MOTORHOME Campsites & Parks In Dordogne, France | MOTORHOMEingLife

The Dordogne is a department in southwestern France, named after the Dordogne river that flows through it from east to west. It is among France's most popular motorhome touring destinations and, in peak summer, one of the busiest. The region combines an extraordinary concentration of attractions: prehistoric cave paintings at Lascaux and numerous other sites, medieval and Renaissance castles, perched villages classified among the most beautiful in France, fine regional cuisine centered on duck, walnut, and truffle traditions, and the dramatic river valley itself winding between limestone cliffs. The department has several campings and motorhome aires, with some offering free or donation-based stays. Sarlat-la-Canéda is the quintessential Dordogne medieval town, with a Saturday market famous throughout France for truffle and foie gras traders. The Lascaux IV museum (the current replica version of the original Paleolithic cave paintings) is essential for anyone interested in prehistoric art. Font-de-Gaume and Rouffignac caves contain original paintings still open (with restricted visitor numbers). Les Eyzies-de-Tayac is the national museum of prehistory. The perched villages of Domme, La Roque-Gageac, Beynac, and Castelnaud each overlook the Dordogne river and each deserves at least a half-day's exploration with its dramatic clifftop castle. Rocamadour, technically in neighboring Lot department but visited from most Dordogne bases, is a pilgrimage clifftop village dropping nearly 200 metres in vertical stages down a gorge wall. Brantôme in the north (sometimes called the Venice of Périgord) sits on a river-island with a 9th-century abbey. The department divides into four geographical Périgords by colour: Vert (green, wooded and watered northern section), Blanc (white limestone around Périgueux), Noir (black, heavy forest around Sarlat), and Pourpre (purple, vineyards around Bergerac). Access is via the A20 autoroute toll-free from Paris, with the A89 crossing east-west from Lyon to Bordeaux. Périgueux, the prefecture in the north, has Roman amphitheatre ruins, a Romanesque cathedral with Byzantine domes, and pleasant old-town streets worth half a day. Bergerac in the southwest has its own wine appellations including the lusciously sweet Monbazillac noble-rot wine, direct from riverside vineyards and easily visited from Dordogne valley campsites. The Château de Hautefort north of Sarlat is one of France's finest aristocratic châteaux still in private family ownership. Jumilhac-le-Grand has a distinctive fairy-tale château with dramatic slate-roofed towers. Montignac near Lascaux has a lively medieval core worth a wander after cave visits. The Vézère valley parallel to the Dordogne has its own concentration of prehistoric caves and rock shelters, often collectively called the Valley of Mankind for the density of archaeological sites. Villefranche-du-Périgord in the southeast is a bastide (planned medieval town) with a distinctive market hall. The department's attractions are genuinely overwhelming for a first visit, and many motorhomers return year after year to explore different sections.

Dump stations are only one piece of the trip puzzle. Before you set out for your Dordogne trip, it's worth taking thirty minutes to check that the basics are in place — the four areas below are where unprepared RVers most often get stung.

Dordogne camping runs above the French national average due to tourism demand. Expect 26 to 42 euros per pitch with electric hookup at a popular riverside or village camping in peak July and August, and 20 to 32 in shoulder months. Municipal aires and smaller rural campings run 6 to 18 euros per night. Of the sites in the department, a portion% are free or low-cost aires while a portion% are paid campings with fuller facilities. The ACSI Card delivers meaningful shoulder-season savings at dozens of participating Dordogne sites. France Passion membership is exceptionally useful in this rural region, with many wine, walnut, goose, and duck producers offering free overnight stays in exchange for buying local product. Château entry fees add up (typical fees run €8-15 per adult); consider the Pass Périgord Noir for combined admission to multiple attractions. Lascaux IV tickets are €22 for adults. Restaurant dining varies widely; traditional farmhouse restaurants (auberges) offering classic Périgord menus with duck and walnut specialities run €18-32 for three-course lunches, delivering strong value for the quality of regional cuisine. Canoe rental on the Dordogne typically costs €14-22 per person for a half-day descent of the river.