LOCAL AMMENETIES

Here at LE GITE we are surrounded by the lovely French Countryside, we are luckier than most as literally at the end of our drive are a series of (white roads) which you can walk and cycle for miles on the flat!  Wandering through all the lovely sunflower fields you will feel miles away from anywhere! 

SAUZE VASSAIS - 5mins by car - Super U, Chemist, Boulanger, Spar, Bar, Pizza twice weekly fish and chip van Tuesdays and Thursdays - weekly market Thursday

CHEF BOUTONNE - 15mins by car - Intermarche, Super U, Chemist, Boulanger, Bars,  -weekly market Saturday

RUFFEC - 20mins by car - Eleclerc, Intermarche, Lidl,  Chemist, Boulanger, Shops, Restaurants, twice weekly market Wednesday & Saturday

MELLE - 25mins by car Super U, Intermarche, Aldi, Shops, Restaurants - weekly market Saturday

EATING OUT

AUX CHOEURS DE BACCHUS - Courtanne 3mins by car Set in a small wine shop with only a handful of tables the food is exceptional. High end, restaurant quality food is served in a delightful rural setting Alain and Isabelle make this a fantastic experience. Alain's knowledge on wine is vast and do try his recommendations for pairings for the wonderful food Isabelle prepares. Advanced booking highly recommended Trip Advisor for info

AUBERGE DU NOYER, Mont Jean - 10 mins by car Good PUB GRUB - Lovely owners Shaun & Steve plenty going on, live music Quiz nights and fantastic outside seating area - open everyday, Facebook page for info

CAFE PORTBLEUE, Verteuil - 25 mins by Car  Fantastic place to eat NAT does the best steak Ive ever eaten, and always menu changes, set in a very pretty village with its very own chateau.open very day except monday Facebook page for info

CAVE LA REGIE - Verteuil - 25 mins by Car A very typical wine cave set in a very old building sells bottles of Wine, Gin, Rum, Whiskeys, also great place to sit in the winter or summer just enjoying a glass of wine or two

PIZZA JOSS, Chef Boutonne - 15mins by Car Great food very large portions, also do take away booking advisable as not overly large place, Opening times vary Facebook page for info

"If you look like your passport photo, you probably need the trip"

- XX

PLACES TO VISIT

ANGOULEME - 45mins by Car - Angoulême in Poitou-Charentes is an attractive city famous for its International Comic Book Festival and the classic car race, the Circuit des Ramparts. Lovely shops and places to eat.

POITIERS - 45 mins by car - Poitiers in Poitou-Charentes is a beautiful city built on a rocky promontory that is full of Romanesque heritage and over 80 listed monuments. Lovely Boutique shops and great places to eat.

NIORT - 45mins by car - Niort in Poitou-Charentes is an important modern finance centre with a rich historical past as a trading port and the second largest donjon (keep) in France. Lovely shops and places to eat

LA ROCHELLE -  1.5 hrs by car  - La Rochelle in Poitou-Charentes is a city by the sea known for its history in trade and fishing and is joined to the charming Île de Ré by a road bridge. Lovely for a days visit wandering around the harbour sampling the locally caught fish, or shopping in the lovely Boutiques also the beaches of Royan are worth a visit further up the coast.

BORDEAUX - 2hrs by car - Bordeaux in Aquitaine is the region's capital and the home of French wine-making, recognised world-wide for its excellent wines, and is beautifully situated on the River Garonne. Fantastic place to visit steeped in history, beautiful archtecture, 1km Long Shopping Street, lovely bars restaurants, and a visit to the wine museum is a must

GETTING HERE

Poitiers Biard Airport 45 mins by car Flights with Ryanair from London & Edinburgh. NEW Ryanair flights in operation JUNE JULY AUGUST from Manchester

Limoges Bellegarde Airport 1.5 hours by car Flights with Ryanair from Manchester, Leeds Bradford, East Midlands

Bordeaux Merignac Airport 2hours by car Flights with Ryanair - Edinburgh,  British Airways - London Easy Jet - Liverpool, Manchester,  Flyby - Birmingham, Southhampton

TGV 2hours 20mins from Paris CDG to Poitiers - Le Gare.

LOIRE VALLEY- 2hrs by car - An historic area, the Loire Valley has seen some of France's most important events including the Battle of Orleans where Joan of Arc led the French into battle, and is filled with beautiful cathedrals and chateaux, winding rivers perfect for water sports and some excellent wine regions. towns to visit Samur, Amboise, Blois, Chartres,

DORDOGNE - 2.5hrs by car The Dordogne comes close to offering everything that travellers head to France for: beautiful chateaux, traditional French gastronomy, a bucolic landscape of vineyards, forests and rivers. Picturesque  villages, such as Beynac, La Roque Gageac, Sarlet, St  Emeilion,

Chateau at Javarzay Chef Boutonne -15mins by car Situated just the other side of Chef Boutonne. A very pretty chateau housing permanent exhibitions about the work of M Cail ( the man who brought steam engines to France) and also of traditional headwear. other exhibitions of local artists etc. are held during the summer. Great place for picnics outside on the large expanse of grassland situated around a large carp lake.

Le Vallee Des Singes (Monkey Park) 30 mins by car - Created in 1998, the Valley of the monkeys, Zoological Park dedicated to primates, is both a place of entertainment and a place of knowledge of the wild world and environmental awareness. Since its inception, the main objective of the Park is to contribute to the protection of nature and the environment. 
The Valley of the monkeys offers its visitors the discovery of the fascinating world of primates in unique and privileged conditions, 450 monkeys on an area of 16 hectares, barrier-free. Here you can enter the domain of the small monkeys and can observe, at few meters only, apes on their islands.
The first role of the Valley of the monkeys is awareness. One of the largest parks in the world, dedicated to the conservation and the Protection of the monkeys and their natural environment.
Over the years, the Valley of the monkeys became a reference at European level, or even at the global level with more than 700 births.

Futuroscope 40 mins by car - is located on the French west coast between Bordeaux, La Rochelle and the Loire Valley. From north to south, from east to west, the landscape assumes a dazzling variety of forms allowing for a wide variety of activities, whatever your interests
Absorb the fantastic, fun and fairy-tale Futuroscope atmosphere with over 25 original experiences waiting for you in their stunning attraction theatres, as heart-thumping adventures, outrageous thrills, mind-blowing journeys, the fairy-tale evening show and fascinating attractions deliver delights to suit all tastes and ages!

Puy du Fou 2hrs by car - brings the history of the region to life: chariot races in a near full-sized Roman amphitheatre, soldiers storming a castle, Vikings and gladiators. 
Language is no barrier for British youngsters, who love the non-stop action from magicians to minstrels. This outstanding Puy du Fou theme park has been awarded an Oscar (the ‘Thea Classic’ award) for ‘most beautiful park in the world’. Its Equestrian academy houses Europe’s largest stables for horses involved in entertainment (these ‘celebrities’ have VIP accommodation, of course!). The Academy showcases dressage performed by 160 horses trained in all disciplines. The spectacles involve jousting, musketeers and chariot racing. Man and horse work together to perform the most intricate of manoeuvres and displays