Travelling to your base in Southeast France

Our holidays are provided on a land-only basis, with so many competitive deals around we have found that guests like to make their own travel arrangements. We are easy to reach by car, train or aeroplane.

For guided holidays, there is the possibility of a free transfer from Lyon St. Exupery airport (transfer time less than two hours) or Valence TGV station (45 minutes away). For Lyon airport, we usually pick up and drop off to coincide with the late afternoon flights onwards, and for Valence TGV we pick up 75 minutes later, and drop off 75 minutes earlier.

Guided holidays normally operate from Saturday to Saturday.

For self guided clients travelling by air or rail, we strongly recommend hiring a car to get the most from your holiday.

Flight options from the UK

Flights to Lyon St. Exupery from the UK and Ireland are available with:

Easyjet - Luton, Gatwick, Manchester
British Airways - Heathrow
Aer Lingus - Dublin, Edinburgh / Glasgow via Dublin

Air France and KLM offer connecting flights via Paris CDG and Amsterdam for some other major UK airports.

Rail options from the UK

Traveling by train from London St Pancras to Valence TGV is fast and straightforward. You can take the Eurostar to Paris Gare du Nord, transfer to Paris Gare de Lyon (a quick 10-minute RER or taxi ride), and board a direct high-speed TGV that delivers you straight to Valence TGV in just over 2 hours. If you prefer to avoid changing stations in Paris, you can book a Eurostar from London St Pancras with a simple same-station connection at Lille Europe or Brussels-Midi directly onto the TGV to Valence TGV.

The total rail journey takes about 6 to 6.5 hours. Upon your arrival at Valence TGV station, we will meet you for the short 45-minute transfer to our base in Saillans. You can also take a train from Valence TGV to Saillans.

Recommended booking websites:

Trainline (thetrainline.com) – Easiest for booking combined Eurostar and TGV tickets in one transaction.

SNCF Connect (sncf-connect.com) – Official French national rail operator.

Rail Europe (raileurope.com) – Great international rail booking agent.

Eurostar (eurostar.com) – For the UK-to-France leg.

From elsewhere in the world

If you are travelling from the US, Australia, New Zealand or elsewhere, most of our guests fly to Paris CDG, and take the TGV train from there to Valence TGV, journey time 2 hours. Please contact us if you require further information, as there are other options depending on your location and overall travel plans.

By Road

French roads and autoroutes are exceptionally well-maintained, easy to navigate, and offer a scenic driving route to the Drôme Valley.

Driving Time: Approximately 8 to 8.5 hours of pure driving time from Calais (~10 hours total including rest breaks).

Tolls: The journey is straightforward via the main autoroutes (A26/A6/A7). Allow approximately €85 to €90 each way for French motorway tolls.

Crossing the English Channel

LeShuttle (formerly Eurotunnel): Folkestone to Calais. The fastest option (35-minute crossing), allowing you to stay in your car.

Car Ferries (Dover to Calais / Dunkirk): Operated by DFDS, P&O Ferries, and Irish Ferries (approx 90-minute crossing).

Western Channel Ferries: Brittany Ferries offers routes into Normandy/Brittany (e.g., Portsmouth to Caen or Le Havre) if you prefer to split up the drive across northern France.

Aggregator Sites: Ferrysavers or Direct Ferries are useful for comparing crossing prices.