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Sarlat for a long weekend

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Sarlat for a long weekend

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Old Aug 11th, 2015, 01:29 PM
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Sarlat for a long weekend

Hi
I am planning a trip to Sarlat and the Dordogne at the end of August for a long weekend.
I am flying into Bergerac on Sat morning and flying out of Bordeaux on Monday night 21:50. We do not have a car.

I would like recommendations on what to do. My initial thoughts are:

Sat: Fly into Bergerac and spend the day in Sarlat
Sun: Go canoeing down the river to Beynac
Mon: St Emilion or somewhere else in Dordogne?

I am considering either going to St Emission on Sunday night catching 5pm train or staying another night in Sarlat, and going on Monday morning instead. Any recommendations? If I stay in Sarlat on Sunday night then I could potentially walk around Beynac after the canoe trip rather than rushing to catch 5pm train to St Emilion. However, that would mean less time in St Emilion on Monday. Is it better to spend more time in Beynac or St Emilion? Or is there any other recommendation other than St Emilion? I have been to St Emilion years ago.

Thanks for any advice. I am really excited about our first trip to Dordogne!
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Old Aug 11th, 2015, 01:48 PM
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Public transportation in the Dordogne is not very good. Have you checked the train schedule between Bergerac and Sarlat, and between Sarlat and Bordeaux?

How will you get to the river for your canoe trip? How will you get back to Sarlat after your canoe trip?
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Old Aug 11th, 2015, 05:25 PM
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It would be helpful to know your interests, and why you have targeted Sarlat.
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Old Aug 12th, 2015, 02:04 PM
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Hi
The canoe place said they will pick us up and drop us off at our hotel in Sarlat.
Yes I have checked the train times. The trains are one per hour, or two, so not great, but manageable.We are really excited about the canoe trip - drifting along the river with the views sounds amazing. Beynac is our destination after our canoe trip. Is Beynac similar to Sarlat? Is it worth spending a few hours there? How much time would we need to wander around there?

We have targeted Sarlat in the Dordogne because it is on the train line and reviews have suggested staying there. We are really excited about the canoe trip - drifting along the river with the views sounds amazing!
We also looked at joining tours but most tour places seem to shut in August..What are our options for day trips from Sarlat?

Thanks!
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Old Aug 12th, 2015, 03:46 PM
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I just checked on SNCF.com and the trains from Bergerac to Sarlat are every two hours.

I can't believe that tours are shut in August, it's the height of tourist season.

The trip down the Dordogne might be less tranquil than expected. There will be heavy canoe and raft traffic from wherever you are taking off to Beynac.
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Old Aug 12th, 2015, 04:26 PM
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If the timing works out for you, the castle in Beynac is, IMO, worth seeing. As are several other castles and gardens in the area.

I'm sure you know that the area has some amazing prehistoric art, but I don't know what options you would have to visit the caves without a car. I believe you could reach Lascaux II from Sarlat by bus, but if you're interested, you'll need to do some digging.
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