With return
tickets sometimes on offer from as little as
£50, some visitors are sailing over to
France on a late evening ferry and staying
overnight at a cheap French hotel, and then
travelling down to us the following day, and
still saving money on the cost of an
overnight ferry crossing.
|
Destination
|
Ferry Company
|
Ferry duration
|
Road distance from port
to Basse Baffrie
|
|
ST. MALO
|
Brittany Ferries
|
10hrs
|
185 miles (approx)
|
|
CAEN (Ouistreham)
|
Brittany Ferries
|
3¾ hours¹ (fast
craft) 5 ¾hrs
|
197 miles (approx)
|
|
¹operates
summer schedule only |
|
CHERBOURG
|
Brittany Ferries
|
3 hours high speed
|
250 miles (approx)
|
|
LE HAVRE
|
LD Lines
|
5½ hrs
|
220 miles (approx)
|
Routes from Dover:
|
Destination
|
Ferry Company
|
Ferry duration
|
Road distance from port
to Basse Baffrie
|
|
BOULOGNE-
SUR-MER
|
LD Lines
|
1½ Hours
|
325 miles
(approx)
|
|
CALAIS
|
Seafrance
P&O Ferries
and others.
|
1 to 1½ Hours
|
350 miles
(approx)
|
|
DUNKERQUE
|
Norfolk Line
|
2 Hours
|
375 miles
(approx)
|
Route from Newhaven
(Near Brighton, Sussex):
|
Destination
|
Ferry Company
|
Ferry duration
|
Road distance from port
to Basse Baffrie
|
|
DIEPPE
|
LD Lines
|
4½ Hours
|
250 miles (approx)
|
OTHER FERRY ROUTES FROM THE UK
Condor
Ferries - from Weymouth to St. Malo via
the Channel Islands
Brittany Ferries - Plymouth to Roscoff
There are usually also routes from the
East Coast of England, (Hull, Harwich)
to Hook of Holland, Zeebrugge.
Back to
Top
DIRECTIONS once you are in FRANCE
|
Our SAT. NAV. GPS
Co-ordinates are: |
N 47 deg. 06` 03.2"
W 0 deg. 17` 07.8" |
ROAD ROUTES FROM
THE FERRY PORTS OF
CHERBOURG, CAEN AND LE HAVRE TO DOUE LA
FONTAINE VIA LE MANS
DO TRY
AND TAKE SOME SMALL CHANGE
(€ - euros) for Toll Charges although 'some'
do take Credit Cards
1)
Cherbourg to Caen
 |
Follow directions for the N13 to
Valognes, Carentan, Bayeux and
Caen. As you approach Caen, you
want the N158 to Falais,
Argentan, Sees and Alençon.
|
|
|
You may be directed around Caen
before you get onto the N158.
|
|
|
Once on the N158 to Falaise,
Argentan, Seez and Alençon,
follow directions from No. 3
below.
|
2)
Ouistreham (Caen ferry port) to Caen
|
|
Follow the directions out of
Ouistreham for Caen.\
|
|
|
After about 7 miles up the dual
carriageway towards Caen,
take the exit for ALENÇON.
|
|
|
Keep following directions for
Alençon, Le Mans and eventually
Falaise.
|
3)
Caen to Falaise and on to Argentan
|
|
PLEASE NOTE that the A88
motorway from Falaise to
Argentay is meant to be
completed by the end of 2009
|
|
|
Meanwile:
Once on the N158 continue to
Falaise (which you will by-pass)
and continue to Argentan.
|
4)
Argentan to Sees to Alencon to le Mans
|
|
Follow the signs for the A88
to Sees where you join
the A28 to Alencon
and onto Le Mans.
|
5)
Just before Le Mans
|
|
Take the exit for the A11 to
NANTES, LAVAL and RENNES
|
6)
Le Mans to Doue-la-Fontaine via Gennes
(SCENIC ROUTE AND THE ONE WE RECOMMEND)
|
|
Soon after joining the motorway,
follow the signs for ANGERS and
stay on this motorway until you
reach the EXIT FOR THE A85
SAUMUR MOTORWAY which is before
the pay kiosks and take the
first exit off to BEAUFORT EN
VALLEE and pay here.
|
|
|
Follow the non-motorway signs
for Saumur until you see one for
Les Rosiers sur Loire
|
|
|
Go to Les Rosiers sur Loire and
cross the River Loire to Gennes
and follow the D69 signs for
Doué-La-Fontaine.
|
|
|
As you get to Doué-La-Fontaine,
you will come to a roundabout as
you leave the open countryside.
|
|
|
Do not go into the town centre
but instead take the first exit
for Cholet.
|
|
|
Follow the signs for Cholet.
Go round a roundabout (Back of
Super U supermarket on your
left) and take the road for
Cholet.
|
|
|
After about 400 yards there is
the Bienvenue Hotel/Restaurant
on the right and a left hand
turn to Les Verchers.
|
7)
Doué-La-Fontaine to
Basse Baffrie
-
Remember to print the
Mid Scale Map,
as a reference
|
|
After turning at the Bienvenue
Hotel/Restaurant following the
signs to les Verchers you will
shortly pass the Super U
supermarket on your left.
|
|
|
After about another 500 yards
you will come to some traffic
lights.
|
|
|
Turn right here onto the D69 to
les Verchers. Follow this
road until you come down the
hill into Les Verchers sur Layon.
Keep driving through the village
(Photo 2 on Mid Scale Map) until
you see a sign indicating you
are leaving Les Verchers sur
Layon.
|
|
|
Just after leaving Les Vercher
sur layon there is a fork in the
road with some fir trees and a
large crucifix and two statues
at the fork junction (Photo 3).
|
|
|
Turn left here onto the D194 to
Bouillé-Loretz. (Be careful here
at this turning you do not have
right of way).
|
|
|
Follow the windy road through
the hamlet of St Macaire du Bois
LES BOUCHETTES and you will
reach the hamlet of St Macaire
du Bois L'HUMEAU DE BRAY.
|
|
|
At the crossroads (Photo 4) go
straight across towards
Bouillé-Loretz, still on the
D194.
|
|
|
After about 400 yards ignore the
turning on the left and carry
straight on
|
|
|
Take the next turn left (after
about a mile) off the D194
(Photo 5), and follow the road
into the hamlet of Basse Baffrie
(note that Basse Baffrie nor
anything else is signposted at
this turning).
|
|
|
The entrance to our drive (Photo
6) is on the left by the two
large oak trees (Les Deux
Chênes) directly after the front
garden of our neighbour's house.
|
Back to
Top
FROM LE
HAVRE
TWO
OPTIONS:
FOR BOTH
OPTIONS:
(1) As you
leave the ferry port
roundabout follow the
directions for 'TOUTES
DIRECTIONS' or 'AUTRES
DIRECTIONS'.
(2) Keep to the right as you
go over a small canal and
turn right down alongside
the canal.
(3) Follow directions for
ROUEN, PARIS and HONFLEUR.
(4) If your car is not too high,
keep to the left
hand outside lane and go
under the 'UNDER-PASSES' to
avoid traffic light
cross-roads.
OPTION A) (motorway
or dual carriageway)
(1)
Follow all directions to
Rouen (A131) crossing
over the River Seine at Pont
Tancarville.
(2) Join the A13 to Rouen.
(3) Exit No. 25 (there may be 2
or 3 exit 25s) for the A28 to
ALENCON and LE MANS.
(4) Drive south down
the A28 to Le Mans and then
FOLLOW FROM DIRECTIONS
NO. 5 ABOVE (Directions
from Cherbourg and Caen).
OPTION B) (cross country until you
join the motorway near Bernay, cutting
out over 20 miles )
(1) Same as Step 1 above FOR
BOTH OPTIONS
(2) then
follow all directions to the
Pont de Normandie and go
over it.
(3)
Head
for BERNAY either by
B.a) staying on
the motorway after the Pont de
Normandie and joining the A13
motorway direction Rouen
(4) Then
take exit for D27 to Epaignes
and Lieurey.
(5) Go
round the Lieurey ring road and
join the D834 to Noards and then
on to Bazoques and on towards
Bernay.
(6)
Before reaching Bernay, the A28
to Alencon will be signposted.
(7) Once
on the A28 follow the directions
above (Cherbourg and Caen to
Basse Baffrie) from No. 5.
or B.b)
(3)
Go over the Pont de Normandie
and come off at the first Exit
(No.3).
(4) Go round the roundabout and
take the exit the D580 for
Beauzeville.
(5) Follow all signs for
Beauzeville (D22).
(6) At Beauzeville take the
directions for the D27 to
Epaignes and Lieurey.
(7) Now follow directions from
No. 5 above for Option
B.a.
Back to Top
(1)
Follow route (dual carriageway)
to Rennes, Nantes and Cholet.
(2) Keep on the motorway beyond
Cholet heading for Bressuire.
(3) Exit for Mauleon.
(4) You do not go to
Mauleon - take the D759 to
Argenton les Vallees (used to be
called Argenton Chateau).
(5) Go through Argenton les
Vallees - continue on the D759
to Cersay and on to
Bouille-Loretz.
(6) At the cross-roads in
Bouille-Loretz, take the left
hand turn to St. Pierre au
Champ.
(7) After 100 yds, take right
hand fork to Neuil-sur-Layon.
(8) After about 400 yds (school
indoor sports hall on your
right) turn RIGHT to 'The
Baffrie'.
(9) Follow this small lane for
about 1 mile. You will come to
cross roads and a vineyard ahead
on the left hand side.
Turn
left to Basse Baffrie.
We are about 400 yds along on
the right hand side. Entrance
by the two oak trees - Les Deux
Chenes.
Back to Top
(1)
If you are coming via Saumur, we
will send you the directions
separately.
AIR
SERVICES FROM THE UK.
Our
local airports are:-
Angers (55 mins); Poitiers
(1hr.15mins); Tours (1
hr 35mins) and Nantes (1 hr 40
mins).
La Rochelle is 2 hours away.
Various airlines, including
budget airline Ryanair, operate
from various airports around the
UK - some routes on a seasonal
basis only.
It
is possible to fly to PARIS
(Charles de Gaulle) and get the
TGV train direct from Paris,
Charles de Gaulle Airport to
Angers.
We are only 40 minutes from
Angers train station.
TRAIN
SERVICES
|
EUROTUNNEL
|
Waterloo or Ashford to
Paris.
Then Paris underground
for connection for TGV
to Tours and connection
from Tours to Saumur. |
