Bordeaux to Sarlat (Dordogne) advice.

[Cowley]

Evening everyone.

We’re hopefully doing this trip in October, out on a Sunday and returning the next Sunday. A couple of questions though.

Some trains run direct and take around two and a half hours, whereas some journeys require two changes and take over four hours (the changes are at Libourne and Bergerac). It seems to be the same route though, so I was wondering (if anyone knows) where the direct train is likely to have originated from and also what sort of train it’s likely to be? Are we talking some kind of multiple unit on that route?

Any help gratefully received and here’s a map of the area:

Dordogne Travel Guide | Dordogne Rail Network

The Dordogne and Lot area is well connected to the National Rail Network with High-Speed TGV trains from Paris arriving at Bordeaux to the west and Brive-la-Gaillarde to the north east.

dordognetravelguide.uk

 

[Gloster]

Looking quickly at the timetable: all four of the Sunday trains in each direction run to or from from Bordeaux via Libourne. Almost certainly a DMU.

Source: ter Nouvelle-Aquitaine Affiche Horaires Ligne 33.

 

[Cowley]

Looking quickly at the timetable: all four of the Sunday trains in each direction run to or from from Bordeaux via Libourne. Almost certainly a DMU.

Source: ter Nouvelle-Aquitaine Affiche Horaires Ligne 33.

Ok thanks for that @Gloster

 

[Eastwestjct]

Evening everyone.

We’re hopefully doing this trip in October, out on a Sunday and returning the next Sunday. A couple of questions though.

Some trains run direct and take around two and a half hours, whereas some journeys require two changes and take over four hours (the changes are at Libourne and Bergerac). It seems to be the same route though, so I was wondering (if anyone knows) where the direct train is likely to have originated from and also what sort of train it’s likely to be? Are we talking some kind of multiple unit on that route?

Any help gratefully received and here’s a map of the area:

Dordogne Travel Guide | Dordogne Rail Network

The Dordogne and Lot area is well connected to the National Rail Network with High-Speed TGV trains from Paris arriving at Bordeaux to the west and Brive-la-Gaillarde to the north east.

dordognetravelguide.uk

Did the journey few weeks ago. Not bad units. Only advice I would give is from Bordeaux get to station in good time if you want a seat. The train between Bordeaux and Bergerac can be extremely busy.

 

[MarcVD]

And if you're any kind of rail fan, make sure to snap a few pictures in station Le Buisson, which is still fully equipped with mechanical signals.
Even in France, this is becoming increasingly rare...

 

[D6130]

When I last travelled on the line three or four years ago, the majority of the trains were bi-mode class B81500 units....running on 1,500 V dc between Bordeaux and Libourne and then diesel Eastwards from there, although there were still a couple of workings daigrammed for class X72500 DMUs - many of which have now been sold to Romania. If you trawl through my YouTube channel ("Pennine Trains"), you will find a few videos of the line - including a couple showing the mechanical signal gantries at Le Buisson - but I'm afraid I cant do a link.

 

[hexagon789]

Usually a B81500 dual-mode (diesel and 1.5kV electric) autorail à grande capacité on that line

 

[CC 72100]

Usually a B81500 dual-mode (diesel and 1.5kV electric) autorail à grande capacité on that line

Not bad units, just be wary of sitting at the carriage ends where it joins onto the next vehicle, as they have a habit of being very squeaky or making other noises which get annoying after a little while.

Best seats are between the cab and the doors in the middle of the end coaches, as you avoid the problem mentioned above but also get a view at a similar height to that which we are familiar with in the UK. Between the vehicle ends in the intermediate vehicles can feel a bit low down, personally speaking.

 

[hexagon789]

Not bad units, just be wary of sitting at the carriage ends where it joins onto the next vehicle, as they have a habit of being very squeaky or making other noises which get annoying after a little while.

Best seats are between the cab and the doors in the middle of the end coaches, as you avoid the problem mentioned above but also get a view at a similar height to that which we are familiar with in the UK. Between the vehicle ends in the intermediate vehicles can feel a bit low down, personally speaking.

I found them quite comfortable for the regional services they run.

 

[Cowley]

This is all very useful stuff everyone thanks very much.

 

[CC 72100]

I found them quite comfortable for the regional services they run.

Oh they're good as units go and I quite like them - just have that annoying tendency of annoying noises at the car ends and I prefer to higher seating which is a little bit limited due to the configuration of the units.

Was pleasantly surprised at the quality of traction when they turned up on the Transilien P suburban services out of Paris Est (now disappearing due to electrification), it set a high bar that none of the other suburban stock could meet, unsurprisingly.