About the house, La Charité, France

  • House is not suitable for young children

  • No elevator

  • Minette loves people, but she is very aware that not all people like cats, so she keeps her distance if she instincts your concern. If you have a severe allergy to cats, we would not like you to be uncomfortable. If you have a light allergy, we are sure you will be content with the odd wisp of fur here and there.

  • La Maison des Mots is located in the centre of town, 30 seconds walk to the main street, with access to an assortment of restaurants, boutiques, bars, and food vendors. There are 2 ATMs in the same area. Nearly all traders will accept card, but it’s always good to keep some cash on hand for the markets, brocantes and festivals. We have a small supermarket in the city centre open 7 days/week with all the essentials. Other larger options are a little further away but still within walking distance.

  • The historic abbey and attached priory, the old city ramparts, and the river are all easily reached within a few minutes walk. Many different day trips by car are also possible starting from La Charité sur Loire. You can ask me for suggestions, and I will provide links for you.

  • If you’re not yet accustomed to the French ways, be mindful that most restaurants have a limited opening time for lunch (between 12pm-2pm), while most other stores will close during this same period. Sunday is taken rather seriously as a day of rest, including in the hospitality sector, so be prepared for limited options when planning your stay. Outside of that, the local traders have varying hours, so best to check the days and times in the shopwindow if you’re planning to come by later.

  • For international visitors travelling by car, make sure to familiarise yourself with the local road rules. One key point of note is that priority is given to the right at unmarked intersections. There are a few points in La Charité where you may find yourself having to give way to incoming traffic from side streets. Regarding speeding - as a general rule the tolerance is no more than 5km/hr over the limit. Other than negotiating the one-way streets (GPS essential), driving in the region is fairly easy. There’s rarely any traffic, and the roads are well maintained - if somewhat narrow on some routes.

  • Phone coverage is reasonably good through La Charité and the larger towns around, but can be patchy in between when exploring the countryside.

 

GETTING TO LA CHARITÉ-SUR-LOIRE

By Car

If you are arriving at Charles-de-Gaulle or Orly airports and rent a car, it will take you anywhere from 2 ½ to 3 ½ hours to drive depending on the time of day and traffic around Paris. Once outside of the Paris periphery, the drive is very straightforward, and there’s rarely any traffic once you reach the A77 highway.

There is free parking very close to the house. If you are planning to be in France for over 3 weeks, leasing a car through Renault can be worthwhile compared to short-term rental rates, and you can pick it up at the airport.

Rental car options are also available in Nevers (easily accessible by train) but arrangements should be made well in advance.

By Train

If you prefer to travel by train, from the airport you can taxi into Paris to Gare Bercy. This is a 62 euros flat rate. The station is also accessible by the metro if you’re staying Paris - but be prepared for stairs. From Gare Bercy, the best train to catch is the 2.11pm TER train direct to La Charité-sur-Loire. The journey is just over 2 hours. You can book your tickets through the SNCF website here, or at the station when you arrive.

By train you arrive at Gare La Charité-sur-Loire. I will meet you at the station, and together we will walk to my house - about 10 minutes, no more.  Being a small town, we don’t have taxis driving about looking for fares, so if you wish to be picked up in a car, it will need to be organized in advance. 

Further Notes on Train Travel

If you can’t make the 2.11pm train, services do run throughout the day (about every hour) either by TER (Transport Express Régional) direct to La Charité, or by IC (Intercité) to Nevers, which is the next largest city on the same line, about 20 mins away. If the timing of the direct service doesn’t work for you, it’s possible to catch one of the IC trains to Nevers, and then connect to a regional train to return along the line to La Charité, but it does add some time to the journey.

The trains don’t usually fill up in advance, even during the summer period, but they can if there’s a cancellation for a preceding service. France has a rather good rail network, but regional train cancellations do happen occasionally (less so for the Intercité services). Important to note however is that tickets for the TER trains that run from Paris direct to La Charité entitle you to board not just the time you booked, but any TER service for that route for the same day. For this reason the SNCF won’t exchange or refund your ticket in event of a cancellation. Although there may be other IC trains running, be aware that there can be a large gap between the TER services. It’s worth pointing out that because of these ticketing arrangements for the TER it’s best to arrive early to ensure you have a seat - particularly if you’re travelling in a group.

Unlike the TER, the Intercité tickets to Nevers are only valid for the service at the specific time you’ve booked, which means you won’t be able to take any train you please. On the other hand they are therefore exchangeable/refundable if there’s a cancellation. You can also book first class for a little extra space, although like the TER, 2nd class is perfectly comfortable. Seats are not allocated so it’s still a good idea to arrive early if travelling in groups.

If you’re coming from elsewhere in France, or continuing your discovery of this beautiful country by rail, Nevers will be your closest connection point. From there you can take lines to the west via Bourges, across the castle region of the Loire, and onward to the Atlantic coast; to the south toward the volcanic hills of Clermont Ferrand; to the east toward Dijon and the Swiss Alps; or south-east to meet the high-speed lines from Lyon to the Mediterranean.


HOW TO BOOK

When you confirm your booking a 35% Deposit is required. 65% Balance due three weeks prior to arriving.  

Deposits are non-refundable, but can be used for another visit or transferable to a friend or family member.

I look forward to YOU, escaping avec MOI, to la Charite sur Loire. 

A bientôt, Madame M.