ACTIVITY LEVEL: Low
Join the Continental Drifter Founder and professional tour organizer Ralph Velasco for a truly unforgettable stay in a private 11th-century castle. This trip will concentrate on the truly magical Périgord Vert region of the Dordogne department of southwestern France.
Guests will be picked up by private vehicle for a group transfer from Angoulême’s train station to the privately-owned Château de Marouatte.
Scroll down for a complete day-to-day itinerary and more details about this experience.
Watch this video to get more insights about this exceptional experience.
"Staying in an ancient castle was a once-in-a-lifetime experience." ~ Ken & Sue G.
"Ralph's trip gave us a chance to explore a part of France we would never have seen on our own. Each stop on the trip is like stepping into a picture postcard. Castle Marouatte as your home base is the perfect backdrop for your countryside adventure. And of course, you never go hungry on one of Ralph's trips. Fun times! ~ Neil & Jennine K.
"For me it was a trip of a lifetime because the pace was one I could handle." ~ Victoria H.
“I loved it. Staying in a castle wasn’t too shabby either! The food was well prepared and tasty. The chef and his wife were very friendly and helpful. I would go again.” ~ Marty R.
“What a beautiful area to visit! Off the beaten path, we visited great local places. We most definitely saw a side that not many tourists venture out to. And staying in a castle? How much more magical can that be?” ~ Laurie K.
"When you have Ralph Velasco as the tour organizer, a private castle in the Dordogne region of France, an owner who is your guide, chauffeur, and historian, what else can you ask for? Great food, great wine, beautiful castles built centuries ago, caves where prehistoric men left their drawings on the walls, charming towns with narrow streets and lots of plants and flowers, outdoor markets and so much more. To top it all, unique accommodations and a very small group of participants allows you to know everyone. I recommend Ralph's Alla Campagna Experiences trips highly." ~ Anne-Marie M.
* SPECIAL NOTE: Although the rooms are very nice, each with its own bathroom, guests are asked to please keep in mind that Château de Marouatte is made up of several different buildings with guest quarters and each is quite different from the others. All efforts will be made to pair individual guests and couples with an appropriate room taking into account the number of stairs, location on the property, amount of walking, etc. And because this is truly a medieval castle, not everything in each room is absolutely perfect and so guests are asked to visit with an open mind as this is a part of the experience.
Located in what is called the Périgord Vert in the northwest Dordogne, Château de Marouatte (a.k.a. “the castle”) is about an hour’s drive south of Angoulême train station with high-speed trains to and from Paris arriving in about two to three hours. Bordeaux Airport (BOD) is approximately 2 hours by car and Bergerac is about 1:20.
Getting to the castle from the US or UK we advise taking the TGV fast train from Paris Montparnasse station (~2 hours) or Charles De Gaulle (CDG) Airport in just under 3 hours to Angoulême.
Participants will be picked up as a group on the first afternoon of the trip from Angoulême station, or you may choose to rent your own car for maximum flexibility during the trip.
ALL ACTIVITIES, LOCATIONS, DAYS, AND TIMING ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE
Most meals are included and B = Breakfast, L = Lunch, and D = Dinner
Items mentioned below in ALL CAPITAL LETTERS are included in your fee for this experience.
7 nights accommodations at Château de Marouatte in a single or double room during trip dates. There's NO SINGLE SUPPLEMENT (save $800...limited) if you wish to have your own room throughout the trip.
All Breakfasts (B), 3 Lunches (L) and 7 Dinners (D), including table water, soft drinks, beer, house wine and/or coffee/tea.
All entry fees for group activities as outlined in the itinerary.
Group transfers from and back to Angoulême train station to and from the castle. Transportation for day trips organized as group activities (or we recommend renting your own car for max flexibility).
Flights or other transportation to and from France.
Transfers from and to CDG or other airport(s) from and to your hotel (if applicable).
Pre- or post-trip accommodations outside of published tour dates.
Transportation to and from Angoulême via TGV or other method (your transfers each way are only included on above tour dates).
Meals not specifically outlined in the itinerary as included.
Drinks or other alcoholic beverages beyond table water, soft drinks, beer, house wine and coffee/tea provided during included meals at the castle (may vary for group meals outside the castle).
Items of a personal nature are not included.
Meals: D
Today, unless renting a car or arriving to the castle any other way on your own, you’ll want to take the TGV high-speed train from Gare Montparnasse or Paris’ Charles de Gaulle airport (CDG) or elsewhere to the station in Angoulême. As mentioned, you can also arrive via other methods but please know that we have a single pickup time and meeting point at the station in Angoulême.
5:00 pm – Please arrange your train or other transportation to Angoulême to arrive in plenty of time to make your GROUP TRANSFER to the castle.
N.B. These may be approximate times as exact train schedules are not released
until about 60 days out from the date of travel. Additional instructions for purchasing your tickets will be provided as the trip approaches.
ABOUT THE TGV TRAIN TO AND FROM ANGOULÊME
For more information on the trains in France, if you haven’t already, please start your search at SNCF Connect or OuiGo, which, according to their website “is the official European distribution channel of the French railways (SNCF) for online sales of high-speed and conventional rail travel throughout France and Europe.”
Note: Guests arriving outside of this time frame will need to make their own arrangements to get to the castle, which is less than an hour away from Angoulême by car, but this may not be easy to do, that is unless you rent a car (be sure to get a GPS), which is perfectly acceptable and highly recommended as this will provide you complete freedom throughout the trip.
6:00 pm – Check in, relax and then GUIDED VISIT of Château de Marouatte by the castle’s owner, Miles Copeland, who if available, plans to be with us throughout the trip.
8:00 pm – WELCOME DINNER at the castle where you can enjoy a wonderful meal made by the castle’s chef, Chris, and his partner, Sam, and get to know your fellow travelers more in person.
Meals: B, L, D
9:00 am – BREAKFAST at the castle (served buffet style, come at your leisure)
10:00 am – Morning visit with time to walk around and discover the postcard town of Bourdeilles, situated right on the banks of the River Dronne with ENTRY TO CHÂTEAU DE BOURDEILLES. Be sure to look for the large redwood tree by the bridge.
12:00 pm – After we’ll TRANSFER and enjoy LUNCH at a riverside restaurant called Cabanon (or similar), located in the nearby village of Creyssac.
2:00 pm – Afternoon free to relax, swim or sit by the pool, play in the large game room, take a nearby hike (be sure to know your way back) or simply enjoy the castle grounds and interior.
7:30 pm – Tonight we’ll have DINNER at the castle.
Meals: B, L, D
8:00 am – BREAKFAST on your own at the castle.
9:00 am – TRANSFER and ENTRY TO VISIT Grotte du Villars, a truly incredible underground system of caves with a variety of stalactites and stalagmites that will surely impress. There are also several original paintings estimated to be upwards of 18,000 years old that we’ll be able to see. According to the manager and owner of this site, the cave system is thought to cover an area of 26 square km in total, but the part we’ll visit makes up just 500 square meters, or roughly .02% of the entire area.
Note: It can be cold in the cave so be sure to wear at least a sweater or jacket. And, sorry, but no photos are allowed inside the cave during our approximately 45-minute visit.
10:30 am – Next, we’ll visit Abbaye de Boschaud, an abandoned and derelict structure that is certainly worth a stop.
11:00 am – After our visit to the Abbaye you’ll have some free time to walk around another beautiful village called St.-Jean-de-Côle.
1:00 pm – Next, we’ll have LUNCH at a nearby restaurant to be announced later.
3:00 pm – TRANSFER back to hotel and afternoon free to relax, swim or sit by the pool, play in the large game room, take a nearby hike or simply enjoy the castle grounds.
8:00 pm – As a group back at the castle we’ll have a LIGHT DINNER of aperitifs, or light but substantial snacks.
Meals: B, D
9:00 am – BREAKFAST on your own at the castle.
Morning free to sleep in or enjoy your time as you see fit.
11:00 am – TRANSFER to the city of Périgeuex with time to walk around, shop and have lunch on your own at any of the many restaurants you’ll find. Périgeuex also has an impressive church and other sites you can choose to see and visit.
5:00 pm – TRANSFER back to the castle for afternoon free to relax, swim or sit by the pool, play in the large game room, take a nearby hike or simply enjoy the castle grounds.
7:30 pm – DINNER as a group at castle.
Meals: B, D
9:00 am – BREAKFAST at the castle.
10:00 am – TRANSFER to the nearby town of Brantôme with its impressive Benedictine Abbey de Brantôme, which was founded in 769 AD by Charlemagne.
Here you’ll have plenty of free time to walk its side streets, riverfront and along the sheer cliff walls where cave homes, shops and even the church and abbaye have been carved out of the solid rock.
Plan to have lunch on your own at any of the many restaurants to be found in town.
Recommendations (subject to being open and reservations are highly recommended):
2:00 pm – TRANSFER back to the castle for a free afternoon to relax, swim or sit by the pool, play in the large game room, take a nearby hike or simply enjoy the castle grounds.
7:30 pm – DINNER at the castle as a group.
Meals: B, L, D
9:00 am – BREAKFAST on your own at the castle.
10:00 am – TRANSFER to a town called Neuvic for VISIT to Caviar du Neuvic where we can learn the extremely interesting process of raising sturgeon and how their eggs are collected and processed for caviar. We’ll also have a caviar tasting at the end of our visit.
11:30 am – Next, we’ll drive just down the way to VISIT Moulin de la Veyssiere, a walnut mill where we can see their age-old system of processing walnuts and hazelnuts into very tasty oils (interestingly enough, this region is known for walnut and hazelnut production, not for olives). Those who wish can purchase these products to bring home as gifts or for personal use, but do abide by any customs laws.
12:30 – LUNCH as a group at a very nice restaurant.
3:00 pm – TRANSFER back and afternoon free.
8:00 pm – DINNER as a group at the castle.
Meals: B, D
Friday is market day in Ribérac.
9:00 am – Casual BREAKFAST on your own at the castle (please keep in mind that lunch will be a little later today).
10:00 am – TRANSFER to Market Day in the nearby town of Ribérac where you can marvel at the beautiful and tasty displays of food, flowers and other items on sale and perhaps choose to purchase some food to bring back to the castle to eat as a group.
12:00 pm – TRANSFER back to the castle for lunch and some free time.
1:00 pm – Enjoy an impromptu lunch outside at the castle or in the dining room. You may like to pick up some bread, cheese, fruits and vegetables, sausages, foie gras, drinks and whatever else you’d like to eat and share at lunch.
4:00 pm – Afternoon and early evening free to do your own thing.
8:00 pm – FAREWELL DINNER at the castle.
Meals: B
Unfortunately, your trip comes to an end today so it’ll be time to say goodbye to new and old friends. Be sure to pack all your belongings, check out, leave your key and have everything with you for your GROUP TRANSFER to Angoulême (if applicable).
9 am – BREAKFAST at the castle.
10:30 am – TRANSFER to train in Angoulême, approximate arrival 11:30 am (pretty firm, but subject to change and we’ll discuss ahead of time).
12:15 pm – train Angoulême to Bordeaux
2:26 pm > 5:34 pm – this is one option for a direct train from Angoulême to Paris CDG T2.
Exact timing may be subject to change.
