This French Life

Category: Featured

Map of UK flights to Bergerac Airport for summer 2023

FLYING from the UK to Bergerac Airport opens up the Dordogne and all that it offers to you, as well as many of the surrounding départements.

For summer 2023 there are a number of flights from across England to Bergerac, but sadly nothing is available for those flying from Scotland or Ireland.

Ryanair is offering the greatest number of flights this year, with Jet2.com and British Airways also providing flights to Bergerac.

Bergerac Airport is still a small operation considering its popularity, especially in the summer, so you might face a short delay whilst going through passport control, especially now that British visitors will require their passports to be stamped.

There are a number of car hire options available at the airport, but its location on the main arterial road, the N21, means you can quickly be off driving into the Dordogne, or the surrounding Lot-et-Garonne and Gironde départements.

One thing to remember about driving either to or from Bergerac Airport is that the distances involved in driving across the Dordogne can make what appears to be a bargain flight, turn into a long haul trek across country.

Bergerac Airport flight map

Ryanair

London Stansted
Bristol
Liverpool
East Midlands
Bournemouth
Porto
Brussels-Charleroi

Jet2.com

Birmingham
Manchester
Leeds Bradford

British Airways

London City
Southampton (BA offers connecting flights from Southampton)

Transavia

Rotterdam

Airport parking

Car parking options at Bergerac Airport are available, with a larger area providing long-term parking, although if you are away for a long period of time it will most probably be better to get a taxi or a friend to drop you off.

There is also a short stay parking area that is suitable for dropping friends off, there is no longer the option to use a short section of road to drop off or pick-up people from directly in front of the doors into the departure area.

This has been closed off and can only be access by registered taxi drivers.

Cheap flight tips

You can make your search for cheap flights to France a little easier by being flexible on your dates of travel, and if possible book one to three months in advance.

If you are able to take a midweek flight they are generally cheaper then weekend travel, also travel early morning or around noon to get cheaper flights.

Remember if you arrive at your destination late in the day then public transport might be limited, and double-check that the day of your arrival is not a public holiday as again transport options could be limited.

Keep your eyes open for extra fees and charges especially when paying with a credit card, and if possible travel with just hand luggage as bags placed in the hold will face a charge.

Ultimately if you find a good price for a flight to France then book it, even if you change your mind later, it may be just a few pounds you lose.

22 June 2022
Dordogne airports and driving distances

YOUR best airport for flying to the Dordogne will very much depend upon where you are staying because it is one of the largest départements in France.

The Dordogne can take a good three hours to drive across, so whilst you think you might have saved money on your flights by landing at a ‘cheaper’ airport, if you have to add on the cost of travel to your final destination you could have lost out in the long run.

So if we use for example Périgueux, found close to the centre of the Dordogne as our target destination what distances are we looking at for driving to the town from airports in the south west of France?

Bergerac Airport

Summer flights to Bergerac Airport from the UK and the Netherlands are common so many people flying to the Dordogne will land here.

It is found to the south of Bergerac and is a small airport that accommodates thousands of holidaymakers every summer, but also those visiting family and friends back in the UK or those still with business and work there.

The distance from Bergerac to Périgueux is around 50kms, so less than an hour’s drive along main roads and with plenty of places to stop for a break on the way if necessary.

Recently Begerac Airport has also started a summer bus service that connects to other towns and villages in south west France.

Limoges Airport

Found in the Haute-Vienne, Limoges Airport opens up options if you are planning on going to the north of the Dordogne.

It is around 100kms from Périgueux, so you are looking at around a two hour drive, but if you are staying close to the Périgord-Limousin Regional Nature Park then Limoges is your best option.

Brive Airport

The inauguration of Brive Airport was on 15 June, 2010 and it has slowly established itself as an alternative route to the north and eastern side of the Dordogne, as well as the higher reaches of the Dordogne valley.

It is not as popular as Bergerac so you are not guaranteed regular links to the UK will be operating year after year, much depends upon the willingness of airlines to provide flights to Brive.

As for driving to Périgueux, you are looking at a little over an hour covering a distance of 75kms.

Bordeaux Airport

The international Bordeaux-Merignac Airport is one of the largest in France and offers flights to destinations around the world.

A key point about the airport is that it is found to the west of Bordeaux, so you have to get round the city first before heading towards the Dordogne and whilst there is a ring road tolls are payable on some sections.

As for distance, Périgueux is 150kms away so you will need to plan for about a three hour drive, as long as you don’t bump into any traffic problems round Bordeaux.

Toulouse-Blagnac Airport

I would say that Toulouse Airport is about the limit of places to fly to if you are driving north towards the Dordogne.

The distance to Périgueux is 260kms meaning a drive of around four hours, which is a bit long in the summer months, although the vast majority of the trip can be done on autoroutes.

If you are planning on staying around the southern reaches of the Dordogne, and Bergerac airport is not an option, the distance is a little more manageable at around 150kms, so approximately a little over a two and a half hour drive.

Whilst summer flights to the Dordogne are usually many and varied, you might want to double-check just how far your ultimate destination is from the airport.

Because, that bargain priced flight might not look as attractive as you thought if you still have a long drive in front of you upon arrival.

15 June 2022
Map shows where ticks are found in France

A MAP showing where ticks are most common in France highlights an area from the south west, through the central region and on into the north east corner of the country.

Published by l’INRAE (l’Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement) it highlights areas that are heavily wooded and which feature many wild animals such as deer and boar.

Popular holiday regions such as here in the Dordogne are areas of high risk, with researchers saying that an increase in the number of animals that carry ticks being a reason behind their spread.

Risk of Lyme disease

If you are bitten then ticks can pass on Lyme disease, the beginning of which is recognisable by a red rash in the shape of a bullseye target, usually with a small bite mark at its centre.

Around 60,000 cases a year of Lyme’s disease are recorded in France, and as more and more people spend leisure time in the woods the chances of crossing ticks and being bitten rise.

At the earliest sign you should visit a local doctor as antibiotic treatment is possible to deal with the flare up, if you leave it real problems can occur and cause highly disabling illness.

Ticks on cats and dogs

Ticks are also a risk to your dogs and cats, attaching themselves to your pets and risking the development of diseases such as leishmaniasis, babesiosis, ehrlichiosis and heartworm.

These can prove fatal to your pets so precautions should be taken.

To protect your pets you can use spot-on treatments such as Frontline, and use a small hook to pick out the tick from your pets skin or your own, you can find treatments on Amazon.

Make a habit of looking over your pet for the distinctive tick, there is a larger black variety and a small red coloured one.

How do ticks transmit diseases?

Ticks will attach themselves to humans or animals and feed on the blood after biting their host.

They can transmit pathogens to new hosts and the diseases they pass on are transmitted through their saliva, that’s why it is important not to squeeze the body of a tick when attached to the skin as it will force these body fluids back into its host.

A tick’s ability to spread illnesses and diseases is very good as they can feed on large amounts of blood and increase the chances of absorbing a pathogen.

They can also travel long distances as they attach themselves to humans and animals who then move around.

Ticks also have a long life span, sometimes a few months, and they reproduce in large numbers, ensuring diseases they carry are kept active in the environment.

Tips on protecting yourself

The most common area for the presence of ticks is woodland so if you are out walking with family and friends, or with your dog, then make a habit of looking over your clothes and through your pet’s fur to try and spot any ticks early.

If will also help if you wear light-coloured clothing that shows ticks easily and covers arms and legs. Wear long-sleeved shirts, tight at the wrists, long pants tight at the ankles and tucked into socks, and shoes covering the whole foot.

Apply diethyltoluamide (e.g., DEET) to skin and permethrin to clothing. But do not apply it to clothing while it is being worn, and allow the clothing to thoroughly dry before wearing.

Perform daily checks of skin for ticks. Check children two to three times a day. Check under waistbands, sock tops, under arms, and any other moist areas.

Remove ticks by using toothed hooks like these on Amazon or you should be able to buy them at a chemist or vets.

Slide the teeth of the tool across your skin and around the tick as closely to the skin as possible. Use a steady motion, pull the tick’s body away from the skin.

If parts of the tick remain stuck in the skin, they should be removed as soon as possible.

Suffocating the tick with oil, cream etc. may induce injection of more infectious material into the body, so do not use petroleum jelly, burning matches or cigarette ends, nail polish or other products.

Related: Tiger mosquito warning map for France

10 June 2022
How many British people live in the Dordogne?

HOW many British people live in the Dordogne? It is 7,198 according to the French statistics authority, INSEE.

Using census figures from 2016, the research body claims that the Dordogne is the second most popular place for British people to live in, behind Paris.

Overall, there are around 148,000 British residents in France, with the majority living along the western side of the country.

How many people live in the Dordogne?

Again using 2020 figures from INSEE there are 412,807 people living in the Dordogne, which is actually down around 3,500 compared to figures from 2014.

In terms of population, the Dordogne is one of the least densely populated departments in France.

The largest city in Dordogne is Périgueux, which has a population of around 29,255 which is down on the 2014 numbers.

Other important towns in the department include Bergerac with 26,360 inhabitants (27,776 in 2014) and Sarlat with 8,788 (from 9,127 in 2014).

Long term British residents

The vast majority of British people in the Dordogne have been living here for more than ten years, with 53% of those retirees, and across Nouvelle-Aquitaine there are just over 39,000 resident British people, making up 26% of the total number of British people in France.

At a Dordogne level the area around Eymet is the most popular destination for British people living the département, with nine per cent of the local population made up of British, with Ribérac the next most popular with around 4.3%.

Increase in British living in Dordogne

The figures show a sharp increase in the number of British people resident in Dordogne between 1999 and 2006, with around 3,000 at the end of the 90s heading upwards to just over 7,000 in 2016.

Whether Brexit will put a break on this remains to be seen, but with many British in France relying on freedom of movement rules to live and work here, it seems likely that the numbers moving to l’hexagone will fall.

Why do Brits move to the Dordogne?

I’m sure the quality of life, the easy pace and the mild Dordogne weather are just some of the reasons the region appeals so strongly.

There are many local village fairs and events that draw on the traditions of the Dordogne, and if you are willing to take part and volunteer your time you will often be welcome.

There is also a great deal of history to explore and learn, going as far back as Cro-magnon man, through the Hundred Years War and wars of religion, to the farming practices and the countryside way of life that appeals.

Of course the countryside is also a big draw, with gentle hills, atmospheric woods and meandering rivers offering plenty of spots to explore.

You are also often very close to the natural world, with bird spotting, orchids and other wild flowers found at the road sides and you will often see deer, foxes and occasionally badgers and sanglier.

What are the disadvantages of the Dordogne?

Travel is very much dominated by the car as public transport is either confined to the bigger towns, such as the bus service from Bergerac Airport, or is very difficult to work around due to a reduced timetable.

If you look at a map of the Dordogne you will see that the main autoroutes and train lines go around the département, and these provide easy access to other towns and cities in France.

However, it can take you an hour or more to actually get to the autoroute junction or mainline train station in the first place to begin your journey.

Medical services are usually of the highest quality, but again you might have to travel some distance to get an appointment with the dentist or a physiotherapist.

This is because of the déserts médicaux in the countryside areas of France, it is not just a problem in the Dordogne, so doctors’ surgeries are often short of medical professionals or doctors decide to continue working beyond their retirement age to help ease the backlog.

What is the cost of living in the Dordogne?

You might want to get an idea of the cost of living in the Dordogne so you can plan ahead if you want to visit or are looking to make a permanent move.

Packaged goods from supermarkets can often be expensive, especially more well known names, but to get an idea of prices the bigger supermarkets such as Leclerc over a pick-up service and so you can check prices through their website.

Petrol prices are another cost you can check online with official figures gathered together letting you search via an online map and so get up to date prices.

But if you want to keep an eye on costs fruit and vegetables from local markets are a good option and do as the French do, buy local – buy seasonal, and if you are really keen grow your own vegetables.

21 July 2020