Above: Map of France showing where our holiday properties are located. Below: Close up map of Poitou Charentes

Flights From UK Airports

*July, Aug, Sept

Road Travel

The distances and times are those given by ViaMichelin for the quickest route

The Poitou-Charentes region is very well served from the channel ports by motorways and fast main roads. The journey time for all the above, except St Malo, has been reduced by the construction of the A28 motorway from Rouen via Alencon and Le Mans to Tours; this has the added advantage of avoiding Paris.

From Tours you join the A10 to bring you down to Poitiers and then the rest of the journey is on dual carriageweay until you arrive within a few minutes of the properties.

If you enjoy overnight crossings then a morning arrival at St Malo will leave you only a four hour drive to the holiday accommodation via Rennes and Nantes.

It is one of the attractions of this region that a good climate ( the second sunniest region in France) and attractive countryside can be found without having to drive much longer distances to the south of France or even the Dordogne. Of course, having your car with you means there can be room for those important bottles of wine on your return journey!

One of the joys of this part of the French motorway system is that they are not over crowded and rarely even busy; this will help you to get here in the right frame of mind to enjoy your holiday in your Gite in the Poitou-Charentes.

Air Travel

Over the last few years the number of flights to this area has increased enormously and several new airports have opened up for International flights. The table to the left shows a guide to flights from the UK. Car hire is available from all French airports to complete the journey to your gite.

Poitiers is the nearest airport to the holiday houses. Another option is to take a flight to Paris Charles de Gaulle and then catch a TGV direct to Poitiers station.

Journey time from the airports:

Poitiers 45 mins La Rochelle 1¼ hours Nantes 2 hours Limoges 1½ hours Bordeaux 2 hours

TRAIN

For those who live close to London,Ashford or Ebbsfleet a train journey is a real possibility. You can catch Eurostar from St Pancras, Ebbsfleet or Ashford and then you can travel, with one change, to Poitiers. Either change platforms in Lille and take the direct TGV to Poitiers or you can change in Paris. Changing in Paris means you have to transfer from Gare du Nord to Montparnasse – there is a direct metro line between the two stations. For those who enjoy train travel and those who prefer to avoid airport stress, it is the perfect solution. Contact Eurostar or the SNCF to find out train times.

For more information on travelling to Poitou Charentes, please contact us.