Getting here
You cannot reach La Vergne Balette by public transport. Unless you're driving from the UK or cycling, you'll need to get to Limoges, Poitiers or Bellac by plane or train, and then hire a car, take a taxi, or arrange a lift for the final leg.
Don't assume a pick-up will be available — sort your last leg in advance.
By Eurostar
Do not travel direct from Paris to Limoges. That line runs through the Loire, is slow, and is often overbooked — it's a popular scenic route.
Go via Poitiers instead:
- Eurostar to Paris Gare du Nord.
- Cross Paris to Gare Montparnasse (about 20–30 minutes by metro).
- Take the express towards Bordeaux — it runs express to Poitiers.
- At Poitiers, change onto the local train to Bellac.
- From Bellac, take a cab to LVB (~28 minute drive).
If you need to overnight in Paris, the Montparnasse area is much better for cheap hotels than around Gare du Nord.
Alternatively, hire a car at Poitiers and drive the last hour — one of us did 7am Eurostar, metro across Paris, direct train to Poitiers, then car hire, and arrived before 5pm.
By plane
Nearest airports, ordered by drive time:
- Angoulême (ANG) ~45 min · 48 km · no major low-cost airlines
- Limoges (LIG) ~55 min · 60 km · Ryanair · €100 taxi, or bus to Peyrilhac Banèche
- Poitiers (PIS) ~1 hr 30 · 100 km · Ryanair · direct train to Bellac
- Bordeaux (BOD) ~2 hr 30 · 190 km · easyJet, Ryanair
- La Rochelle (LRH) ~2 hr 40 · 190 km · Ryanair, easyJet
Limoges and Poitiers are usually the best bets.
By train
- Bellac 28 min drive · direct trains from Limoges and Poitiers (incl. Poitiers airport)
- Saint-Junien 32 min drive · direct trains from Limoges · ~€68 by Uber
Note that trains to Limoges do not serve Limoges airport.
Taxis
Bolt is the best taxi app around here — install it before you travel. It's often better than Uber for actually getting a local taxi.
- Caris — lives in Bellac and speaks English, so handy for the final leg.
+33 6 82 48 64 76 - Gauchon taxi — has previously agreed €100 to/from Limoges airport. He doesn't speak English, but you can email him. Mention that Daniel agreed the €100 rate.
gauchon.guy@orange.fr - Uber — around €125 from Limoges airport.
- Sofie Taxi Couzeix
+33 5 55 79 45 58 - Limoges Taxis
+33 5 55 38 38 38 · taxis87.com - Hocine Kamel
+33 9 52 77 19 02
Car hire
Hiring at a non-airport branch is much cheaper. location.leclerc is priced on mileage and gets cheaper the further ahead you book — two weeks including the drive to LVB and back plus supermarket runs came to about £110 from Poitiers.
You'll need a driving licence held at least two years, a payment card they can take a £1,600 deposit from, and proof of address from the last three months.
Two warnings: the website is clunky and may need a VPN set to France to accept you; and leave time to use the car wash next to the hire office before returning the car, or they'll charge €60 to clean it.
Driving from the UK
Around 15 hours with two hours of breaks via ferry, or 13.5 hours via Le Shuttle. Ferries: P&O, DFDS, Irish Ferries — it's usually been possible to cancel free in advance.
Make sure your European breakdown cover includes the first regulated breakdown service on the motorway. It doesn't work like the UK: you have to call a special number and pay a regulated service.