add those to the not to visit column then 
thanks Mary good advice. my local farmer sometimes acts like I’m his long lost brother and other times like I’ve been sheep rustling! although I think he was worried I might want to rent land off him rather than vice versa and need to factor in cultural differences. one day he was telling me it was his fence, until it needed mended and then it as my fence. when I said I might upgrade it that was OK if I paid, but ultimately it was his fence and he could put it back if he needed!
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thanks Stella. I live in a listed building here, so definately use to following protocols! thanks for tip about pre buying, and ill be sure to research ahead of any offers and changes.
If possible, perhaps you might take photos of boundaries and anything (ANYTHING!) that comes up in discussion regarding property topics, between you and your neighbor(s). I would make extra effort to do this, and document. I would do the photos a bit surreptitiously.
Just a thought.
let’s add Graulhet to the list while we’re at it! 
When we lived that way, we did visit Graulhet, but only once!
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Is L’Imperial at Laboutarie surviving the virus?
There is Bergerac airport of course but it has fewer lines. You could do worse than have a look a map showing railway lines, motorways etc because though the back of beyond is often super pretty do you really want to be an hour away from decent health care or a dentist, or have to drive half an hour to get a gas bottle. I was in the bundu near Monpazier earlier today and you couldn’t drive off to work every day if you lived there, it would kill you.
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Well what do you reckon, Jules and Alan? Put you off? I just don’t understand this flow of negativity from so many contributors.
I think that in your own OP you have showed that you are trying to assess the effects of tourism on some places in Dordogne.
I have lived in Dordogne for 20 years now. We live up on a hill, at the end of a ‘chemin rural’. No passing traffic, just the postlady. A view to keep you calm for ever. But 5 minutes drive and I’m in a major town, with every facility you could want. It’s not Sarlat though - described frequently as ‘the jewel in the crown’, every man & his dog who ever comes to Dordogne goes to see Sarlat. So not a good location to pick IMHO.
There are just so many better choices here. You will have a tourist peak (even this year!) in July and August, so you will grumble when you have to queue longer at your favourite boulangerie. The shops & markets will be full - but then (like the local French) you will enjoy that sense of ‘taking back control’ when the tourists depart as quickly as they came, specifically to meet school holiday times.
Your plan is right - come down here; stay a while; explore; imagine yourself here. Come back again to somewhere else - and repeat the exercise - you’ve got 6 years to make up your mind, no need to start getting scared about the local farmer!
You’ll love it.
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This is the sort of set-up that seems ideal and it describes my situation almost exactly (although I actually have a 60km commute to a different town every day for my job) - I do appreciate that many of you here are retired or on the way to retirement so maybe being a long way from everything bothers you less. Where I was this morning was lovely but completely impractical for someone like me.
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Surely it is better to hear positives and negatives. Reading some of the posts, I would not have thought of some of the negatives, thankfully we chose well If Alan wants to live in a town then he must expect tourists, especially if the area is popular. Or like many others choose the outskirts and have the option to go into town as and when. My closest town is not really a tourist destination, but in the summer a lot of tourists do come. If I head ten minutes in the other direction during the summer I would be stumbling over many so many tourists, I would say majority being English 
So many options, the choice is yours
I have only passed through the areas you mentioned Alan, both very nice,but then so are many other places I have seen 
I know people that hated the winters, too quiet.
Good luck with your search.
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If I was looking I would certainly want to hear the bad as well as the good,it’s not negativity it’s reality. Some areas will be buzzing at times then dead as a dodo at others do people want that? Or would they prefer a more balanced timetable,less in summer but still things happening off season?
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“Graulhet” sounds like a gastric complaint that afflicts town-dwelling tourists, when holidaying in the area.
Off my radar so can’t comment 
and most tourists can’t pronounce it either 
Thanks Michael. No not put off at all. its good to get all views. If I had my way Id be on the side of mountain somewhere, but Jules is the more practical one 
Thanks for the advice Al.
What one person likes another doesn’t so best to find out for yourself. When we were looking we spent a month starting with Sarlat which we found beautiful but expensive, then Eymet on the far left but it was not to our taste and was told by all don’t go north, so we went north and found a lovely village with a few shops and a bistro fell in love and bought. This search took a month during which time we developed our wish list. Inc no fosse but mains water, local bread shop, all year bistro, post office, pool, loads of local attractions, village walks, nearby railway station and airport. We also wanted a dump within a short drive, as well as a cash point and petrol station. We found our place 50 mins from Limoges, Perigueux and its not much further to Angouleme. I often take the train and browse the shops without the other halfs comments! Can get to Paris direct from Limoges, or Bordeaux from our local station. There is loads going on across the year all you need to do is join a few local Facebook/google groups. My one top tip would be beware of local lakes with frogs. They give a loud non stop mating call from April to July in our area. It might sound funny but what a racket! Happy house hunting.
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“What one person likes another doesn’t so best to find out for yourself.”
I love our frogs! We have a large mare in our garden which is heaving with amorous frogs in spring - usually hit peak love-in at end March. We find the noise very musical. They are lovely russet frogs, which are a protected species, so we have to mount guard during the season to prevent frog rustling and destroy traps.
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It means tadpole in Occitan, as well as being a place-name.
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