Hi Mark,
Could you possibly suggest anywhere we could us as a base for exploring this area?
We are also looking for a base in Gers department if anyone can help.
We want to find a third and final base camp for our month long exporation of the Midi-Pyrenee.
If anyone has any notable weather information on these areas, it, and any property price indications would be good to know.
Answers on a postcard…Thanks
AccuWeather is quite good as well, Green-acres website is good for giving you an idea what is available and at what price.
I worked on a campsite in Lectoure when I first came to France, very pretty, lovely restaurant and seemed very central to the area (between Auch and Agen).
The area I was referring to is what geographers term a dissected plateau, small hills on top at an altitude of around 500 metres with deep steep sided river valleys, principally the Lot and its tributaries such as the Cele. It’s around the junction of the Lot, Aveyron and the Cantal . We divide our world on the basis of strata - people like us who live on the river banks (best in mediaeval properties built above the traditional flood plain), those who live on the heavily wooded valley slopes and those who live amongst the rolling dairy farmlands of the plateau. Properties on the top often have larger areas of usable terrain and get the most sun, but are also the most exposed in winter. It’s easy to travel between the zones and there’s a lot of landscape variety.
Not sure of your status, but if you’re not looking for a principal residence, I’d suggest not looking too far from Jct 56 of the A20, either up on the Causse de Quercy, or down in the Lot and Cele valleys. The nearest town for a base would be Figeac (very nice) https://www.tourisme-figeac.com/
with some lovely nearby villages such as Corn
[https://www.google.com/search?q=corn+46+lot&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiNyN7-v4fvAhUNnxQKHTSRBekQ_AUoAXoECAgQAw&biw=1600&bih=795]
We’re a bit further east about 35 minutes from that junction and about 30 mins from Rodez airport. For exploring the northern Aveyron I’d recommend Rodez (city) or Marcillac (charming mediaeval town) as a base.
The traditional/ vernacular architecture varies in appearance according to the colour of the local bedrock - sandstone, limestone or schist, with tiled or lauze roofs.For some visuals see;
Winters are mild and short, summers aren’t scorching; particularly at lower altitudes, but nevertheless in winter many of our friends go skiing just for the day in the southern Cantal ski resorts (I saw sufficient snow as a child on the Pennines, OH is S African and can’t cope with cold places).
Hope there’s some helpful info above
Thanks for replies so far.
Mark, we are indeed looking for our principle residence. Figeac and it’s environs look very interesting. So much to do and to see. Thank you for the information and the links.
I will try to book something for our trip in Figeac.
Albi , a bit further south and environs are very nice.
We visited the Figeac market this morning, it always feels good even though all the restos and cafés are closed. Hope they’ve opened again in time for your recce.
Thanks Peter
We had some people who came to look at our house in Stroud when we were selling to move to France and they had been living in the Lot.
They said that they did not realise that it closed down in the winter.
All the local campsites that I know are closed between October and February. On the other hand I only know of one local resto that closes for winter https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g4163317-d4602457-Reviews-Chez_Marie-Grand_Vabre_Conques_en_Rouergue_Aveyron_Occitanie.html
As posted above, yesterday morning we went to the market in Figeac and it was busy even though all the bars and restos (and the tourist oiffice) were closed.
I view the autumn and winter as seasons when I’m less likely to be behind a tourist’s camper van doing a nervous 60kph along a perfectly typical Ayeronais or Lotois departmental road.
This looks like a useful tool for making comparisons for property cost. Has anyone used it on here? Property price
These were not campsite people. There are many shops that close for the winter in Cluny.
That doesn’t bother me, shopping is not my thing.
Really? I thought this was a seaside thing in really touristy places. I don’t know of any normal shops that shut around here. The exceptions are the super touristy places like Chateau de Castelnaud / Roqamadour and kayak hire places!
Rocamadour… definitely touristy… 22 March… many years ago, we were horrified to find everything closed…
But the locals were very kind.
There we were, celebrating OH’s birthday… 22 March…
Glorious 34c… and we enjoyed “café cognac” sitting outside in the blazing sunshine, while the café owner continued scrubbing out his closed premises, getting ready to open for the tourist season… which would come around, eventually… 
I think that was “the moment” when we decided that moving to France was our goal.
Jane, I used to teach at the IUT in Figeac, the Lot doesn’t close for the winter, there are less tourists but life goes on as normal
This was not our words, but the people who were looking at our house.
Cluny does have tourist shops which close and some of them change hands every year!
Rocamadour… definitely touristy
Ah, but if you’re serious, you have to do the ascent on your knees, praying at each chapel and and at each Station of the Cross…
I’m fairly certain you won’t get total remission of your sins and eternal salvation if you go up in the lift. But I could be wrong…
You’re a long way from Figeac!