For those who have canoed on the Dordogne, a few quick questions?

I don't have a particular opinion on Canoes Loisirs (my usual rental companies are further up the river), but if you want to compare with other rental companies in the same area, you can look at this map where I've created a canoeing section.

https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=1OdPOg8AgsNn0Jlv1cNHkujaWv9p_Jpc&usp=sharing

Check the rental terms and schedules with the rental companies and make sure you arrive at your final destination on time for the shuttle to take you back to your car.

Don't forget, if you can't find a last-minute place to stay (which would surprise me in October), you can stay at a campsite on the banks of the Dordogne; it might be more comfortable than in the car :)

Otherwise, check out "Chez les filles"... they also have a restaurant, you'll be 300 meters from the Dordogne river and just as comfortable as in the tourist ghetto of Sarlat.

https://latraverse24.fr/

https://maps.app.goo.gl/L3UofNj44YBPMfu56

Thank you very much for your response. I'll check out your list of offerings for canoes. I would favor whichever company gives us the most time between start and last shuttle. Last visit I did camp in the area with just my small tent and sleeping bag. Now I'm married and my spouse doesn't camp. She doesn't require luxury, but she does want a bed and a bathroom (not necessarily ensuite)

It is one. thing to eat at a riverside restaurant where you can take your paddles and life preservers to the table with you and the canoe is close by which I have done years ago and quite another to stop to visit a castle or town. You can't leave paddles and gear in the boat; there is some risk of leaving the boat -- there is no way to securely leave it and wander off to a tourist site.

Travel Boss,
We were in the Dordogne for ten days in 2023 and had a wonderful family kayak trip (7 of us) with Canoes Loisirs. I don't believe you can just leave your canoe or kayak for the time it would take to hike up the (long and steep) road to see the castle. I also believe that Rick may be referring to picnicking along the river when he refers to having lunch, not going off to a cafe or restaurant where the equipment is left by the river. You really can't leave it for a long time.
Also, you will not be able to end your river trip wherever you decide. There are designated pick up points where you will have to return the canoe or kayak and gear and get a ride back to the car park. We spent about 4 hours from the time we parked our car to when we returned to it, stopping once for a short while on the riverbank to get out of the sun. On arrival, it took about a half hour to sign up, get our kayaks and get launched, plus another 30-45 minutes afterward (turning everything in and waiting to get a full bus and the ride back). We dried off a bit and changed into dry shoes. We were 2 kids (9 and 12) and 5 adults (2 of them 80 year-olds) and had 5 kayaks among us. It was a leisurely trip from Vitrac to a pull out point past Beynac. I can't say if you are allowed to have the vessel for the whole day.
If you want, you can do 2 things that day, but separately. Canoe in morning or afternoon, and a castle and town in the other half of the day. Beynac Castle and Castelnaud-la-Chapelle each take a good half-day. I don't recommend doing them both in the same day....castle overkill, but we enjoyed both of them on separate days. LA Roque Gageac is a small town on the river and doesn't take long to stroll through, and the fort above it won't take a lot of time. Try to go on a market day to add to that visit. Domme is nice also and has a great view of the valley and river, but only needs about 2-3 hours max, IMO. Sarlat will have many more dining options and market options. It is also, IMO more central to visiting other sights. Do you plan on going to any of the prehistoric caves? To me that is the primary reason to a visit to the area. Try to get at least to Lascaux IV.

Re reservations. Up until a 3 week trip in 2017 we eschewed reservations and picked places as we went along, but times have changed. I would at least try to find a spot the day before you plan to arrive somewhere to save wasting time driving around after arrival in a town or city. That worked for us in Ireland, just booking a place one day out. I would at least do some research and have a list of possibilities in my phone. Then you can dawdle on your way somewhere knowing you won't have to look for lodging the same day. It actually frees your up!

Bon voyage et amusez-vous Bien!
I just remembered, canoe/kayak trips stop after the end of September, or maybe into October. Be sure to check.

Hi In my opinion, considering visiting all of La Roque Gageac, Castelnaud and the Château de Beynac is too much. It would also be tiring, given the steep paths to climb. The most interesting is Castelnaud, in my opinion, and you can also visit La Roque Gageac, but just the bottom. Once you arrive in Beynac, will you want to go up to the château after all that? And there is the question of transport. It is better to book a canoe at the arrival point, so in the evening there is no schedule to respect for the shuttle, but that probably means leaving at 10 o'clock. Even if the rental place opens at 9 o'clock, you will have to be transported upstream. And if you leave your car at the departure point, in Beynac you will be stuck by the shuttle, not to be missed. Also remember that it happens to capsize, there are some rapids, and that the maneuvers to get the canoe back afloat are sometimes quite long and tiring.

Thanks for your responses. You're getting at just what I'm asking.

Canoes Loisirs mentions on their site that it's no problem to pull your canoe up to the shore and leave it while you explore. It made me wonder if that would include walking up to a site and touring it for a couple of hours?

I've visited the Castles of Castelnaud and Beynac in the same day. I didn't think it was too much, but I did it with a car. I've been by La Roque but never up to the fort, it fell off my list of priorities last trip. I'm thinking I'd like to visit it this trip.

I agree doing all of that is too much for one day, and we're not in a hurry. I was hoping to get at least one sight in along with the canoe day, plus lunch somewhere along the river.

Travel Boss,
IMO it would take much more than 2 hours to walk up to Beynac Castle, spend time seeing it (a good hour minimum), then walk back down. Of course, if you are very fit and brisk you could walk up the hill to the castle in 25-30 minutes, and likewise downhill. But if you are on vacation, why try to hurry? Finish your canoeing (the river is a relaxing and peaceful and soothing place to be). Then go to either Beynac or Castelnaud afterward. The drive to either one from Vitrac I(Canoes Loisirs HQ) is short. You would have time for a lunch between the two events without having to find a place where you have to keep an eye on the canoe. Do the other castle on a different day (it willtake a half-day) and explore or visit somewhere else the other half of the day.

If you visit La Roque Gageac, their market day is Friday. I could see visiting the market (It's small but nice. It closes up around noon), exploring the fort, and then having lunch at Les Courtines, a really nice restaurant overlooking the river. We ate out of doors under a pleasant awning and all loved our meals. That leaves an afternoon free to visit whichever castye you missed on canoe day (or anything else for that matter).
Relax and enjoy yourselves, and I highly recommend visiting at least one prehistoric cave. Definitely visit Lascaux IV, even though it is a reproduction, it is terrific.

Hi We 've pulled our canoe onto the bank a good dozen times for an hour or two without any problem, and everyone does that. Visiting Castelnaud and Beynac by car and canoe is nothing like that! When you leave the river, it's quite a climb, and depending on how far you've canoed before, you're a bit tired. La Roque Gageac is quite a long visit, even without going up to the fort; it's a long village. Of course, everything is possible, and by leaving early you should be able to do everything, if you're in good physical shape.