Plan the trip before you choose the house

Decide what kind of holiday you want before you look at houses. If it is your first visit and you want castles, villages and the river, the Dordogne Valley puts most of it within a short drive - at the cost of busier summers.

For history, prehistory and markets, Périgord Noir around Sarlat and the Vézère works well. For wine and a slower pace, look at Périgord Pourpre. For space and quiet, Périgord Vert in the north.

A week is the natural length for a first visit - enough for a few strong days out and a couple of slow ones. A long weekend works best if you stay in one area and do not try to cover the whole department.

July and August are the busiest months, when the best-known villages and river roads are at their most crowded. Late spring and early autumn are calmer. Detailed seasonal guidance will be added once checked.

The most common mistake is too many stops. Three places make a good half-day and five or six a full one. Allow for parking, walking up to castles and lunch that takes longer than planned.

A car is the practical way to explore. Village roads can be narrow and summer traffic along the river is slow. Parking guidance for individual villages is added only once checked.

Markets are one of the best parts of a week here and worth building a day around. We publish market days for each town only once they have been verified.

Keep drives short, mix a busy day with a pool day and choose a base close to the things you want to do. The river, canoeing and castles tend to work well with children.

Visitors arrive by car, rail and air. Routes, airports, ferry and rail options will be added once checked.