Your choice of travel
Rural Retreat is in Confolens in the Charente, South West France. Confolens is very easy to get to by plane, train or car. We are 30 minutes from Limoges airport, Ruffec railway station and just 15 minutes from 3 major motorway networks.
Flights
There are flights from UK to Limoges, our nearest airport. There is a good timetable from East Midlands, Stansted and Manchester all year round, plus Bristol, Leeds and Gatwick in the summer. Alternatively, you can fly to Bordeaux and hire a car for the 2 hour motorway drive to Confolens.
Driving
From Calais it’s a 5-6 hour drive and there are a choice of directions and routes for driving to Confolens in the South West. You can opt for motorway (péage) almost all the way or choose to take your time through towns and villages. From Dieppe, Cherbourg, St Malo, Caen and Le Havre we are are straight forward 4- 5 hours directly South on motorway/dual carriageway.
Train
Eurostar to Paris is a great alternative to flying or driving and then train from Paris to Limoges or Ruffec. We are now on the fast RGV line and so it’s just a couple of hours across country. There are often good deals and offers on Eurostar and onward from Paris can be as low as €20!
Further Travel Information
Flying
When booking on a budget airline please be aware that the last minute booking bargains do not seem to be an option. Prices can rise steeply toward the day of departure so we recommend that you book as early as possible to get the best deal. IMPORTANT – when you search for flights and prices you must either clear cookies before booking or search and book on different devices. If you don’t you will find the price increases each time you look!
We are aiming to provide most things that you need during your stay, to make your travel as easy as possible. The current hand baggage allowance information is regularly reviewed by all budget airlines – please check current regs for your service when you book. Rules that apply for items you can carry in your hand luggage are strenuously enforced and may be changed and updated. We will provide all toiletries to make life easier – if you need something particular just let us know. You will need to place any electrical devices e.g. laptop, kindle, phone in a tray, so pack on top and we recommend that you avoid wearing a belt or boots when flying as these too have to be removed!
In addition to booking your flight, you will need to ‘check in’ online and download your boarding card before travelling. Please check current regulations with your carrier as these may change between booking and travelling.
Driving
If you are crossing the channel in the tunnel or by ferry and driving down, there are preparations that you must make before travelling.
You must carry in your car, van or camper, all of the following:- a reflective vest for driver and each passenger, a first aid kit, warning triangle, spare bulbs and your driving licence, insurance (including European travel cover) and MOT. Please make sure that all these items are easily accessible and not buried in the boot under your luggage!
You must also make sure that you have a new UK sticker and the headlamp modification stickers to apply to your car before driving in France and you must only use a mobile enabled with blue tooth while driving, as hands free kits are now illegal and you will be prosecuted for driving whilst using a phone.
For the most up to date advice please check out www.drive-france.com for detailed information.
Car Hire
Recent changes to paper licences in the UK mean that you will need to access the DVLA website before you travel to gain an access code to give to the car hire company. If you still have a paper licence it is worth bringing it with you a not all car hire companies are up to date with the new rules.
