Area:
The Charente-Maritime has its own micro-climate and has the second most recorded hours of sunshine per year in France. There are many towns worth visiting, Cognac is only 15 minutes away, a must for you to visit with its major Cognac houses of Hennessy, Martell, Remy Martin, Camus and Otard, as well as the parks, shops and many restaurants for you to enjoy. The historic towns of Saintes, 35 minutes away and Angoulême, 45 minutes away, are both worth a visit. Saintes with its famous Roman Amphitheatre and Angoulême an old fortress town which stands at the top of a hill. Angoulême also has a TGV station with Paris only 2½ hours away by train. About 60 minutes west are the costal towns and beaches of Royan, Rochefort and La Rochelle. The latter with its historic port and seafood restaurants. Or if you prefer not to travel there is a lake and sandy beach with a restaurant at the next village of Thors just a few minutes away. Bordeaux and Futuroscope are only slightly further afield.
Golf Courses in the area:
For those of you who fancy a game of golf there are six 18-hole golf courses all within an hours drive - Angoulême, Cognac, Royan, Saintes, Niort and Mazieres-en-Gatien. Cognac and Royan both being championship courses and well worth a visit.
How to get here:
We are well within a days driving distance of the western channel ports. St Malo being the nearest, closely followed by Caen, Le Havre and Cherbourg. Eurotunnel and short channel crossings to Calais are now only 6½ hours drive away with the opening of new motorway links. You can fly from many U.K. airports to La Rochelle which is approximately 60 minutes away or Bordeaux and Poitiers which are both approximately 90 minutes away. New for 2008 is Angoulême which is about 45 minutes away from us.
