We often get asked what is the best way to get to the lake? Whilst some anglers are put off by the distance to the cluster of lakes around Limoges, getting to us is actually pretty straightforward. There are even good options for those travelling from the north of England.
There are essentially four options as follows:
Ferry
Eurotunnel
Flying
Train
To help plan your holiday I’ve provided a little more detail on each option below.
Ferry
What many people don’t realise is that there is actually very little difference between travelling to south-west France from Zeebrugge in Holland when compared with Calais. This brings in the option for northern anglers of travelling from Hull therefore cutting out the long journey to Dover/Folkestone.
Distances from the various ports to the lake are as follows (I have also included the UK ports that sail to them and the ferry operator(s)):
Zeebrugge = 463 miles (7 hours 30 minutes) – Hull (P&O)
Calais = 454 miles (7 hours 15 minutes) – Dover (P&O, DFDS Seaways)
Cherbourg = 387 miles (6 hours 40 minutes) – Portsmouth & Poole (Brittany Ferries)
Dieppe = 380 miles (6 hours 20 minutes) - Portsmouth (Brittany Ferries), Newhaven (DFDS Seaways)
Le Havre = 360 miles (6 hours 15 minutes) - Portsmouth (Brittany Ferries)
Caen = 315 miles (5 hours 40 minutes) - Portsmouth (Brittany Ferries)
St Malo = 314 miles (5 hours 40 minutes) - Portsmouth (Brittany Ferries)
There are advantages and disadvantages to each route. I personally prefer the options that are overnight crossings i.e. Hull into Zeebrugge along with the overnight options that Brittany Ferries operates into Le Havre, Caen and St Malo. The Hull to Zeebrugge crossing is popular with people going for day or weekend trips into Brugge and Amsterdam and tends to always have a good atmosphere in the bar which makes a great start to the holiday.
Once in France, driving is pretty easy except for getting across/around Paris. This can get very busy at times and the Le Havre, Caen and St Malo options offer the benefit of being further west and therefore avoiding Paris.
Eurotunnel
Easy and relatively hassle free, the only downside of the Eurotunnel is that you stay with your car during the crossing and therefore it feels like you don’t get much of a break. Its certainly the best option if you are bringing your dog with you as its quick, your pet is with you all the time and there is a great exercise area at Folkestone (and an OK but smaller one in France).
The lake is a 455 mile (7 hours 30 minutes) from the terminal.
Flying
Many anglers fly into fisheries in south-west France every year. Depending upon proximity to one of the UK airports servicing Limoges, it is an easy and often cheap option (flights can be as little as £20-30). We are an easy 50-minute drive from the airport. As with many of the lakes in this part of France, the majority of large tackle items are included in the booking. Fishermen need only bring reels, alarms, any special hook baits, end tackle and sleeping bag.
Whilst subject to changes, Ryanair fly into Limoges on a Saturday from East Midlands and London Stansted. They also fly from Manchester on Friday and Sunday and Leeds Bradford on a Thursday and Sunday. Whilst East Midlands and London Stansted offer the best options, there is also the possibility of staying locally prior to or after the fishing trip which makes the others a possibility.
Ryanair also offers Saturday flights into Bergerac from Liverpool, London Stansted and Southend airport. Whilst further from the lake than Limoges, it’s still a fairly easy 1 hr 45-minute drive
We can arrange pick up and drop off from both airports. Alternatively, it is easy to hire a car with several of the car hire firms having a presence at both airports.
Train
Whilst very few fishermen use the train, it is a good and easy option. Even from North Yorkshire, I can catch the 06:00 train from Darlington to London and be at the lake by the early evening. The route to take is the Eurostar into Lille or Paris and then the TGV with the final destination Angouleme. Some trains change in Paris and others in Lille. Lille is the better option and involves an easy 10-minute walk from the Eurostar station to Lille Flanders for the connection down to Angouleme. The Paris connection is not difficult but probably best done in a taxi.
We can arrange pick up and drop off at Angouleme Station which is about an hour from the lake. Alternatively, it is easy to hire a car.
Other Points to Consider
A final word of warning is that there is no need to rush. We have anglers who finish work on a Friday and drive through the night to the lake. Whilst they arrive early on the Saturday, they are tired. A week-long session is a marathon rather than a sprint! It is far better to arrive a little later on the Saturday by using one of the overnight ferry or other options and arrive feeling fresh. I would always recommend taking the first day at the lake easy. There is no rush to get the rods in and its far better to take your time and ease your way slowly into the session.
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