Extremely comfortable and well appointed, Le Grand Courtiou is a gorgeous farmhouse that sleeps 10 people.
Centrally heated, the house is warm in winter and cool in summer - perfect for any season.
There is a sparkling 15m inground pool which is perfect to laze around on a sunny day - or if you are feeling energetic, jump onto one of the bikes provided and cycle into nearby Lencloitre to buy some of the best baguettes you have ever tasted.
The property has a beautiful lake which you can row around or just sit and admire with a glass of wine. There are chickens for fresh eggs everyday and a vegetable garden and orchard where you can help yourself to whatever is seasonal.
There are caretakers living on site in separate accommodation, who are more than happy to advise on local markets, general shopping and places to visit.
http://www.legrandcourtiou.com
Le Grand Courtiou is approximately 30 minutes north from Poitiers (where there is both an airport and a TGV station). The airport has flights direct from Stanstead, London on Ryanair, or there is a local airline called Airlinair that flies around regional France. Flight schedules change by season with Edinburgh and Barcelona flights operating during summer.
There are also airports at Tours [ around an hour north] and Limoges [an hour and a bit east] that have flights from Dublin, Liverpool, Nottingham and Southampton.
The TGV takes around 2 1/2 hours from Charles de Gaulle airport or 1 1/2 hours from Paris - Montparnasse. The easiest way to get to the house is to hire a car either at the airport or the station - we will provide clear directions to get there.
There is a huge variety of things to do and see in the Poitou-Charentes, such as leisure parks, golf and beautiful towns and villages. One of the pearls of the Vienne department is the capital town of Poitiers, a town steeped in history, and whose old streets are buzzing with life thanks to its large student population. The Vienne boasts a lot of great places to visit, including the internationally-known Futuroscope theme and leisure park, the Crocodile Park, Snake Island and the Valley of the Monkeys.
The food and wine in the area are exceptional. It’s home to cognac, refreshing muscadets (spectacular with oysters), cabernet franc from Chinon and Bourgueil & Saumur. The Loire Valley boasts particularly fine white wines. The region is equally and rightly noted for its great local delicacies too – for example cheese, honey, poultry, butter and snails – as well as fine restaurants, hotels, cafes and bars.
If you venture a little further afield into the South Loire, the beautiful Château de Chenonceau is around one and a half hours drive north, as is Château de Villandry - easy day trips. Other beautiful towns in the South Loire include Richelieu, Saumur, Chinon, Tours - all well worth a visit for their spectacular buildings and amazing histories.
