caves in Dordogne

Lascaux is a reconstructed cave of the original and should be fine for you. At Rouffignac visitors ride a little electric train, very fun and interesting! Avoid Padirac near Rocamador and Font-de-Gaume.

We went to the Rouffignac Cave on our RS Tour several years ago. The approach to the cave was level. You could google Rouffignac Cave and take a look at the photos. As reported up thread you take an electric train and they light up the walls to view the designs. It's a fun tour. I do recall it was cool inside. Enjoy the Dordogne!

You won't be touching any walls as they have cave paintings. But Rouffignac and Lascaux both have handrails. As mentioned above you take a small train down into Rouffignac and then just walk at the bottom. The surface was somewhat uneven but dry. We were on an RS tour for this cave and so we had an English speaking guide, however I believe there is not typically an English tour. I'll disagree with one of the other posters, I looooved Lascaux. There are English tours but book ahead. It is a walking tour and surfaces are uneven but there are handrails. I'm sorry I can't give you an opinion if you'll be ok, all I can say is that it wasn't slippery and no hill climbs or steep steps.

Lascaux is a stunning recreation and because Lascaux itself was still bright and colorful when discovered unlike Roffigniac or the Font du Gaume, it is an experience more authentic to the times when these painting were done thousands of years ago. The new recreation of the Chauvet cave in the Ardeche is also well worth a visit if in the area (which is itself beautiful)

Font du Gaume is the most powerful of the 'real' caves but not ideal given the OP's issues with mobility -- IMHO Peche Merle is the least interesting as well as being a good ways away from these caves. There is the beautiful spotted horse, but very little else in terms of cave painting. It is a beautiful cave but not a very interesting one if your interest is in pre-historic paintings.

I was quite taken by Peche Merle, but it isn’t for someone with balance or mobility issues.

I'll put in my oar for Lascaux II as well. Sure it's "fake," but the reproduction was done with great care and skill, using the same plant-based colors as the original. They are bright and well lighted. I don't recall any problems with access or getting around, but it's been some years.

The Lascaux experience now for English speakers is Lascaux IV which I have not done but it sounds much like what they did with Chauvet. If so, it is even easier to walk around in than the Lascaux II which attempted to mimic the shape etc of the cave as well as the paintings. At Chauvet they were even accessible for people with wheelchairs. Less 'authentic' but more accessible -- the pictures themselves produced using traditional colors and methods were 'authentic appearing'. Having seen the movie Cave of Forgotten Dreams of Chauvet, I was impressed with how 'accurate' the pictures were. And Lascaux II certainly matches the pictures we have seen of Lascaux; Lascaux IV is no doubt as good or better.

I was happy with Pech Merle. I avoided Lascaux because it's a copy. I had been to the Pont d'Arc replica cavern during an earlier trip. It was just okay. I wanted to see actual cave art.

I avoided Lascaux because it's a copy

I wondered about that as well, but the opportunity to see it came up and it didn't disappoint. Once inside, the last thing on my mind was that it was only a reproduction.

Hello from Wisconsin,
The magic of seeing the originals can't be matched by a well done copy of the Mona Lisa or a photo of a Van Gogh.

Peche Merle is at the confluence of the Lot and Cele Rivers, well a few miles up the Cele River. And if you go that far you might just find the Lot and the Cele more enchanting than the Dordogne. Much lower tourist activity, more personality. The hills north and a bit west of Marcihlac-sur Cele are wonderful to drive and view.

wayne iNWI

I visited the Pech Merle website and it mentions stairs. Are there handrails? I am mobile and can manouver uneven ground. I have problems going down slopes without assistance, but with my husband and walking stick, I should be fine. Thanks again for the advice.

There are handrails. If you Google Peche Merle and choose images, you can get a glimpse of some of the pathway.

The one thing I didn't mention about Lascaux is that after the cave tour, they also have a museum portion with reproductions of the cave paintings on display. This is in a traditional museum setting with flat floors. However you cannot visit this part without doing the cave part.