DOVER-CALAIS: Numerous ferry options (approx £100-150 rtn or less if lucky). It’s worth shopping around, see websites: Hoverspeed, SpeedFerries, Norfolkline, P&O etc. Approximately one hour crossing. Drive Calais-Moussac: Approx 420miles (385miles on autoroute), approx 6.5 hours. Avoid rush hour on the Paris “peripherique” (2.5-3 hrs drive from Calais). [ ON BALANCE: Shorter and cheaper crossing - longer but much faster and tiring drive ; ferry +petrol +tolls maybe cheaper than below ].

PORTSMOUTH-CAEN: Brittany Ferries website for quotations: Approx 6.5 hour crossing (use our Property Owners Club membership ref to get a discount +/- 15% - we are allowed 3 per year.Worth booking a cabin to snooze/take-refuge in (cheapest for day time crossings). Drive Caen-Moussac: Approx 255 miles (180 miles on autoroute), approx 4.5 hours. [ ON BALANCE : Longer and costlier (but restful) crossing - shorter drive - to get cheapest Tues crossings best to overnight en route; ferry +petrol +overnight +tolls probably more than above ]. This is our preferred route - we now know it like the back of our hand : Map & timings etc

 Ryanair  Stansted - to Poitiers airport OR Limoges airport Flights can be very cheap even with added taxes etc if you book well in advance or sometimes at the last minute. Midweek flights are generally cheapest. Book car parking on web at Pink Elephant, Stanstead. Can hire car to pick up at/ return to airport via Ryanair (agreement with Hertz) or another web site. [ ON BALANCE: depending how many of you there are, if going for a week or less then cheapest flights +stansted carpark +car rental can be quick and easy and more or less the same cost as ferry and driving - and doesn't waste so much time journeying. ]

ROUTE PLANNING Websites MAPPY.COM or MAPORAMA.COM. Enter:  Biard sous Buis, 86150, Moussac sur Vienne.

Rent car (website booking) on arrival as above. This is also possible, but generally a  more costly and quite long journey, tho the French TGV is superb and runs fast to Poitiers. It is possible to have only one change (at Lille) if you get the right train.

It is usually anything from two to five degrees warmer than in south east England - find a five day forecast here - though the winters can be bitterly cold.