Getting there:
By car: The nearest channel ferry port is St Malo, 426km and a 4 1/2 hour drive. This crossing is very popular and booking well in advance is advisable during peak periods. Alternative French ports are Cherbourg and Caen, both a longer drive. The nearest motorway is the Paris / Bordeaux Autoroute, A10, and the closest exit being at St Jean D'Angely (1/2 hour). Flying: With the growth in budget airline flights to France flying has become a popular alternative to bringing the car. Ryanair flies to La Rochelle (1hr 20mins away) and Poitiers (1hr 37mins) to the south Bordeaux airport is a 2 hour drive. Visitors will be sent detailed directions to find the house, including GPS coordinates.
What to do there?:
Our house will appeal to those needing to get away from it all and in need of some peace and tranquillity. But having said that there are plenty of options for getting out and seeing and doing. Places. Cognac (16kms) has a wealth of history to explore with its cognac distilleries, all of which provide guided tours, museums and lovely riverside. Boats may be hired and the river can be discovered with trips on a restored cognac barge. Up river is the pretty town of Jarnac, again steeped in cognac history. St Jean D'Angely (30 mins) has a picturesque centre complete with cobbled streets and 1/2 timbered houses though the children will probably find the Atlantys aqua centre much more interesting. Also on the Charente River is Saintes, founded by the Romans, and oozing with history. The remains of the Roman amphitheatre is said to be the most complete in Europe. Golf at Cognac Golf Club (18 holes) 5km east of Cognac and horse riding stables, less than a 10 minutes drive.
More places:
Further afield, an hours drive, is the historic centre of Rochefort, founded by Louis XIV in 1666 to provide a base for the French navy. Well worth a visit for its street markets, museums and river frontage.
The beaches at Royan (1 hour 10 mins) are magnificent. Near Royan is a visitor friendly zoo at La Palmyre as well as 2 typically French seaside resorts, Meschers and St Palais sur Mer.
