Getting Here

By Ferry/Car

On the western channel the largest company that provides sea crossings is Brittany Ferries   who provide a ferry service to St.Malo, Caen, Le Havre, and Cherbourg:  

The main crossings closest to us include:-

• Poole or Weymouth to St.Malo;
• Portsmouth to St.Malo;
• Portsmouth to Cherbourg;
• Portsmouth to Caen, and Portsmouth to Le Havre
• Plymouth to Roscoff

The eastern channel has shorter crossings (including the 35 minute Eurotunnel), more competion and cheaper fares but a longer drive and more motorway tolls once you arrive in France.

Driving

The motorways in France are generally well maintained and uncrowded. For some sections there is a toll. To plot the best route down to Ligueuil click the driving directions link below (There are in fact two villages in France named similarly as Ligueuil). We are located at the Ligueuil with the Postal code: 17330 address for sat nav: 3 Rue de La Charmille, Ligueuil, Courant.

We find that the quickest route is usually from St. Malo or Caen, with a journey time of between 4-5 hours. Motorway Tolls in France - These can really mount up if you take the Motorway all the way from Calais (approx 80 Euros in total). From Caen or St. Malo most of the motorway/ duel carriageway is free, except for a section of the A83 from Nantes to Niort then A10 to Saint Jean D'Angely

All cars travelling in France are obliged to carry along with other safety equipment, spare bulbs, first-aid kit, fire extinguisher, a warning triangle, a high-viz vest / jacket for each occupant and a breathylyser kit.

By Plane

La Rochelle is our closest Airport approx 60km or 50mins drive. Bordeaux is also an option for some with a longer journey time of approx. 1hr25mins.

Easyjet offer flights to La Rochelle between May and September from both London Gatwick and Bristol Airports.

Ryanair offer flights (some heavily discounted, especially to early bookers) to La Rochelle and Poitiers from Stanstead. Both these airports are under 1hrs drive from Les Pommiers, Ligueuil. Ryanair also operate flights to La Rochelle from Dublin, Bruxelles, East Midlands and Porto during the summer months

A number of hire car firms operate in the area and are easy to find on the internet or can be booked through the airline you choose, including Europcar, AVIS, Hertz, SiXT and enterprise.

By Train

Surgères has the closest rail station with a regular TGV service from Paris (Montparnasse) to La Rochelle stopping there. You can find all of the details of timetable and prices on the SNCF website.

Local car hire companies will either meet you or leave your car at the station to pick up. Europcar is a popular choice for car hire.

Our Recommendation

With flights and car hire getting cheaper every year as competition builds up, flying to France is becoming ever more popular. Flying can actually work out less expensive than taking the ferry during peak season (if you book flights months ahead in order to get the cheapest seats).

For those who prefer to drive, catching the overnight ferry from Portsmouth to St Malo is an excellent option. You arrive early the next morning and it is only an easy 4 hour drive from there. The late night sailing from Caen back to Portsmouth is also popular. In our experience it is worth paying a bit more for an overnight ferry to have a relaxing time, with a shower in the morning before a (relatively) easy drive than to spend all day in the car. Alternatively you could travel via Dover-Calais and stop off for a night on the way down.