General information
Getting around the Dordogne Valley without a car is not easy. Bus services are very few and far between and apart from school journeys, you will find two or three buses a day, at best, on most routes. There is however the railway line which has a daily service of local trains.(Be aware that many of the following websites and downloads are available only in French.)
Regional rail website for downloadable and printable timetables : http://www.ter.sncf.com/aquitaine/dep...
Click 'fiches horaires' to bring up a list of lines or use the search box 'Recherche par Gare' to find a timetable for a particular station.
Ligne 26 is the Bordeaux - Libourne - Bergerac - Sarlat line along the Dordogne valley.
If you cannot read French, you can find point to point times at http://www.voyages-sncf.com if you know the exact date you wish to travel.
Local trains between Bordeaux, Libourne, St Emilion, Bergerac, Le Buisson and Sarlat
For much of the train journey, especially the further eastern section, the line hugs the river and criss-crosses it several times. There are six trains running the full length of the line each way on weekdays, five on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays. Some of the smaller stations are served only two or three times a day. Additional trains run between Bordeaux, Libourne and Bergerac. On weekdays there is now almost an hourly service between Bordeaux and Bergerac. Trains run about every two hours at weekends.
Connections to and from Paris are usually made at Libourne.
These are Regional (TER) trains. Most of them are new dual-mode trains that use electric power on the main line and diesel power between Libourne and Sarlat. There is an upper deck which gives good views through large windows, but at one end of the train the seats are first class only.
Reservations are not possible, except for large groups. You can buy tickets in advance, but the price is the same as if bought on the day.
It takes about 2 hours 30 minutes to travel the full length of the line from Bordeaux to Sarlat, so a day trip means an early start.
There is a continuing programme of improvement works on the Dordogne line. Visitors are urged to check train times as short-term changes are likely. The timetable can be downloaded at http://www.ter.sncf.com/aquitaine/dep...
Select Ligne 26.
Train Perigueux - Le Buisson - Monsempron-Libos - Agen
Trains also run between Périgueux, Les Eyzies, Le Buisson, with connections for Sarlat and on to Monsempron-Libos and Agen. There are however only four or five trains each day over most of the line.
Details are on the regional railway page at http://www.ter.sncf.com/aquitaine/dep... then go to 'Fiches Horaires' and select Ligne 48
Local Buses
The Trans- Gironde bus network serves the western end of the Dordogne region, mainly with 'on-demand' routes radiating from Libourne. Details are at http://transgironde.gironde.fr
The Trans-Perigord network's services cover Bergerac, Mussidan, Sarlat and up to Perigueux. Information, maps and timetables can be found at the bus company website.
There you will find a map of the bus routes and links to downloadable timetables.
The buses between Sarlat and Souillac (Ligne 6) are included in the information.
There is a standard fare on the Trans Perigord network of just 2 Euro for any journey.
There is a list of links to other local bus companies at http://www.transbus.org/reseaux/index...
You will however find, at best, only two or three buses a day, even between the larger towns, with virtually no service on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays.
There is no bus service at Bergerac Airport.
Taxis
There is a list of taxi operators in the Dordogne, with numbers to call and website links where applicable at
http://telechargement.ter-sncf.com/Im...
St Emilion, Gironde, France
The village has a number of very roughly cobbled streets and some steep hills. Sensible footwear is recommended!
Access by car
There is very little parking in the village centre and what there is requires payment. In summer there are overflow parking areas to which visitors will be directed. These are free, but involve some minutes of walking back into the centre. Parking for camper vans and RV's is available in the parking area at the railway station.
Access by train or bus
Train
The popular destination of St Emilion now benefits from an improved train service. The little train station is now served by all trains running between Bordeaux, Libourne and Bergerac. There are now, in each direction, fourteen trains stopping on weekdays, eight on Saturdays and seven on Sundays and Holidays.
LIBOURNE is the nearest town with a main line train service. It is about 4 miles/6km from St Emilion. Taxis are available at Libourne, which is a stop for some trains on the Paris – Bordeaux TGV route (times and fares at http://www.voyages.sncf.com) and is about 3 hours and 20 minutes from Paris. Libourne is also served by the TER regional rail network from Bordeaux (30 minutes) and other nearby towns and cities. Regional train timetables can be viewed, downloaded and printed at the regional railway website mentioned above, but note the information is in French only. TER trains do not require reservations nor are they available.
St Emilion's station (which has no personnel, ticket office or even ticket machine) is a stop on the Sarlat – Bergerac – Libourne – Bordeaux rail route. It is about 1 mile/ 1.6km from the village. The timetable can be downloaded etc at the same regional railway website mentioned above. There are trains from Bordeaux suitable for a day out at 0805 (daily), at 1005 (weekends and holidays), 1205 except Sundays and holidays also 1305 on weekdays. The journey from Bordeaux is about 40 minutes. The last trains back to Bordeaux are currently at 1718 daily, 1819 except Saturdays,1918 daily, 2018 on weekdays and 2118 on Fridays, Sundays and Holidays.
The 2118hrs train runs daily in July and August.
Do check times, as they are subject to change around major holiday dates.
The walk from the station into the village is slightly uphill, but not taxing. On leaving the station, turn right and just follow the road. There is a footpath/sidewalk.
Bus
Bus service to St Emilion is very limited. In summer, there are two daily buses each way on Trans-Gironde route 302 from Bordeaux via Libourne. These leave Bordeaux DAILY in July and August at 0920 and 1225 arriving in St Emilion 1 hour and 10 minutes later. Return journeys are at 1335 and 1800. Departure point in Bordeaux is just around the corner from the Tourist Office in Allée Orleans, which is next to the Quinconces tram stops on Lines B and C, also many local buses. The buses do not go via the city centre or the St Jean railway station. Arrival in St Emilion is just outside the centre of the village, which is closed to vehicles.
Timetables can be viewed and downloaded at http://transgironde.gironde.fr/
In September and June, the bus runs only on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. It does not run at all during the winter months.
The only other bus serving St Emilion village is an 'on-demand' route number 315 which runs four times a day to and from Libourne on weekdays only. Intending travellers need to phone the bus operator (Autobus du Libournais 0974 500 033) the previous working day before 1800 to secure a ride on this bus except for the school runs.
The Gare Routière (bus station) in Libourne is 200 metres from the railway station. It is clearly signposted. It has no ticket or enquiry office.
