Having looked at many properties across SW France for over 5 years we finally found Les Grands Coudrais. As soon as we entered the gates we felt as if we were home. The individual cottages and our farmhouse, dating back to 1786, create their own little hamlet within the Les Coudrais community. We took ownership on a cold January day in 2019. The charm and feel that made us fall in love with the place when we first looked in the spring of 2018 and again in the late summer, was still there. We feel so lucky to now be the proprietors of this gorgeous spot in SW France.
We’ve been fortunate enough, over the years, to have stayed in many gites and holiday homes with friends and family and also with our dogs. We know what we look for when we choose our getaway home. Arriving to a warm greeting, finding a sensible welcome pack offering catering essentials in the kitchen and a clean and comfortable environment, a taste of both France and a home from home. We have WiFi to keep you connected to the outside world and also have both French and English Freesat TV.
We live in the main farmhouse of Les Grands Coudrais with our two border terriers Tilly and Trevor (sister and brother, now 14 years young). On arrival, we will show you to your accommodation and walk you around the gite and then we will leave you to enjoy your break BUT we are on hand to help and offer any advice should you need it during your stay with us.
Our website is very user friendly, please click on each individual gite page within the Our Gites section to find out more information and tariffs.
We look forward to welcoming you to Les Grands Coudrais, our little piece of French paradise, for a very enjoyable and memorable holiday. We also welcome well behaved dogs, please let us know when booking.
PLEASE NOTE THAT BOOKING DIRECTLY WITH US THROUGH OUR WEBSITE AVOIDS SERVICE FEES CHARGED BY LISTING COMPANIES ! Full contact details on our Contact Us page or find us on Facebook.
We are looking forward to sharing our beautiful home with you.
Where we are situated
The very quiet hamlet of Les Coudrais is situated off the D1 between Civray and Ruffec in the Vienne départment of France. Civray is our nearest small market town and is just 1.5 kms away by car or a leisurely 25 minute walk. Further afield, Poitiers is 45 minutes drive with Limoges and La Rochelle both about 90 minutes away.
Travelling by car:
Many guests coming from the UK choose the Portsmouth – Le Havre crossing, followed by an easy drive of less than 5 hours. From Calais, the drive is about 6 to 7 hours. We have travelled to this area from Calais on many occasions and find the roads a very comfortable drive. There are many stopping places en route, food and fuel stops and also some very lovely picnic areas.
Travelling by plane:
For guests who prefer to fly, we’re 45 minutes from Poitiers-Biard airport (Ryanair from Stanstead and Edinburgh and Manchester during the summer months) and 1 hour 15 mins from Limoges-Bellgarde airport (Ryanair from Stanstead, Bristol, East Midlands and Liverpool). Also Leeds/Bradford, Gatwick and Southampton during the summer months. Apart from Ryanair, please also check flybe.com and britishairways.com for other flight information (especially during the summer). A little further away is Angouleme-Cognac International Airport offering flights by various airlines. La Rochelle and Bordeaux airports are also within comfortable travelling distance and offer a selection of flights. Car hire is available from all airports and is recommended. Follow this link to search for a quote.
Travelling by train:
The TGV, the French high-speed train, stops at Ruffec via Poitiers. Ruffec is just 20 minutes away and the journey time from Paris Gare Montparnasse is about 2 hours 15 minutes. There are also trains from Poitiers to St. Saviol (10 mins away, although not as frequent). Alternatively for guests arriving from the UK by train, it’s easier to take the Eurostar to Lille, then simply change trains to a TGV to Poitiers. This avoids having to cross Paris. Car hire is also available from Poitiers.
We list further instructions of how to get here when you book with us.
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