TRAVEL GUIDE for Les Deux Chênes Gite - B&B

Routes from Portsmouth:

³'Speedferries.com' started a cheap fast-craft service to Boulogne-sur-Mer in 2004.
Tickets can cost as little as £50 return even in mid-summer and occasionally they throw in a free ticket too.
This has resulted in other Dover based Ferries crossing to France offering competitive fares.  These include P&O, SeaFrance and the Norfolk Line who cross to Calais / Dunkerque.  Because of the enormous savings on these routes, some of our guests are travelling over to France on an evening crossing, staying overnight in a family room in a cheap chain hotel, then travelling down to us the following day, and they are still saving at least £100, sometimes £200 or more.
By using the afternoon crossing you can leave us early morning and be back in Dover by 1700
³The Speedferries.com fast craft operates all year round but not in weather conditions above F6.

Route from Newhaven:

THE NEW ALENCON-ROUEN MOTORWAY
This is now open and the journey time from Boulogne to us (non-stop) is 5 hours or just over. (Boulogne - Rouen - Alencon - Le Mans - Angers or Les Rosiers/Gennes and onto us). (see: Rouen-Alençon Motorway)

Other ferry routes: Plymouth to Roscoff, Weymouth to St. Malo, Poole Cherbourg, Newhaven Dieppe, Dover Calais/Boulogne

When coming by overnight ferry you could easily arrive at Les Deux Chênes before mid-day.

When coming by morning ferry you could easily arrive at Les Deux Chênes in time for evening meal.

DIRECTIONS once you are in FRANCE

OUR GPS COORDINATES TO THE HOUSE ARE:
N47°06'03.2"
W0°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 THOUGH MOTORWAY TOLLS - 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, Sees and Alençon.

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 Sées
Once on the N158 to continue to Failaise (which you will by-pass) and continue on to Argentan and Sees following signs whenever you see them to Alençon and Le Mans.
A new dual carriage way is planned to be built to cover this section. Opening date unknown at present.

4) Le Havre to Sées
As you leave the ferryport roundabout, follow the directions for TOUTES DIRECTIONS or AUTRES DIRECTIONS.   
Keep to the right as you immediately go over a small canal.   
Follow directions for ROUEN, PARIS AND HONFLEUR.    
NB. If your vehicle is not too high you can go down through the underpasses to avoid traffic lights at the crossroads.
As soon as it appears, follow the sign for PONT DE NORMANDIE.   
Pay approx. 5 €uros at the kiosk and then go over (wake up and look because it is quite spectacular).
After crossing the bridge, DO NOT EXIT AT THE GREEN SIGN TO LE MANS, but stay on the motorway to PONT L'EVEQUE.   
Pay at the kiosk 1 €euro.   
Continue on the dual carriageway but come off following the signs to LISIEUX.   
Then follow signs to Alençon, via VIMOUTIERS, GACE, and SÉES.

5) Sées to Le Mans
Soon after you go round the Sées by-pass the road becomes dual carriage way.
Approaching ALENÇON follow the blue sign (always blue for motorway) for LE MANS.
Take a ticket from the kiosk and drive onto the motorway.
As you approach LE MANS, take the A11 exit for Nantes, Rennes, Laval.
This section will be covered by the new Alençon/Rouen motorway due to open in 2005.

6) Le Mans to Doué-La-Fontaine via Angers (Main road route)
Soon after joining the motorway, follow the signs for ANGERS.   
As you approach Angers on the A11 fom Le Mans, ignore the A85 exit to Saumur and stay on this motorway until you reach the pay kiosks just before Angers (approx 9 euros).   
Continue on the dual carriageway for about 7 miles when there is a garage on the right and immediately after an exit for Cholet and Poitiers.   
Follow the signs for Poitiers for a few miles until you see one for Brissac-Quince. Head for Brissac-Quince on the D761.   
By then there will be signs for Doué-La-Fontaine, often on the signposts as Doué L F.  
Brissac Quince will be on the right as you drive along the D761.
A mile before reaching Doué-La-Fontaine there is a roundabout.   Take the exit for Cholet.   The dual carriageway will bring you to another roundabout with a large metal giraffe on it. (Photo 1 on Mid Scale Map).
Take the exit for the zoo and town centre.   After about 400 yards there is a large crossroads with the Bienvenue Hotel/Restaurant on the left and a right hand turn to Les Verchers. (Now follow from Section 8).

7) Le Mans to Doué-La-Fontaine, via Gennes (Scenic route)
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 (approx 11 euros).   
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 (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.

8) 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.

9) Road Route from St. Malo.

Follow route (dual carriageway) to Rennes, Nantes, Cholet, Saumur.
Before getting to Saumur you will reach Doue la Fontaine.
On reaching the 'zoo' roundabout (it has a large Giraffe statue on it) take the direction for the Zoo and take first turning on the right to Les Verchers sur Layon opposite the Bienvenue Auberge/Restaurant.
Now follow the directions from No. 8 above.

10) Road Route from Saumur

We will email you these separately if you require them.

FERRIES: PLANES: TRAINS: TIMETABLES: DISCOUNTS: USEFUL INFORMATION

FERRIES from PORTSMOUTH to *LE HAVRE, CHERBOURG and OUISTREHAM (Caen)
from LE HAVRE, CHERBOURG and OUISTREHAM (Caen) to PORTSMOUTH

Brittany Ferries and LG Lines usually have sailings most days in both directions. Brittany Ferries go early morning, mid-afternoon and late evening (night crossing).
LG Lines go once a day - 2300 Portsmouth to Le Havre and 1700 Le Havre to Portsmouth.
Brittany Ferries have some fastcraft to and from Cherbourg and Caen- Summer months only. Timetable from them.

from PORTSMOUTH to ST. MALO:
from ST. MALO to PORTSMOUTH

Summer months only: most days Brittany Ferries have an early evening departure (night crossing) from Portsmouth and a morning departure (day crossing) from St. Malo.
Winter months only : most days Brittany Ferries have an early evening departure (night crossing) and also a morning crossing (day crossing) in both directions.

It is possible to buy a return ticket using different ports as long as you are travelling with the same Ferry Company.
eg. Brittany Ferries: Plymouth to Roscoff; return Ouistreham (Caen) to Portsmouth

OTHER FERRY CROSSINGS

For ferries from and to other ports, please check sailing times with the ferry company.

Car Hire: Discounted rates from Auto Europe and Europcar are available from the French Houses' site which is run by James:
see: Car Hire - Prices start, after the discounts, at £63 for 3 day's hire and £120 for a full week.

PLANE:

RyanAir Stansted to Tours (66 miles from us) and to Poitiers (57 miles from us).
Sometimes has very cheap offers (from £0.99 + taxes) but usually travel has to be midweek, is non rebookable and non refundable.
RyanAir can also arrange competitively priced CAR HIRE for collection at your destination airport.
BA and AIR FRANCE (UK) have budget fares from Gatwick to Nantes (75 miles from us).
BA and AIR FRANCE (UK) have Budget Fares from many UK airports to Paris.
EASYJET flies from Stanstead to Paris and can organise Car Hire.
FlyBe have budget fares from Southampton to La Rochelle (90 miles from us).

TRAIN - EUROTUNNEL: Waterloo or Ashford to Paris then TGV direct to Saumur, or to Tours and connect
to Saumur.

Travel DISCOUNTS with BRITTANY FERRIES, EUROTUNNEL and SEAFRANCE.

We can get you discounted fares with the above Companies because we advertise in the 'Owners in France' brochure (owned by Brittany Ferries).
You will need to contact us for our personal reference number before enquiring/booking with them.

USEFUL TELEPHONE NUMBERS AND WEBSITE ADDRESSES

Brittany Ferries: 08705 360360 www.BrittanyFerries.com

P&O Ferries: 08705 202020 www.POferries.com

Transmanche: (Newhaven - Dieppe). www.TransmancheFerries.com

Speedferries: www.speedferries.co.uk/
(Dover to Boulogne-sur-Mer)

Hoverspeed: 08709 220668
(Newhaven - Dieppe, fastcraft, summer months only). www.hoverspeed.com/

Condor Ferries: www.CondorFerries.co.uk.
(Weymouth to St. Malo via the Channel Islands. Fastcraft, summer months only)

SeaFrance www.SeaFrance.com

Norfolk Line www.norfolkline.com

Ryanair: www.RyaAir.com

FlyBe www.FlyBe.com

British Airways www.ba.com

Air France UK www,AirFrance.co.uk

French Houses - The only way to buy a property for sale in France: in the Limousin, Loire Valley - Vendée, Poitou-Charentes and Centre.