Domme or Sarlat?

I can't add anything helpful, but commenting as a reminder to follow this thread. We saw the same episode and I'm pumped to visit all 1001 castles.

Neither places are cities - the population of Domme is less than a thousand and Sarlat’s is around 10,000. Domme is beautiful and is a good base for canoeing on the river. Sarlat is well known for its food market. You can’t go wrong with either, but I would opt for Domme. I had a great meal there, but it was several years ago. I stayed in Castelnaud.

We went canoeing, but the river was quite dry in early July and we had to take the canoe out of the water several times and carry it round the dry parts.

More visitors to the Dordogne relying on public transit will choose Sarlat. With a car rental, you have the freedom to choose either. Since a French friend who grew up in the Dordogne highly recommended Domme, that’s where I would stay. Keep in mind the two towns are only a 15-minute drive from one another .

When we were in the area we stayed in Sarlat (four nights), and had a car. Visited Domme; it was a bit sleepy, but worth the visit. We were actually right at that viewpoint where the Pit Stop was, and watched a fellow fall out of his canoe.

Despite parking challenges in Sarlat, it was just the right size for us: an assortment of restaurants and good strolling. Our rule is that we are parked for the night for dinner so the driver can have a drink. I think Domme, nice as it is, would be a bit too quiet for us.

I'd pick Sarlat just because there are more options there for eating, drinking, shopping, and whatever else you like besides canoeing and visiting caves and castles. We stayed in Beynac and liked it, visited Domme and liked it, visited other places and liked them too.

The only downside of Sarlat might be that it will take you longer to get in and out of town when you drive to other places. I remember some delays, but they may have been related to construction so not relevant to you. That would be more than offset by the availability of more places where the driver (me) can drink with dinner.

Sarlat and the Dordogne region is the third itinerary that I am just starting to plan. Turned on The Amazing Race from November 2nd to see the area.

How long do you all recommend staying in the region? We have 8 nights total for this trip in August 2023.

You can’t go wrong with either of the two. Visited last June both, Domme was very quiet late afternoon and Sarlat way more vibrant as well as more touristy too, maybe much quieter as soon they are gone in the evening. Agree with Beynac, more beautiful but more touristy too. Would also consider La Roque-Cageac and Castelnaud, but as already said you actually can’t go wrong with Sarlat or Domme.

So much to consider! My greatest concern about staying in Sarlat is parking. Some of the accommodations I've bookmarked indicate paid public parking nearby, others free street parking nearby. Even in the heart of Domme, it seems holiday rentals offer parking for one car on premises.
Thanks for the suggestions to consider villages aside from the two I've been focusing on.
Also FWIW, I have both the Rough Guide and Eyewitnesses guidebooks for Dordogne which have been very helpful in planning. I recommend that those on this thread planning to visit this region check them out!

We stayed in Sarlat for 5 nights in late September/early October this year. Our rental apartment had free parking and we didn’t have any trouble getting in or out of town. I chose Sarlat for the same reason as an earlier responder, I wanted to have the ability to walk to restaurants so if I wanted one I could have a glass of wine with dinner. There were plenty of choices of restaurants. I would stay there again without hesitation.

Just took a trip to the Dordogne in May….we stayed in Sarlat and Beynac and preferred Sarlat…….it has a great market and easy walking through the beautiful old town at night. Beynac to us was smaller and because it was so hilly not as easy to get around. We stayed at La Lanterne, a great B&B right beside the lovely old church there in Sarlat and it was a perfect location…..we had to park up on the street that encircles the old town……fed the meter so it was not a problem. Domme is charming but seemed smaller and quieter to us though we did love walking its streets. Do take a canoe ride….lovely way to see the river……read my experience there and make sure you get out AFTER the 5th bridge at the snack bar on the left!

@GeoffB
What a wonderful trip and trip report! Merci! And merci to Andrea and Jane too!
I will try to find that vrbo you mentioned. I have so many 1 bedroom and 2 bedrooms on my Dordogne trip board because we are unsure if our DD and her DH will be joining us there or not. We will be visiting them over Thanksgiving so will know more then.

If you are interested in the Airbnb we stayed in send me a PM. It was so nice to have parking and not have to deal with it while in Sarlat.

Weird added note here, but as a devoted shutterbug, I can attest that Domme's reputation as having some of the best 'stylish doorknobs' is well-founded! Otherwise, we found Domme's atmosphere OK but a bit staid. Dunno, maybe that's a good thing, being less crowded and more compact.
Sarlat will have fun fireworks during special events. Its market is good (the vendors charge less for the exact same product at smaller towns on other days) and varied. The live busker music in Sarlat is excellent. Don't miss the St. Cyprien market.
Hope all goes well.
I am done. the end

We stayed in Sarlat for 4 nights in 2015 and loved having the options of so many restaurants to choose from for dinner at night. It's very convenient to all the places we visited. We stayed at Villa Des Consuls which are apartments located in the medieval quarter. Parking was at a nearby parking garage. I think we made reservations in advance through Villa Des Consuls, and I think it was free but my memory is fuzzy on this.

If people have the time, I would also like to recommend staying in Brantome. You wouldn't stay here instead of Sarlat/Domme because it's too far away from the Dordogne River, Peche Merle, etc. I am suggesting staying here in addition to the Sarlat area, if one has the time. We spent 2 nights in Brantome and spent a lovely day driving along the Dronne River to explore villages. Just a suggestion.

Appreciate the recommendation of Villa des Consuls. It appears they are all booked for our time slot, although it is possible that reservations for August are not available yet.

The first great meal I had in France and this was decades ago was in Domme at the l'Esplanade. I still remember the beauty of the cheese board containing cheeses I then had never before seen and the patience of the waiter explaining the order in which we should eat them. The view out over the countryside is stunning.

Either makes a good base -- I prefer smaller towns if you have a car and so it would be Domme.

One consideration for us re: Domme vs. Sarlat is Samedi catholic mass times, because we leave early Sunday to return our rental car to CDG by 4pm. I emailed the diocese to find out possibilities, but I am thinking that since Domme is a smaller village the local church there might not have a Saturday evening service.

I think you'll find limited things to do in Domme. Sarlat is large enough to offer a variety of restaurants, shops, and streets to explore. I agree that driving and parking in the heart of Sarlat can be a bit challenging, particularly on market days. I had a very pleasant experience staying at Maison Pierre D'Or a few years ago. The apartment was roomy, clean, and very thoughtfully furnished. A welcome bonus was the washing machine in the apartment and access to an American-style clothes dryer. Located on the edge of Sarlat, the apartment was a short stroll into town, but also provided quick and easy access to the main roads outside of town. Parking was free and on the property. The owners speak English and have mastered the ability to be available when needed and invisible when not needed.

From these responses, I’m so glad we had picked Sarlat for our trip. I had not heard about Domme until I watched the Amazing Race episode and now I have put it on my list of places to visit.

Another vote for Sarlat for restaurants, the market, and charm. Domme is small and sleepy by comparison, but perhaps that is your preference. We all have different priorities when traveling.

We had a car and stayed in Sarlat for 4 nights with no problem. Dordogne has a lot of history (England / French 100 yr war 1350 / 1450 +/-) and one thing we did was drive to see the prehistoric cave painting in Grotte de Font de Gaume. There were a limited number of people admitted each day and people started lining up on the numbered seats at about 7 am for the 9:30 first trip. These painting were real whereas the Lascaux ones are closed to public and all you can see are the ‘fake’ ones in the visitor centre. Our hotel front desk advised us of the restrictions so we were # 5 & 6 at 7:15 and people who turned up at about 8:45 were out of luck. We had an English speaking guide.

We have decided to stay in Sarlat! There are several vrbos and airbnbs that will suit our needs with parking included or nearby. Although it is a far drive from Sarlat, I am hoping we can snag tickets for Pech-Merle and visit a Cahors region vignobles enroute back.

Congratulations on your decision to stay in Sarlat! You could not have chosen better. I've stayed in various towns in the Dordogne area and would recommend Sarlat above all others for a 1st time short-ish (less than a week or 2) visit. I'm sure you will not be disappointed. Sarlat actually is everything that is hyped to be. Much more dynamic, real and glorious that we could have imagined.