How to get there
Songtsen’s main office is located at La Bicanderie on the Côte de Jor, a long ridge above the Vézère vally, just near St. Léon sur Vézère, in the Dordogne, France. Chanteloube, Siddhartha and KRF departments are mainly run from here. The Padmakara office is located a few kilometers away on the road towards the village of Plazac. For directions, please see the resources below:
- Songtsen maps
- Directions: Online resources & GPS
- Arriving by road, train, and plane
- Rental car information
Songtsen maps
View maps of Dordogne, and learn more about Songtsen's interactive Google Earth map of the organizations' main locations in Dordogne, France, which also includes helpful information, such as local train stations and nearby airports. View maps »
Directions: Online resources & GPS
Online driving directions
Online driving directions
For online driving directions, enter your starting point here:
Get directions from Google.com maps
Directions are also available at www.viamichelin.com - an online route planning service for Western Europe that provides free interactive maps, driving directions and travel information.
GPS navigation
GPS navigation
For those with GPS navigators, here are Songtsen's coordinates:
| How to get there: GPS coordinates | ||
| Location | Latitude | Longitude |
| La Bicanderie (Songtsen's main office) | 45° 1'27.16"N (45.0242111111) | 1° 4'31.47"E (1.07540833333) |
| La Bicanderie junction (on Côte de Jor rd.) | 45° 1'25.27"N (45.0236861111) | 1° 4'42.62"E (1.07850555556) |
| Chanteloube stupa & retreat | 45° 1'13.46"N (45.0204055556) | 1° 3'45.98"E (1.06277222222) |
| Chanteloube junction (on Côte de Jor rd.) | 45° 0'59.94"N (45.01665) | 1° 4'13.38"E (1.07038333333) |
| La Sonnerie | 45° 0'19.13"N (45.005277778) | 1° 3'40.95"E (1.0611111111) |
| Padmakara | 45° 2'0.16"N (45.03333) | 1° 3'55.19"E (1.06528) |
Directions to Songtsen: Arriving by road, train, and plane
Arriving by road
Côte de Jor, St. Léon sur Vézère
If you are coming by car, you can find more information (maps, directions, etc) at www.mappy.fr or www.viamichelin.fr – which provides complete instructions (enter information under Itineraires / Driving Directions). Depending on which direction you are coming from, Montignac or Les Eyzies are some of the better marked towns and are about 10-15 minutes from Chanteloube.
From the West
From the West:
- From Périgueux, follow directions for Brive on the RN 89.
- After about 5 kilometres, leaving the village of Niversac (after the level crossing), turn right at the roundabout on to the D 710, following directions to Montignac and Les Eyzies (Toulouse Itinéraire Bis).
- Continue for about 10 Km. Just before emerging from of the village of Les Versannes, immediately before the level crossing, turn left onto the D6 and continue for about 15 Km to Rouffignac, passing through St Geyrac.
- Go straight through the first small roundabout at Rouffignac into the town’s main street, and at the bottom veer left at the roundabout towards Plazac. Go straight through Plazac and soon afterwards turn sharp left towards Montignac (D45); continue up and the hill for about 2 Km.
- The Padmakara office, a wooden building next to the road, is situated on the right just after a junction of several small roads, with several other houses around, before you reach the top.
- If you are looking for La Bicanderie, Chanteloube and La Sonnerie, keep on up the hill and around several bends on top. Turn right on to the Côte de Jor. Proceed for 500m.
For La Bicanderie (Songtsen Office), turn right on the (signposted) gravel track between two meadows. The office is about 200m down the track, at the end.
Chanteloube retreat centre and the stupa are located about 2 Km further along the Cote de Jor. Once you pass the recycling bins and picnic area, you will come to a look-out point on your left with a spectacular view of the valley. Chanteloube is just after the look-out, down a gravel road on your right. There is a carved sandstone sign for Chanteloube at the top of the road, though it is slightly set in under the trees and may not be immediately apparent. Follow the track through the woods for about 600m. You will come to a parking area, where the road forks into two – both with no entry signs. Please park there and walk the rest of the way down the left fork. The stupa is located in the field at the bottom. You are asked not to approach or enter the retreat compound on the left as you go down, and to respect the peace and calm of the site.
La Sonnerie (the Lama’s residence and teaching site) is located a further 3 Km down the Côte de Jor. When the road becomes straight as it descends through the woods, take the first entrance on the left, indicated by a red sign-board. The second entrance leads to La Sonnerie parking area.
Padmakara: is located about 1.5 km further down at the bottom of the hill from La Sonnerie, near the fork junction, on the left.
From the North and the East
From the North and the East:
- From Montignac, take the D 706 direction Les Eyzies as far as Thonac.
- Tun right, after the village, on to the D 45, following signs to Plazac.
- Continue for about 3 Km up the hill, and a few hundred metres after reaching the top turn left on to the road marked Côte de Jor
For La Bicanderie (Songtsen Office), turn right on the (signposted) gravel track between two meadows. The office is about 200m down the track, at the end. .
Chanteloube retreat centre and the stupa are located about 2 Km further along the Cote de Jor. Once you pass the recycling bins and picnic area, you will come to a look-out point on your left with a spectacular view of the valley. Chanteloube is just after the look-out, down a gravel road on your right. There is a carved sandstone sign for Chanteloube at the top of the road, though it is slightly set in under the trees and may not be immediately apparent. Follow the track through the woods for about 600m. You will come to a parking area, where the road forks into two – both with no entry signs. Please park there and walk the rest of the way down the left fork. The stupa is located in the field at the bottom. You are asked not to approach or enter the retreat compound on the left as you go down, and to respect the peace and calm of the site.
La Sonnerie (the Lama’s residence and teaching site) is located a further 3 Km down the Côte de Jor. When the road becomes straight as it descends through the woods, take the first entrance on the left, indicated by a red sign-board. The second entrance leads to La Sonnerie parking area.
To get to the Padmakara office, you will need to go back up the Côte de Jor, past Chanteloube and La Bicanderie, to rejoin the D45. Turn left towards Plazac for about 2 Km. The Padmakara office is a wooden building just on the left of the road as you go downhill, a short way after the first right turn, after the bends; the entrance to the car park is just after a small grove of trees.
From the South
From the South:
- From Les Eyzies, take the D 706 following signs to Montignac.
- After approximately 10 km, you will cross a bridge over the Vézère, immediately after which you should turn left into the small village of Le Moustier.
- Just before the village square with its tiny chapel, turn immediately right (signed Côte de Jor) in front of the baker’s shop and continue up the hill, passing Dhagpo Kagyu Ling on your left. Continue up the main road.
La Sonnerie is located about 1 Km after another road forks off right towards Chaban Village. Keep to the left fork, up through the woods, until you see two entrances on the right. The first is the La Sonnerie car park, and the second is the entrance, marked with a red signboard.
Chanteloube retreat centre and the stupa are located about 3 Km further up the road, second left after the gates of the Château de Chaban, and. The gravel track (just opposite a magnificent look out point) to Chanteloube is marked with a carved sandstone sign, though it is slightly set in under the trees and may not be immediately apparent. Follow the track through the woods for about 600m. You will come to a parking area, where the road forks into two – both with no entry signs. Please park there and walk the rest of the way down the left fork. The stupa is located in the field at the bottom. You are asked not to approach or enter the retreat compound on the left as you go down, and to respect the peace and calm of the site.
For La Bicanderie (Songtsen office), go about 1 Km further along the Côte de Jor and turn left on the (signposted) gravel track between two meadows. The office is about 200m down the track, at the end.
To get to the Padmakara office, you will need to go on to the end of the Côte de Jor, past La Bicanderie, to join the D45. Turn left towards Plazac for about 2 Km. The Padmakara office is a wooden building just on the left of the road as you go downhill, a short way after the first right turn, after the bends; the entrance to the car park is just after a small grove of trees.
Arriving by train
The nearest railway station is a small one at Les Eyzies de Tayac (on the Limoges-Agen line). Depending on the season, there are several trains a day from Limoges or from Périgueux, and sometimes direct from Paris Austerlitz. On most days, there is a train between 9 and 10 a.m. from Paris Austerlitz with a change at Limoges, while on other days the change is at Périgueux. From Paris the journey takes between 6 and 7 hours. The station is about 15 Km from Chanteloube. Telephone numbers for the taxi service are posted in the station.
Alternatively one can take a direct train to Brive-la-Gaillarde (on the Paris-Toulouse line) or to Périgueux (you may have to change in Limoges, but this is easy). There are several trains daily from Paris Austerlitz to both of these stations. Brive la Gaillarde station is about 50 Km from Chanteloube and Perigeux is about 45km away. Taxi and car hire services are available in both cities. If you are planning on taking a taxi or renting a car near the train station, please make sure you refer to the section on arriving by road for precise directions. There is also an evening bus service from Brive to Montignac, from where you can take a taxi to Chanteloube.
Train tickets can easily be purchased or reserved online at www.voyages-sncf.com (for Brive and Perigueux, although Les Eyzies does not always show up as a destination from Paris). If you reserve without paying, be sure to check the time limit allowed to retrieve the tickets at the station (via the ticket office or using the automatic ticket machines). Second class is the cheapest fare (usually around 50 Euro each way). When possible, choose a direct route. Trains marked ‘teoz’ are the more modern trains. Persons over 65 and students under 26 qualify for a discount. Weekend return 25% discounts are also available.
Arriving by plane
The nearest international airport is at Mérignac, Bordeaux (with flights by BMI Baby, Easyjet). From Chanteloube to Bordeaux is a car journey of about 2 ½ hours. Local national airports: Bergerac (50 km), Brive (50 km), Périgueux (45 Km), www.bergerac.aeroport.fr. Limoges is located about 1 ½ hours away. Ryanair has regular flights from London Stansted to Limoges airport. It is possible to then hire a car or take a train. (See Arriving by Train above). The airport in Bergerac (about 1 hour drive) has daily flights to and from London Stansted, Bristol, Birmingham, Liverpool and Southamptom Airports. Ryanair and flybe are the main charter companies operating to this airport. For more information please see www.ryanair.com. Booked well advance and depending on the day, these flights can be extremely low cost. There are regular flights from Paris to Brive. More information can be found on travel sites such as www.skyscanner.net.
The largest international airport in the region is Bordeaux Mérignac (with flights by BMI Baby, Flybe and EasyJet as well as Air France and British Airways). From Chanteloube to Bordeaux is a car journey of about 2 ┬¢ hours.
The nearest airport, with many cheap flights from the UK is Bergerac (50 km, about 1 hour’s drive) - see www.bergerac.aeroport.fr. There are daily flights to and from London Stansted, Bristol, Birmingham, Edinburgh, Exeter, Liverpool and Southampton (Flybe, EasyJet and Ryanair). Cars can be hired at the airport.
Limoges is another airport, about 2 hours away, with cheap flights to and from the UK. Cars can be hired, or take a taxi to the train station. (See arriving by train above).
From Paris, there are daily weekday flights to Brive airport, about 1 hour away (see http://www.airlinair.com).
Rental car information
Rental car information
Brive (near the station)
Avis
56av Jean Jaurès, 19100 Brive la Gaillarde Tel 0820 05 05 05 / 05 55 24 51 00
Europcar
52 av Jean Jaurès 19100 Brive la Gaillarde Tel: 05 55 74 14 41
Hertz
169 av Jean Jacques Rousseau 19100 Brive la Gaillarde Tel: 05 55 87 10 53
Périgueux
Avis
18 rue Prés Wilson 24000 Périgueux Tel: 0820 05 05 05, or 05 53 53 39 02
Europcar
7 rue Denis Papin 24000 Périgueux Tel: 05 53 08 15 72
Hertz
1 av Henri Barbusse (opposite the station) 24000 Périgueux Tel: 05 53 54 61 80
Bergerac
Avis
26 cours Alsace Lorraine 24100 Bergerac Tel: 05 53 57 69 83
Budget
32 av 108ème R 24100 Bergerac Tel: 05 53 74 20 00
Europcar
1 av 108ème R 24100 Bergerac Tel: 05 53 58 97 97
Bordeaux
Avis
SNCF Gare St Jean (Train Station), 33800 Bordeaux Tel: 0820 05 05 05 /
0820 61 16 74
Budget A.P.L.
SNCF Gare St Jean (Train Station), 12 r Charles Domerq 33000 Bordeaux
Tel: 05 56 91 41 70
Budget A.P.L.
Bordeaux Airport 33700 Bordeaux Mérignac Tel: 05 56 47 84 22
Europcar
Bordeaux Airport - 33700 Bordeaux Merignac Tel: 05 56 34 05 79
Europcar
SNCF Gare St Jean (Train Station), 33800 Bordeaux tel: 0825 00 42 46
Hertz
SNCF Gare St Jean (Train Station), 33800 Bordeaux Tel: 05 57 59 05 95;
or 0825 861 861
See also: