Local Tourism Notes

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Local Tourism Notes

The staff at most tourist offices are able to speak competent English. You will find them very helpful with all tourism questions as well as questions on public transport and more. If you're in need of some help, they're always worth asking.

Tourist Offices are also able to provide general information on their area, much of it as appropriate to the resident as to the visitor. If you want to know about fairs, markets, concerts and other events in your area the Tourist Office is bound to have information, brochures and flyers.

• To find listings of all local tourist offices in Western France see The AngloFILE: Poitou-Charentes Tourist Offices
• See the website of the French Government Tourism (in English).
• Regional Tourism authorities have comprehensive websites in English: see here

Airports in Poitou-Charentes

• To find out about the airports serving the Poitou-Charentes region, flight information, access or lost luggage, see this AngloINFO INFOrmation Page: Poitou-Charentes Airport Contacts
• To find out about airlines flying to Poitou-Charentes see this page: Airlines, Scheduled Flights & Charter 

Where To Stay

The region offers a wide variety of accommodation, with options ranging from camping to Bed & Breakfast accommodation, hotels and stays in private gîtes.

• See the INFOrmation Page on Holiday Accommodation Options to find out more about the type of accommodation available in France
• See The AngloFILE for Hotels & Holiday Accommodation

Beaches

There are 71 beaches in the Charente Maritime and website Charente-Maritime.org has maps of them all. The French system of beach safety works by colored flags. To find out about sailing, surfing, canooing and kayaking in the waters off the Charente coast see the AngloINFO INFOrmation Page on Water Sports in Poitou-Charentes.

Food and Drink

The famous French brandy, Cognac, is made in the city of the same name in Charante (16). Only brandy produced within the designated area can take the name Cognac. The Cognac delimited area stretches from the city along the banks of the River Charante to the Atlantic coast, it covers a large part of Charente all of Charente Maritime (17) and parts of the Dordogne (24) and Deux Sèvres (79). There are 15,000 plantations in the area that produce Charentais white wine for the Cognac industry. The Charentais wine was originally distilled so that it would be easier to transport by boat, with the Charente River used to move the brandy to the coast, which is why most of the producers still have their warehouses close to the riverbanks. 

• Website Cognac World tells the story of Cognac and how it is produced.
• The Cognac tourist office website has further information.

To find out about the specialst oyster production methods used in the Charente see the AngloINFO INFOrmation page Oysters of the Charente-Maritime

The Islands of Poitou-Charentes

There are 4 islands off the Poitou-Charantes coast, which in ancient times were important military bases, used to defend the mainland. To find out how to get to each of the islands and what to do once you have arrived see this AngloINFO INFOrmation Page: Islands of Poitou-Charentes 

Animals and Wildlife

The region has a wealth of animal reserves and bird sanctuaries. For details on all that's open to visitor, see this AngloINFO Information Page Animals & Wildlife of Poitou-Charentes

Regional Tourist Offices

Regional tourism authorities have comprehensive websites in English providing much useful information. 

The main Tourist offices are:

• Charente-Maritime Tourist Office
  Website
• Deux-Sevres Tourism
  At: 15 rue Thiers, (79) Niort.
  Tel: 05 49 77 87 79
  Fax: 05 49 24 90 29
  e-mail
  Website
• The Charante Tourist Board
  At: 17 place Bouillaud, (16) Angouleme.
  Tel: 05 45 69 79 09
  Fax: 05 45 69 48 60
  e-mail
  Website
• Vienne Tourism
  At: 33 place Charles de Gaulle, Poitiers (86).
  Tel: 05 49 37 48 48
  Fax: 05 49 37 48 49
  e-mail
  Website

Selected tourism websites

• Some local interest sites can be found in The AngloFILE: Poitou-Charentes Web Portals
  Some more general French information be found in The AngloFILE: France Web Portals 
• French Web Portals (in The AngloFILE)
• Poitou-Charentes Tourist Offices (in The AngloFILE)
• French Ministry of Tourism The facts about tourism in France (in French)
• Maison de la France International guide to tourism in France
• Tourism in France