Whilst in Dordogne (Sarlat) in September this year for our three full days, we have decided to include a Dordogne river day. My personal preference would be to do a 3 - 5 hour canoe trip at our leisure, stopping at an island or two to have something to eat and just chilling (it is downstream isn't it?). DW and DS is leaning towards the gabarre, which is basically an hour on the river and you can't stop anywhere and you do not do the 'nice' part around Beynac etc

The down side of canoeing is that we can get wet, and that we might have to pack rubber soled water shoes just for this activity, taking up space in our luggage (can use them in Nice as well, though). We are also not overly fit and would not like to be struggling against currents, if any.

What would you good people think we should do? Any other advice or comments on which company to use will be appreciated.

Sounds like they outvote you, don't they? Are you saying that you get to decide even though both of them don't want to?

well, I have been on multi-day canoe trips but haven't done that for some years, but I would say someone who isn't fit is probably not going to enjoy a 5 hr canoe trip.

But yes, it is downstream. Or at least you can find outfits where it is, that's the point.

The other thing is just a leisure river boat trip, of course.

It's very much apples and oranges - there is no comparison between a gabarre trip and canoeing. I always enjoy the gabarre trips - some of the narrators on board are amazingly knowledgeable about a lot more than just the history of the places you are passing. And you certainly can do a gabarre trip that includes the area around Beynac. The Gabarres de Beynac start and end at Beynac.

Canoeing bores me silly. If the river is high and fast, as it often is in September, it's hard work. If it's slow and dry, it's hard work. And I don't know of any routes, and I've taken dozens, that last less than about 5 hours, especially if you stop (where are these islands you mention, by the way? I can only think of one or two teensy bits of land that one might call an island in the Dordogne, and you'd be hard-pressed to pull a canoe up onto them). You choose a route that has easy and inviting places to stop, like Castelnaud, where there is a beach and a café and a convenience store. There are other similar places, like the one at St-Vincent de Cosse.

Yes, you're going to get wet. Yes, you'll need water shoes. My pair weighs about 4 oz. It's not a big luggage issue. Of course all the routes are downstream - how could anyone take money from tourists and send them out to fight their way upstream?

I stopped canoeing on the Dordogne and Vézère about 10 years ago and started kayaking. It's ever so much simpler to maneuver a kayak and haul it into and out of the water.

You do not have to pack special shoes unless you don't want to put bare feet in the water. We did it and did not get wet. The rental started near Sarlat, but of course on the river and ended just above Beynac. No islands to stop on, but there is the shore, although the farther down the river you get on this itinerary, the more it is taken up by people staying in campgrounds that line the shore.

Would you consider stand up paddleobarding? We did a SUP tour a few years ago with this company:
https://www.sup-perigord.com/find-us/

It was 2 hours (8 km) from Cenac to Castelnaud. We thought it was very scenic. You would need a bathing suit - but bare feet! I didn't get wet but my 9-year-old daughter did decide to jump in and go for a swim! I don't know how cold the water is in September.

I'm not very fit but had no problems - it was all with the current I believe and we got a lift back to our car. My 9-year-old also had no problems. You are also accompanied by a guide. We did a kayak trip a few years later on the Gard river that was BRUTAL in comparison!

IME it's hard to beach a canoe on the Dordogne without putting your feet in the water. And on most landing places, there are pebbles/stones that are uncomfortable to walk on. Farther out in the river there are stones underfoot that are slippery with plant growth. There are also river snakes, though you don't see them often. They aren't big and they move quickly, but you certainly don't want to step on one with bare feet.

British Caicos, you're an athlete. You cycle hundreds and hundreds of miles. Of course a canoe trip on the Dordogne isn't a big deal for you! For someone small like me who's fit but not athletic, the canoes are a chore to maneuver in the water, and very hard to drag onto a beach.

Note to self: don't call a beach an 'island'!

Christina, I would dearly like to do the canoe trip and would love them to join me, but the whole trip is based on the two ladies' birthdays a few days later. It just sounds so much more enjoyable. And if I sit at the back of the canoe, I do not have to do too much work....

Jacolis, I still bear the mental scars of everybody laughing (an pointing) at my antics at trying to SUP in Mauritius.

BritishCaicos, it sounds so much fun just reading about it, and that's why I am pushing for it.

StCirq, if I only pack shoes for me to beach and launch, would that be okay?

And then, which company/companies is the best to use for both activities?

Also, if we decide on canoeing, I read that it is best to go to the company's home base, let them drive you out to the starting point and then we paddle back?

Yes, there are dice snakes (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dice_snake), which are non-venemous but can be big and scary. And there are adders/vipers, which were practically extinct a few years ago but are coming back. We had 10 of them in our pool two years go. They are fairly easily spotted - short (maybe 15-20 cms), black, with a bright yellow collar. Their bites are not normally fatal, but can be, and in any case they hurt like hell. The last time I saw a snake in the Dordogne it was either a baby dice snake or a viper (it was moving so fast I couldn't tell). I had just capsized a kayak because some idiot ran into me, and was trying to haul it up a boat landing. The snake was in shallow water and went right over my foot.

OP, being at the back of a canoe does not necessarily mean you get to lie back and relax.

I don't know why you'd want to be changing shoes once you get into the canoe/kayak. Stick your normal shoes in the canister they'll give you for water and food/ supplies if you must, but I don't see the point of wearing the water shoes just for launching and beaching. I don't even bother taking regular shoes with me on a canoe/kayak trip. You can buy water shoes all over the area for a few euros. Throw them away if you don't want to continue your journey with them.

There are only a couple of gabarre companies - neither is best. If you want to see the area around Beynac. take the one that leaves from Beynac, as I said above.

For canoeing, you have no choice but to go to the company's home base. You can't just pick up a canoe willy-nilly along a company's route. We always go to the outfit at St-Vincent-de-Cosse and choose the route starting at Vitrac. Yes, they drive you there and you paddle back.

The river will not be jammed in September the way it is in July and August. Still, there might be enough traffic to warrant making a reservation ahead of time. We always call a day or two in advance. Even if you do that, allow 1/2 hour to 45 minutes to pay and get suited up with your gear and the canister, then another 1/2 hour or more to get to your starting point and wait while they unload the canoes and kayaks.

Thanks again for all the input.

I think we are going to give the 3 - 4 hour trip a shot. It is down river, seems like fun and we'll have enough people to row. As for the coral booties; we'll make a plan.

In case you change your mind, here was our little trip courtesy of Gabarre Caminade in La Roque-Gageac (Gabarre Norbert is another one). It was a pleasant hour and gave us time to also enjoy the Sarlat market in the morning, a visit to Chateau Beynac, Chateau Castelnaud and the gardens at Ch teau de Marqueyssac. Fun day (and we didn't get wet).

https://travelswithmaitaitom.com/cha...gardens-boats/

Mmmmm, if I show this to my travel companions, they might outvote me, after being outsmarted by Maitaitom. Or should I go into survivor mode and keep his post away from them?

The other side is that the gabarre trip leaves more time to explore as it is only an hour long, and is also significantly cheaper. Decisions, decisions!

There is nothing to prevent you from visiting La Roque-Gageac in a car and enjoying it on foot. You don't have to see it from the river for it to be beautiful. Go have a picnic there by the river.

There is also nothing to prevent you from canoeing AND taking a gabarre ride, either.

True, St Cirq, but the time is the issue. We can only fit in one. And I like the picnic idea.

One of the best things about canoeing/kayaking, is stopping at, say, Castelnaud and having a picnic on one of the benches by the river in the shadows of the amazing castle.

A picnic is only as good as the weather you have to enjoy it - and you only have 3 days in the area, so you'd best hope for good weather.

Hey, I'm not invested in what you choose to do, so whatever it is, enjoy it.