How to Make Arrangements for Visiting Pech Merle and Rocamadour

[Florida Bill]

Can someone tell me when doing Cele Valley Variant what villages to stay at to go to Pech Merle cave paintings and to Rocamadour? Also, what bus or train do you take to each (Pech Merle and Rocamadour) and how to make reservations for Pech Merle cave paintings?

 

[kayagee66]

Peche Merle is about a 30 minute walk from Cabrerets. It’s uphill and is pretty tiring especially if it’s hot. If you leave in plenty of time you can have refreshments there.
Hotel de Grottes in Cabrerets is pretty good. It has a pool and an outdoor terrace (open to public, evening restaurant reservations are recommended) overlooking the river.
There are other options though.
You can buy your peche merle tickets on the website, and print the tickets or save them on your smartphone.
Make sure you buy the language you want. all visits are guided you can’t just walk in on your own. it takes about 1 1/2 hours maybe a bit more.
I recommend a visit around 10 o’clock give or take an hour. gives you time for breakfast first. And from there it’s a short day to Bouzies, or St Cirq La Popie

Pech Merle prehistory centre and cave

Visit of the prehistory centre and painted cave of Pech Merle in Cabrerets in the Lot Valley in the Causses de Quercy Regional Natural Park surrounded by Midi Pyrénées Grands Sites.

en.pechmerle.com

 

[kayagee66]

From Figeac, Rocamadour can be reached by train (it’s about an hour walk from the train station i think) or bus.
I’ve not been but i know people have recommended staying the night at Rocamadour and returning next day. But the choice is yours.

 

[sharon w]

We caught the train from Figeac to go to Rocamadour. Yes, it’s about an hour’s walk to Rocamadour from the train station or you can catch a taxi. We walked on the way there and caught a taxi to the station on the return trip.
The Peche Merle Caves are great. We walked there on the way. You need to book your tickets as it is very popular and you need the tour for the language you speak. We stayed in the Hotel des Grottes the night before.

 

[Camino Chrissy]

From Figeac, Rocamadour can be reached by train (it’s about an hour walk from the train station i think) or bus.

We took the train from Figeac to Rocamadour and returned later in the day. We felt we had plenty of time to walk the stations, walk aound both below and above, do a little window shopping, and we also enjoyed a nice outdoor lunch on a terrace because it was a lovely sunny day.

 

[lt56ny]

I walked in 2015 and have never heard of these places and wish I had. I guess when you have no guidebook, no telephone and only know how to say Bonjour and however you spell au revoir (is that correct) you miss stuff

 

[BlackRocker57]

Can someone tell me when doing Cele Valley Variant what villages to stay at to go to Pech Merle cave paintings and to Rocamadour? Also, what bus or train do you take to each (Pech Merle and Rocamadour) and how to make reservations for Pech Merle cave paintings?

If you are walking the Célé valley variante you will walk to Cabrerets [after Marcilhac-sur-Célé] the village closest to the Pech Merle caves ... approx. 1km walk from the village on narrow, steep but do-able track that is waymarked and affording fab views back to the village ... english language tours of the caves are generally in the morning = great timing if you are continuing on the Way to Saint-Cirq-Lapopie OR Pasturat 👣👣👣

As for Rocamadour, others here have already dispensed appropriate advice. Day trip out of Figeac ... if not prepared to overnight there, stay as late as you can to enjoy the village in the evening after the tourist types have left 😅 If you do decide to overnight [very worthwhile imho] then there are other other approach options by train that you might consider ...

 

[John Hungerford]

In 2011 in Figeac we asked in the Tourist Office how to get to Rocamadour and return. They said get the train and then take Taxi Pat. They made a booking for us with the taxi. The taxi dropped us off at the top of the town and arranged to meet us at the bottom of the town at a set time. It all worked very well.

 

[Purple Backpack]

We used a small company, walk-bike camino to transport bags and arrange lodging from Figeac to Rocamadour. it was a really fun end to that stage of the GR65. As mentioned above, we stayed at Hotel des Grottes in a riverfront room. We didn't allow enough time to walk up the hill to the caves so make sure you leave early. We were there in May and just bought tickets at the window. Rocamadour, though filled with tourists during the day, was incredible and the hike into the town was spectacular. Evening vespers in the small chapel attached to the cathedral was beautiful and not to be missed. We stayed at the Logis and had a lovely dinner overlooking the valley on the open air patio. Breakfast in the morning included hot air balloons floating nearby. Lovely, lovely way to end the trip. Quick cab ride to the nearby train station and out of Paris to home.