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The Normandy coast ports are about 300 miles (500 km) from Angoulême City Centre. Journey times on a variety of major roads, dual carriageways and motorways are about 6 hours.
Eurotunnel.
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The Calais Terminal is about 460 miles (740 km) from Angoulême with an estimated journey time of 7 hr 30 mins.
TRAVEL SERVICES
Both Limoges and Poitiers airports are about 60 miles (100 km - 1 hr 20 mins) from Angoulême City Centre. Two companies offer services to three destinations.
Ryanair.
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Limoges - Stansted; Liverpool. Poitiers - Stansted. Click on the web site link above for schedules and booking details.
Flybe.
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Limoges - Southampton. Click on the web site link above for schedules and booking details.
Railway Services.
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Angoulême is about 2 hr 30 min from Paris on the main Bordeaux line. There are also direct connections with Charles de Gaulle Airport (3hr 15mins) and Lille Europe (4hr 15mins) for connections with Eurostar.
INTASURE
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Property insurance for principal residences and holiday homes in France by British company underwritten by Norwich Union. Also Travel Insurance for holiday home owners.
Entente cordiale?
Angoulême, Circuit des Remparts.
Not a rural cottage by a stream.
You may question why we should devote one of our Angoulême pages to the Circuit des Ramparts held each year during September. On the basis that holidays in France are often the catalyst for motivating people to buy property in the country one has to remember that sun, sea, sand and the other thing are not the only factors that people take into account when deciding to get away from it all. Neither must every anglophone be looking for a rural cottage by a stream among walnut and cherry trees!
A wash in sump oil?
Some people evidently prefer the throb of a racing engine, some Castrol in the tea and the whiff of WD40! And one can easily sympathise with the Genevive adicts who may well prefer to follow their hobby in a garage in the mild climate of Charente rather than in the shed on a north of England hillside in January! And that appeal might just as well attract the ladies even if they are not so anxious to wash their hands in sump oil.
Somewhere off the Isle of Wight.
The Angoulême concourse of (mostly) historic cars is something of a cult event. If the city celebrated the departure of the English in the 1450s - on the third week-end in September in the 21st Century English is almost the dominant language on the streets while the fortified outcrop seems like a temporary county somewhere off the Isle of Wight. Among the crowd it's not difficult to find Brits who have purchased properties as a result of being captivated during their annual visits at the cusp of autumn.
Aging valves and body parts.
Over the week-end Vintage and Classic cars gather for both a rally through the whole Département and the races through the town centre. The countryside seems littered with gleaming veterans. In the town intrepid drivers - some could well have owned their vehicles from new - send their charges hurtling between the metal barriers with scant regard for ancient valves or the precious body parts. It's a great atmosphere!
Some further information...
Circuit des Remparts 2005.
A.C.O.C.R.A. 2 rue Fontgrave,
16000 Angoulême.
Tel: +33(0)545-949567 Click to our web-site
This year's event is being held on the third week-end in September. Many of the participating vehicles may well be seen in and around the area in the few days before and after but the principal programme is as follows.
Friday September 16 - 21.30 CONCOURSE D'ELEGANCE. Theatre de Verdure, Jardin Vert. Both cars and crews are polished for the parade. The 1965 Alfa Romeo 'Giulia Spider' seen above was the victor in 1997.
Saturday September 17. RALLY THROUGH CHARENTE. 08.30 departure from the parking ground of the Geant Hypermarket in north Angoulême. 17.00 Return to Place Victor Hugo.
COURSING THROUGH THE TOWN. The racing cars sport themselves through the streets of Angoulême. 10.00 Departure from Hotel de Ville en route for the Geant Hypermarket. 12.00 The return journey.
14.30 The Racing Cars on display outside the Market Hall.
16.00 CONCOURSE D'ETAT. Outside the Hotel de Ville.
1939 Auburn 8/115
The 'Speeder Tailboat' model (above) gleaming in the Concourse d'Etat where the elegance is confined to the bodywork and the mechanics.
Sunday September 18.
CIRCUIT DES REMPARTS - RACE DAY. Activity from 08.00 - 18.00. Practice sessions in the morning. Racing in the afternoon.
The photographs in this column are by courtesy of the organisers from their web site.
Stuart Collins Click to our web-site
We specialise in providing Motor Insurance for British Registered Motor Cars. Left or Right Hand Drive. Based, or Used Long Term, on the Continent of Europe.
Will's DIY Dictionary
From Sewage to Shocking Pink
Extensive details about the volume may be found in the 'Département' designated as 'Will's DIY Dictionary' on this site.
This English / French / English lexicon contains more than 4,500 terms and phrases useful for Anglophone property holders in France. It aims to cover all aspects of establishing and developing a home and a property in that country and contains a host of specialist expressions that will not be found in general purpose dictionaries.
