Luxury holidays in Charente-Maritime

When to go

Sunseekers fly to the coast from June to early September; to avoid the rush, aim to arrive around mid-April or late September to early November, when the weather’s still pleasant.

Getting there

• Planes

  There are direct flights to both La Rochelle and Rochefort airports from major cities throughout Europe; international flights from Africa and Canada fly into Nantes. Visitors from the US will probably need to stopover in mainland Europe. Or, fly into Bordeaux and drive north.

• Boats

  Brittany Ferries runs a regular route from Portsmouth to St Malo, the closest port to the Charente-Maritime department.

• Automobiles

  To fully explore the region, wheels are a necessity. Drives on the interior are naturally beautiful, and the bridges connecting the islands must be crossed by car.