Scenic route from St Emillion to Sarlat

The simple answer is to take a route that avoids the A89, that way you can meander through rural roads that kinda sorta follows the river. When we did it we went from St Emilion to Bergerac and then to our home base in Beynac. One piece of advice, don't rely on GPS more than the road signage. In that region I often wondered what the GPS was thinking.

That’s helpful, especially the tip about relying on road signs over GPS—did you come across any particular villages along that route that are worth a stop?

Hi If you follow the valley, you'll find plenty of picturesque towns and villages. Keep in mind that it's generally a slow drive given the number of villages you'll pass through. Some interesting places include St. Foy la Grande, Bergerac, Limeuil, and Beynac. In Beynac, if you have time, take a detour via La Roque-Gageac to get to Sarlat (via the road d46)... It's difficult to suggest a meal since we don't know your schedule. In Limeuil, there's a restaurant with a beautiful view of the river. In Lalinde, I ate at Le Coulobre, it was ok and the prices are resonable.

Thank you all for your great input. Also good to know not to trust gps.