and I got on better than I expected (in a mighty Kia Picanto) and quite enjoyed it really - the OH (who refused to have a go behind the wheel) really didn't like the rural roads as a passenger as she felt the locals were a playing a bit fast and loose with keeping to their side of the road when going around corners - I didn't think it was any worse than the UK though. (because of this we are not allowed to hire a car abroad now
)
The smaller connecting roads that looked fine on the map were often very narrow, and unlike single track roads in the UK (I drive a lot in the Scottish Highlands so am used to them) seemed not to have passing places which was a bit lairy if you met oncoming traffic. They were generally very quiet though.
I also fell foul of the HGV road narrowing structures (narrowed chicane type sections with foot and a half high barriers either side) they put in in some places roads within 30 minutes of leaving the airport and whacked the wheels badly. Harder to negotiate than I thought even in a tiny car
Saw very little in the way of Polis, but I generally stuck close to the limits, particularly going in and out of towns and villages.
Loads of Brits around in the touristy places but not unbearably so - not sure what it is like nowadays.
The roads were less busy than I expected, and in far better condition that the UK (not unexpectedly). We did avoid autoroutes though and were not often on major "non-autoroute" roads from memory.
It was my first time driving on the right and I got on better than I expected (in a mighty Kia Picanto) and quite enjoyed it really - the OH (who refused to have a go behind the wheel) really didn't like the rural roads as a passenger as she felt the locals were a playing a bit fast and loose with keeping to their side of the road when going around corners - I didn't think it was any worse than the UK though. (because of this we are not allowed to hire a car abroad now
)The smaller connecting roads that looked fine on the map were often very narrow, and unlike single track roads in the UK (I drive a lot in the Scottish Highlands so am used to them) seemed not to have passing places which was a bit lairy if you met oncoming traffic. They were generally very quiet though.
I also fell foul of the HGV road narrowing structures (narrowed chicane type sections with foot and a half high barriers either side) they put in in some places roads within 30 minutes of leaving the airport and whacked the wheels badly. Harder to negotiate than I thought even in a tiny car
Saw very little in the way of Polis, but I generally stuck close to the limits, particularly going in and out of towns and villages.
Loads of Brits around in the touristy places but not unbearably so - not sure what it is like nowadays.
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