Holiday lettings, villas, apartments and cottages to let

Description of holiday house in Parc des Volcans d’Auvergne, Auvergne

Looking across a valley to pasture and forest, my 'Sweet Little House' lies 2,600 feet up, on a country lane in the middle of the Volcans d' Auvergne National Park. South facing, its stone walls built into the hillside, a steep slate roof, the inside mostly in wood, it is typically Auvergnat.

Downstairs are the living room (comfy chairs & Godin wood burning fire), the kitchen (dishwasher, microwave, fridge, gas cooker, dining table), a bedroom with two new single beds, and a bathroom (loo, basin, bath with shower attachment, washing machine). Upstairs, the main bedroom has a double bed (new 6' 6" x 5' base & mattress on an antique bedstead), a superb view and en suite loo and basin.

Carefully restored and redecorated in 1997, it is dolls' house pretty, has electric heating throughout, a telephone if required (calls are not included in the rental), parking space and all you need for a relaxing holiday amid some of France's loveliest countryside.

We live a quarter mile away and hope you'll drop in for a glass of wine, a chat and any help or information you need.

All my houses are stylish, spotlessly clean, have garden table and chairs, a sunshade and barbecue. There's lots of information in English so you get the most from your holiday. You'll find comfy beds made up ready for you when you arrive (bed linen & towels are all provided) and those little things - soap, loo roll, a hair dryer, iron, ironing board, and in the kitchen, washing-up liquid, kitchen roll, a kettle, teapot, oven gloves, herbs, salt, pepper, enough glasses, in other words all you need for a relaxing holiday.

You can order a meal for the evening of your arrival if you prefer not to shop on your way here, or we can book a table for you at a local restaurant. There is a 25 page folder in English full of information on the area, and books, maps and board games. And if the car breaks down (or you do), we're here to help.

Accommodation, Facilities and Services

Suitability:	No Smoking, Pets Considered
General:	Central heating, Telephone
Bedrooms:	2 Bedrooms, Sleeps 4 1 Double/s with ensuite, 1 Twin/s bedroom with two new single beds, and a bathroom (loo, basin, bath with shower attachment, washing machine). Upstairs, the main bedroom has a double bed (new 6' 6" x 5' base & mattress on an antique bedstead), a superb view and en suite loo and basin.
Bathrooms:	2 Bathroom/s 1 Bath/s, 1 Shower/s, 2 Wash basin/s, 2 Toilets/s
Lounge:	Seating for 4 people Books/Magazines
Dining Area:	Seating for 4 people
Kitchen/Utility:	Oven, Hob, Grill, Fridge, Freezer, Microwave, Kettle, Ironing board, Iron
Outdoors:	BBQ, Private garden, Terrace, Sunshade
Access:	Car essential
Services:	Towels provided, Cleaning included

Rates

Please Note: Prices may be subject to change at the advertiser's discretion.
Currency conversions are not guaranteed to be accurate.

Deposit/Booking Notes: Prices include: bed linen, towels, electricity, gas, heating and logs for the fire.
Please Note: Laquairie sleeps 3 (in 2 bedrooms with one bathroom)
25% non-returnable deposit on booking - Balance 4 weeks before arrival

Location of holiday rental in Parc des Volcans d’Auvergne, Auvergne

Holiday Type:	Rural, Mountain
Local Activities:	Walking

Location description

National Park:
The Parc des Volcans d’Auvergne is Europe’s largest National Park, 75 miles north to south, “protected because of its special beauty and fragility”. It includes two different ranges of mountains, both rising over 6,000 feet. The southern part of the Park, especially in the department of Cantal, is quiet, beautiful and truly rural.

Other activities

The Parc des Volcans d'Auvergne is Europe's largest National Park, 120 kms north to south, "protected because of its special beauty and its fragility".

Two distinct ranges of mountains lie within the Park, both rising over 1,800 metres (6,000 feet). The northern part, in the Department of Puy de Dome, is more developed and more densely populated. The southern part, especially that in Cantal, is quieter, more rural.

Among animals found are moufflon, chamois, marmots, red & roe deer, wild boar, edible & hazel dormice, pine and beech martens and red squirrels.

Birds include many species now rare or gone from Britain, crested tits have visited our bird nuts in winter, shrikes nest by the house, black kites and honey buzzards can be seen easily and red kites are commonplace, distinguish them from buzzards by their forked tails. See also Birds.

Not at all knowledgeable about butterflies and moths, any help or information would be much appreciated.

The sheer quantity of wild flowers and their great variety never cease to amaze and delight. From daffodils as far as the eye can see, to hay made more with flowers than grass, to the carpet of wild thyme underfoot scenting the evening.

Tourist attractions

Châteaux
Perched on a pinnacle above Apchon, scramble up to the ruined castle which held out against the English in the Hundred Years' War (what did they do for water?). The imposing ramparts of Murol, a mighty fortress going back to Roman times (open certain days, sometimes with residents in period clothes - animations; a small collection of ancient rare breeds of livestock includes “Higland” cattle). Chateaux of a more conventionally classic line listed below. Little St Floret, on the Besse/Issoire road has the remains of interesting frescoes; the village is pretty, too.

Château de Parentignat is a fascinating mix of history and clutter, having been in the same family since 1707. Mostly 18th century, it is near exit 13 (A 75), 35 km south of Clermont. Open daily from 1 July to 3 September, and at weekends from 27 May to 1 October, from 2 to 6 p.m.. Greatly enjoyed by the Hutchings who “found” it.

Little remains of Besse's city walls apart from one of the gates (near the Hotel Beffroi, see Eating) and some short lengths past the Post Office. A trip to Cordès makes a pleasant day out and can be combined with other pursuits.

Of the eleven Cantal châteaux open to the public (in the afternoon plus some in the morning at holiday times), the most interesting are:
Anjony: 15th-18th C, 23 k N of Aurillac, open from February to November
Auzers: 14th-15th C, SW of Riom-ès-Montagnes, open from Easter to All Saints

La Trémolière: 15th C, 8 k N of Salers, open 15 June to 15 September
La Vigne: 15th-18th C, 10 k S of Mauriac, open 15 June to 15 September
Val: 15th C, 7 k N of Bort-les-Orgues, open daily (except Tuesdays out of season)
A list of châteaux is given in the “Sites et Patrimoine” leaflet.

Gardens
The High Auvergne is rather cold in winter for plants with -15°C normal and temperatures sometimes down to -25°C, cold enough to split the trunks of oak trees. There is an “ethno-botanic” garden at Antignac with plants from seeds from archaeological sites, traditional medicinal and food plants and other plant related things. The Margeride ecomuseum has a plants section. Other gardens at Chateau de Chassan and Ch. de la Vigne (Cantal): Ch. de la Batisse, Ch. de Cordez (laid out by the same chap as Les Tuilleries; remarkable hedges; chateau & gardens can be seen separately) & Ch. d’Opme in Puy-de-Dome: for a fuller list and descriptions, see the “Visitez un jardin en France/Auvergne” leaflet.

Vulcania
Opened on 20 February ’02 (the symmetrical date 20.02.2002 caused press comment), the new 110 million euro, science-oriented theme park is dedicated to volcanoes. The Narbeth’s enjoyed a visit in July with their girls aged 12 and 6, reporting that they spent 3 hours, there was plenty of parking, no queuing and many of the texts were in English but although it was midday and not especially busy, there were no audio guides in English available. Interesting if fairly scientific, so best for over 12’s unless they are volcano enthusiasts. Entrance charges are € 18 for adults, € 12 for children aged 5 or over, with under-5s free. Vulcania is northwest of Clermont, about an hour and a quarter by car. Initially open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., opening times will be extended in summer.

Churches
The squat, solid, primitive style of the 11th and 12th centuries, typical of the region, is known as Romanesque. The following three are all different and rightly famous:

St Nectaire: open daily except Tuesdays & at lunchtime
- atmospheric, note the extraordinary painted stone capitals (tops of the pillars),

Orcival: open all day - light and airy for its date, designed and built by an unknown master mason.

St Austremoine: Issoire, also open all day, a former abbey church - unusual painted pillars, exceptional capitals, signs of the zodiac around the outside of the nave; our web site has photos of St Austremoine

Other large churches have mostly been extended later, the oldest part is usually at the altar end - as at Riom-ès-Montagnes which has a 13th century wood carving of Christ.
There are some lovely village churches, like unadorned Picherande or Tremouille (where our daughter Christabel was married in 1998). Look for stone (lauzes) roofs, low curved walls, small windows. On a rock outcrop, Fortuniés is the essence of an Auvergne country church, simple, tiny, unchanged, a jewel; since '94 a very slow restoration has been in progress, I do so hope it is not spoiled (Fortuniés is on the way back down the Santoire valley from Murat, bear right on the D23 towards Chalinargues, in a couple of kilometres you will see Fortuniés on your left).
Rebuilt after being destroyed by the English in the Hundred Years' War, Cheylade has a naïvely painted ceiling, 15th C, extraordinary, and unique in France.

You often have to put a ten or twenty euro centime coin into a slot to turn on the lights, not always easy though to find the slot in the dark. Church (and other) buffs will enjoy a day in Le Puy where there’s lots to see. The cathedral is interesting, it’s fever stone dating back to pre-Roman times. The beautiful and curious Church of St. Michael on top of a stone pinnacle is 11th century and contains exceptional paintings, making the climb up well worthwhile.

St Flour cathedral is said to contain a life sized black Christ, but I have not seen it.

The Chapel of Notre Dame d'Estaules is a stroll down the lane from La Borie, but following a theft is often locked. The curious round chapel of St Gorgon is on a pleasant walk (we did it with a 7 year old) or can be reached by car.

La Godivelle has a small, pretty church (dedicated to Saint Blaise) with one or two surprising gargoyles.
Strangely primitive stone crosses can be found here and there, as at Chancel, near La Fonte Sainte, a pleasant place for a stroll up to a bump with a super view - Di's father walked up aged 82.

In Clermont-Ferrand, 12th century Notre-Dame-du-Port replaced a 7th century building, unusual sculptures (much damaged) by the south door, and other interesting features. Begun in 1248, the cathedral, built of dark grey lava, is said by the Guide Bleu to be the finest Gothic building in Auvergne. It contains some very old murals and medieval windows. Nearby, a statue of Urban II recalls the first crusade.

Haras National d'Aurillac
Housed at Aurillac since 1806, France's, and probably one of the world’s, largest and most important stud of heavy breed stallions, numbering over 100. Guided visits from mid July to mid September, other times by appointment.

Antiques
Allanche has a major antiques fair the first week in August. Every Sunday morning there is a flea market (interesting and other junk) and an antiques market in Clermont Ferrand - ask for directions. Antiquités are expensive antiques, brocante means ordinary antiques/collectables, dealers are known as brocanteurs.

Visits
The Syndicat d'Initiative (Tourist Office) in Condat organises (often free) visits. Adults and children much enjoyed watching cheese made on a farm. Apart from standard information, they also know of happenings such as antiques fairs and the interesting monthly cattle fairs at Brion.

MUSEUMS AND DISPLAYS

Mont Mouchet has a National Monument to the Resistance which was very active in the Auvergne, tying up two divisions and inflicting heavy losses on occupying German forces. “Interesting and very moving”, the Museum is open daily from 1 May to 5 October.

Musée de la Haute Auvergne in St Flour (pronounced SAN FLOOR) centre: pre-history to 1900, traditional cheese making equipment, burons, daily life in the last century, religious art, musical instruments and a fine collection of Auvergnat furniture from beds to dressers; guide notes in English.

Musée du Ski in Besse: the evolution of skis and skiing which is rather older than you might suppose. Small, interesting.

Musée de la Radio et du Photographie at Lanobre, on the Chateau de Val road - gramophones et al., recommended by the Marchants. However, in 1999 we were told it was closed. Update needed please!

Ecomusée de la Margeride (said with a soft G), 12 k from St Flour. Spread across several sites, “with houses, gardens, objects, sounds and smells, with pictures and interiors, the museum tells the past and present story of the people in this mountain land...” The Hawkings family who went twice, write “exhibitions really excellent, well worth the trip”.

Musée de la Vigne et de la Vie Rurale at Plauzat on the way to Clermont.

Other more distant museums, described in the Musées d'Auvergne leaflet, include Antique Ceramics at Lezoux, Cutlery at Thiers, Agricultural Machinery at Ambert, Popular Arts and Traditions at Riom (by Clermont), and several in more conventional fields. There are two fine museums in central Clermont. Le Coq houses natural history and other exhibits, Bargoin has pre-history, Gallo-Roman, medieval and other antiquities and a quite outstanding collection of oriental carpets.

Special displays in the National Park:
¨ Maison de la Gentiane, Riom-ès-Montagnes; the story of a liqueur made from gentian roots; small garden of mountain plants; sample of Avèze.
¨ Maison des Fromages, Egliseneuve; cheese - with a glass of wine.
¨ Maison du Buronnier, Laveissière; about the men and women who raised cattle and made cheese in the burons (occitan word meaning a summer steading in the mountains); a century ago there were a thousand burons, this is one of the ten that remain.
¨ Maison de la Pierre, Volvic; go into the lava flow where the stone was hewn to build Clermont cathedral; futuristic music and lighting; slides.
¨ Maison des Tourbières, St-Aleyre-ès-Montagnes; Auvergne's upland peat bogs and sub-alpine wetlands.
¨ Maison de l'Eau et de la Pêche, Besse; lakes, rivers and their inhabitants.
¨ Maison de la Faune, Murat; wild animals of the Auvergne. Good place for a wet afternoon for kids. It has many local animals & brids and a good collection of local butterflies. You can get real home-made ice-cream at 15, Place Marchande afterwards (the patronne’s husband is Italian).
¨ Maison de la Flore, Col de Guery near Le Mont Dore; native flowers and plants.
¨ Maison de la Foudre, Marcenat; approach the mystery of electrical storms; video film, photos, objects struck by lightning. Small, quirky, interesting. Open June & Sept. 2.15 - 5.30 pm. July & Aug. 10.30 - 12 am & 2.15 - 6 pm. Admission: adults about € 3, children € 1.50.


Lac Pavin is one of a number of volcanic crater lakes, many circular. Accessible by car, it takes an hour to walk the footpath around it, within the steeply wooded crater. Pavin was the last active volcano in France and is said not yet to have finished cooling; to look at the ice in winter, you'd never guess. The small café is OK and the restaurant upstairs is good. A GR footpath leads to another crater lake, Montcinère, about 1½ hours walk. 1200 metres altitude.

Closed to the public at present because of a long-running law suit, the Tranchades de Laquairie are geological faults caused by a layer of lava slipping on a stable layer of granite - see walk 6 on page 27. Close by is the Roche Pointue, the remains of a small volcanic plug whose sides have been washed away by the River Santoire. Walk to it by parking at the bridge on the Riom road just outside Condat and follow the wooded valley for 15 minutes. The full circular walk takes about 45 minutes.

The Viaduc du Garabit lies south of St Flour. An early iron bridge of considerable size constructed by Eiffel. A grand day out can be had doing the circle St Flour / Chaudes Aigues / Truyères gorges / Sarran dam.

The Puy de Dôme, a unique volcanic bump near Clermont-Ferrand. Walk up or take the bus in July and August - at other times you can go up by car. There’s an information centre at the top plus a restaurant, several radio masts and the remains from a Gallo-Roman temple to Mercury. Relics from the temple, including a tiny bronze statue of Mercury, are in Musée Bargoin in central Clermont (near the obelisk). Excellent views of the chain of extinct volcanoes running away to the Northeast.

The Plateau de Gergovie where Vercingetorix, chief of the Celtic Arverni tribe (hence Auvergne) defeated the Roman army, has a visitor centre + film in English. Follow signs from the Clermont/Issoire road. Well spoken of.

The tiny water mill (Moulin de la Gazelle) near Ségur-les-Villas is authentic, fascinating and, astonishingly, free. Restored and lovingly re-built by enthusiasts, it is just up the Allanche road above La Gazelle - head up the Santoire valley from Condat towards Murat.

Parc Animalier, Ardes-sur-Couze - reported to be “Brilliant for children (& adults). Two year-old twins loved it apart from the over-friendly goats! Le Beffroi Restaurant in Ardes (off the main street) has excellent food though somewhat uninspiring decor. Brilliant coq au vin & local salade du Cézallier. Good idea to combine the restaurant with an afternoon visit to the zoo” (Summer 2000). Ardes is a 1 hour drive via La Godivelle and St. Alyre-ès-Montagnes.

La Monastère Znamenie, a Russian Orthodox convent, La Traverse near Marcenat allows visits on Sundays between 2 and 5 p.m. and in July & Aug. from 2 to 6 pm. They sell their own honey, spiced cakes, fabulously painted “eggs”, books they have published about their icons, and about Condat and Marcenat. For most people though, the most interesting part of the visit is seeing the superb ancient and modern icons in the chapel. From the D36, follow signs for La Traverse or (appropriately enough) La Godde. There are now seven nuns there (up from 3) and except for the massive outer wall, they did the building work themselves, including the copper onion dome. When Di passed by recently, a nun was working on the roof and when I enquired who drove the swing shovel, Sister Anastasia breezily said she did. Their pain épice is rather severe but we recommend their honey, especially because it is not mixed with sunflower honey, a widespread practice.

And....

History on the ground: burial mounds, dolmens, bronze age settlements and more than one “English camp” dating from the Hundred Years’ War.
The Grottes de Jonas near Le Chiex, a fortified village of caves cut into a cliff face, includes a defensive habitation with interesting loo used by the seignior, and a church with just discernible murals reportedly the oldest in Auvergne.

Near Perrier is a group of caves that were lived in until the 1940s & are now being restored. Access is free, the site large and well suited to picnicking, if you don’t mind carrying your lunch.

From Condat station to remote forest glades, are reminders of a more recent invasion. Poignant plaques marking places where members of the Resistance were shot or seized never to be seen again. Even very remote memorials often have fresh flowers.

Besse was an important town in medieval times, many traces of its age are still evident. Now also has cafés, small, interesting shops, an Attac supermarket (good wine selection, crowded at peak times but may stay open through lunch in the holidays; cheapest local petrol and diesel), a real pizzeria, ski museum (see page 16), several hotels and restaurants (see pages 8 to 10), and two old churches. The street market is on a Monday. Children recommend the play area. Cash dispenser at Crédit Agricole.

Super Besse is a typical small modern ski resort, crêpes, cable cars, bob luge and bobble hats. There is a swimming pool and skating rink. The cable cars run most of the year (weekends only from March to end of June) but stop for lunch from 11.30 to 2 pmish, going up to the Puy de la Perdrix at 1800 metres (5,800 feet); sun, cold and wind at the top can be more pronounced. Madame Serre’s café/bar is the one we prefer, it’s called Lou Cantou (“lou” is Occitan for “the”, a cantou is a type of chair).

Riom-ès-Montagnes, a country market town; shops, Post Office, banks, cash dispenser (at Crédit Agricole, bear left before the Mairie, 200 metres on left); the Quincaillerie (hardware) and Gamme Vert (farm shop on outskirts) have a selection of proper bells for your cows. The small Casino supermarket in the centre (lots of fruit outside) is good; Champion, on the right as you come in from Condat, is now much cleaner than previously; it has some good wine. The swings, etc. were recommended by the Tong family with children of 2 and 4. Large street market on the second and fourth Wednesdays of the month; livestock in the cattle market. Modern Hotel, see Eating out, pages 8 to 10. Visit (free) the Avèze factory and taste their gentian liqueur.

St Flour is pleasant rather than remarkable, altogether quieter than Salers; was fortified; museum see above; cafés; good ice cream from the bakery; signposted city walk. The cathedral is said to have the only black Christ in France, the statue is life sized, we have not seen it.

Salers is a striking country town, grey stone houses with roofs of lauzes (shaped flat stones). The Lucases avoided the busy time by driving through the southern mountains, reaching Salers in late afternoon, dining on pounti, a speciality at the Hotel des Ramparts, and returning by Riom-ès-Montagnes.

Murat has a good approach from the north; an old town with narrow streets; interesting antique shop, small museum of local fauna (see page 18) and good Friday market.

La Bourboule is a spa specialising in the treatment of allergies especially in children; plenty of shops, cafés, a covered market (halles), the river running through is the young Dordogne. What can I add to their leaflet's claim “You will be able to put your vital node to rest in La Bourboule”.

Le Mont Dore, also a spa on the Dordogne, which rises at a spring on the slopes of the Puy de Sancy above the town, is smaller than La Bourboule; a pleasant place with a feeling of busier bygone days. Winter skiing, walks, cable car onto the Sancy.

Bort-les-Orgues (orgues are cliffs formed from old volcanic cores) at 400 metres has a lowland climate; not perhaps worth a visit in itself, but just beyond is the huge dam, 390 metres across, second tallest in France at 120 metres, retaining the lake mentioned under Château de Val, above. For those interested in birds, stand on the bridge and watch the brown crag martins.

Marcenatis a quiet, pleasant country town with a fascinating exhibition about lightning.

Allanche has remains of early fortifying walls and a Roman bridge (it’s the smaller one, the Tourist Office used to get it wrong, but there’s now a proper sign). Excellent antiques fair in 1st week of August. Famous too for its estive (see article on page 33), one of the few remaining, the spectacle even draws film and TV crews. By 1996 the cattle were heavily outnumbered by stalls, musicians and tourism consultants. However the traditional Auvergnat dancing was beautiful and truly memorable and the estive remains a highly colourful and enjoyable social event. See it soon, before the messy, real cows are replaced by hygienic, inflatable ones on wheels. In 2003, on 24 May.

Chaudes-Aigues has hot springs, providing central heating to many houses in the town, and other curiosities. Can be seen as part of a grand day out including the Truyère gorge. There is another one of those sad memorials in memory of the doctor and his son who were shot just outside the town by the Germans during the last war.

Issoire is a pleasant town with a particularly striking abbey church - St Austremoine. In April ’96 we went to see the local poultry show; as it was shut from 12 to 2 (of course), we lunched inexpensively and very well at the Hôtel Le Paris behind the Office de Tourisme, but don’t go looking for it because sadly it shut in 2000 (the poultry show is still held every year though). Easiest approach is via Besse, then if you have the inclination, come back over the high country - more direct but slower - e.g. up the Courgoul Gorges (D26) or via D32 Solignat. Good Saturday street market.

The village of La Chaise Dieu is unremarkable in itself but has a great, rather austere monastic church. In the gloom, the Scott family missed the world famous Dance of Death frescoes, and the celebrated tapestries were away at the cleaners; carved woodwork adorns the organ and the pews are amazing but we found the whole slightly forbidding. A nice little shop opposite sells dried mushrooms in astonishing variety.

“A strange town in a strange setting”. Since early times the starting point for pilgrims from all over Northern Europe, Le Puy en Velay exudes history and must be one of France’s more unusual towns, with extraordinary volcanic pinnacles, one with a 10th century church on top, adding to its oddity and charm. Removed from a pagan altar by the Romans for their own temple and now part of the cathedral, the Fever Stone was believed to cure those sleeping the night on it. Thousands of pilgrims still set out on foot via the Lot, across the Pyrenees to Santiago da Compostella on the western coast of Spain. The road via St Flour that looks direct on the map is very slow, an easier approach is via Besse, down a pretty river valley, round Issoire and on - allow 2 to 2½ hours. Natives of Le Puy are called Ponots.

A large, industrial city, Clermont Ferrand has all the amenities, shops and supermarkets you’d expect. For a treat, visit one of France’s oldest chocolate shops - near the cathedral. Several good museums, one with an exceptional collection of oriental carpets. Railway station and airport. Head office of Michelin tyres which has extensive factories there.

Aurillac, Cantal’s county town, is probably not worth a visit in its own right. Known as a traditional centre for umbrella making. The National Heavy Horse Stud is on the outskirts - see Haras National.

Brion is a tiny village in the middle of nowhere. From spring to autumn, cattle fairs are held which attract people from far and wide. Eat at stalls or picnic atop the extinct volcano overlooking the fair field.

The Parc des Volcans d'Auvergne is Europe's largest National Park, 120 kms north to south, “protected because of its special beauty and fragility”.

Two distinct ranges of mountains lie within the Park, both rising over 1,800 metres (6,000 feet). The northern part, in the Department of Puy de Dome, is more developed and more densely populated. The southern part, especially that in Cantal, is quieter, more rural.

Among animals found are moufflon, chamois, marmots, red & roe deer, wild boar, edible & hazel dormice, pine and beech martens and red squirrels.

Birds include many species now rare or gone from Britain, crested tits visit our bird nuts in winter, shrikes generally nest by the house, black kites and honey buzzards can be seen easily and red kites are commonplace, distinguish them from buzzards by their forked tails.

The mountains were formed at very different times. The southern range is all that remains of a single, huge volcano, some 50 kilometres across, mostly eroded away by ice and time to form the high, grassy plateau known as the Cézallier.

The northern range is much younger. The rest of this note will be completed in due time!

Directions

Getting to Condat:
Condat (-en-Feniers) is about 7½ hours driving time from Calais, 6½ from Le Havre or Caen, 4½ hours from Paris and 1 hour fm Clermont Ferrand. You can download detailed directions using the link below.

Train:
Clermont Ferrand is 3½ hours from Paris Gare de Lyon. You’ll then need to hire a car as there is little or no public transport in Cantal.

Fly/drive:
Ryanair is to restart flights to Clermont-Ferrand from April to October. They no longer fly to St. Etienne. It is also possible to fly to Clermont-Ferrand (Aulnat airport) from Schipol and both Paris airports. Several low-cost airlines fly to Limoges (www.aeroportlimoges.com/) from Newcastle, Liverpool, Manchester, Stansted and Southampton. We are 2½ hours by car from Limoges airport which we use ourselves.

Car hire:
All the big names are represented at Clermont (Aulnat) and St. Etienne (Bouthéon) airports. In winter, it is theoretically possible to hire a car with snow tyres or chains (necessary to cross the 3,500 foot-high Pont de Clamouze) but even when booked in advance at vast expense, the snow tyres or chains do not always materialise. You then have to buy chains to fit the car which is not possible if you’re on the evening Stansted-Clermont flight.

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