ACTIVITY LEVEL: Low

Join Continental DRIFTER® Experiences 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.

On the trip start date guests will be picked up by private vehicle for a group transfer from Angoulême’s train station to the privately-owned Château de Marouatte and returned there at the end of the trip on the tour end date.

Scroll down for a complete day-to-day itinerary and more details about this experience, keeping in mind that all items on the itinerary are subject to change should that be necessary.

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.

"The uniqueness of staying in a castle put this trip over the top. Ralph put together a well organized trip which included interesting adventures each day balanced with relaxation time at the castle. All of the side tours were interesting and unique. The biggest challenge for me was lack of wifi in my castle tower. But lol and behold the game room with its interesting decor provided wifi. I do think the main idea behind the castle was to focus on the quiet and the people around you. I would highly recommend this tour if you like to experience something different and enjoy learning about the region." ~ Lynn D.

"A magical time in a magical location, a private medieval castle whose owner managed some of the most well known rock bands of the 80s and 90s [The Police, REM, the Go-Gos and others]. Stories filled the evening hour around the great dining hall under the watchful eye of several suits of armor. Day trips out to various stone medieval towns for open air markets, gothic churches, an abandoned abbey and prehistoric paintings some 20,000 years old hidden amongst the stalactites of limestone caverns. A unique view of another side of France." ~ Tony P.

"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.

• Location and Grounds:
  
  • Situated on 270 acres featuring both manicured grounds and wild forest.
  • Features a genuine Medieval castle with battlements, a moat, and guard towers.

• Accommodations and Facilities:
  
  • Comfortable and well-appointed single, double and even triple rooms, each with private bath.
  • Large swimming pool, games room, two dining rooms, and a private chapel.
  • Richly decorated with antiques, art, tapestries, stained glass, and suits of armor.

• Historical Significance:
  
  • Site dates back to Roman times, originally a guard post along a Roman road.
  • Evolved from a wooden fort in the dark ages to stone in the late 1100s.
  • The current structure dates from the early 1200s with significant additions in 1569.
  • Historical battleground between the English and French, and significant during the French wars of religion.

• Additional Features:
  
  • Home to what is said to be the second largest pigeon house in the Périgord Vert, a staple of medieval life back in the day used both as a food source and for long distance communications.
  • Described as a destination in itself, requiring a visit to be fully appreciated.

* 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 train connections 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 throughout 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.

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 currently scheduled for 5 pm local time on Day 1.

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 and there is free parking at the castle.

6:00 pm – Check in, relax and then begin to enjoy your stay at Château de Marouatte.

7:30 pm – WELCOME DINNER at the castle where you can enjoy a wonderful meal 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 nearby restaurant or back at the castle.

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 – Buffet BREAKFAST 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 or videos 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 of approximately 350 people 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 DINNER.

Meals: B, D

9:00 am – BREAKFAST 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, and we'll plan this day to coincide with market day.

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.

11:00 am - If available we'll enjoy a pleasurable BOAT RIDE on the Dronne.  Plan to have lunch on your own or as a small group at any of the many restaurants to be found in town.

Recommendations (subject to being open and reservations are highly recommended):

• Le Moulin de l’Abbaye, located at 1 avenue Pierre de Bourdeilles 24310, is a gorgeous 1-star Michelin restaurant located right on the river in Brantôme (reservations required – 05 53 05 80 22)
  
• La Guinguette, located at 25 bis rue Victor Hugo 24310 in Brantôme is a wonderful restaurant in a beautiful setting on the river and opens at noon every day.

3:00 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 you'll 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 and you can even shop for caviar and other related products on site.

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 nearby restaurant.

3:00 pm – TRANSFER back and afternoon free.

7:30 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, or we may choose to eat at a wonderful nearby restaurant in Ribérac.

12:00 pm – TRANSFER back to the castle for lunch and some free time.

1:00 pm – If we don't eat in town, 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, fresh jams, 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).

Exact timing may be subject to change.