By Eurostar from Waterloo to Lille (2 hours) and then the TGV from Lille to Montpellier (4 hours and 40 minutes) or Beziers (5 hours and 30 minutes). This is a very comfortable, scenic ride and we can arrange special fares for you. Again we can arrange car hire or transport.

These directions presume that you are leaving from the station car park where hire cars are usually parked. Occasionally your car may be at the office on the opposite side of the road, in which case I would advise driving across in front of the station anyway and following this route.

After leaving the station you need to turn left at the traffic lights and then immediately right up the hill, to the roundabout. Take the first exit (again up a hill) passing the big underground car park on your left.

At the second set of lights at the top of this hill – it is best to stay in the inside lane – take the third exit, to head along the plane tree lined Avenue Paul Riquet which is usually filled with cafes. Continue along, passing the old theatre on your left and Galeries Lafyette on your right.

At the roundabout (with fountain) after pedestrian lights, take the second exit, following the signs for Bedarieux . This is a straight road crossing one large junction rather like a dog leg, always following signs Bedarieux to a roundabout taking the D909 Bedarieux. Follow this road for about 25 minutes, and as you descend the big hill you will see two signs to Bedarieux one to the right and the other straight on, do not take the right turn, carry straight on until Herepian . Shortly after passing the sign ‘Herepian’ turn right, still marked direction Bedarieux, and right again onto the D908. Drive straight on past all the shops, do not turn right into Centre Ville, this is an odd junction, be careful to give way to the oncoming traffic which may be turning in front of you!

Carry straight on to next roundabout and go straight over, signed Lodeve D35. After about 5 kms you will pass through the village of La Tour sur Orb and on the left, just after the Mairie and before Ecomarche (on right) and the roundabout is Domaine de Brousson!

When you leave the airport you follow the blue signs for A61 signed Montpellier /Barcelona, this autoroute will merge onto the A9 at Narbonne. Take direction Montpellier/Lyon (not Barcelona!). Continue until junction 35 Beziers Centre.

When you leave the peage you must keep to the right, and turn right onto the main road. This will take you past the commercial centre of Beziers. Continue straight on over the next 3 roundabouts following the signs to Bedarieux. After this roundabout you will see the sign for Bedarieux on a slip road that turns off to the right…so take this turn up to the next roundabout and take first exit continuing following the signs to Bedarieux D909.

After about 25 minutes, and as you descend the big hill you will see two signs to Bedarieux one to the right and the other straight on, do not take the right turn, carry straight on until Herepian . Shortly after passing the sign ‘Herepian’ turn right, still marked direction Bedarieux, and right again onto the D908. Drive straight on past all the shops, do not turn right into Centre Ville, this is an odd junction, be careful to give way to the oncoming traffic which may be turning in front of you!

Carry straight on to next roundabout and go straight over, signed Lodeve D35. After about 5 kms you will pass through the village of La Tour sur Orb and on the left, just after the Mairie and before Ecomarche (on right) and the roundabout is Domaine de Brousson!

We can recommend the following hotels as good places for a nights’ stay en route, as we have stayed in them all!! They are reasonably priced, clean and have private parking which keeps the car and the wine safe!

The RAC website www.rac.co.uk/routeplanner or the Michelin website www.viamichelin.com (which gives the locations of the speed cameras too) give detailed directions for planning your route. It obviously depends upon which way you decide to go… Either the Autoroute via Reims, and Lyons……The Route de Soleil (A6) following the Rhone Valley then the A9 or, via Paris through the Massif Central using the ‘new’ A75 Autoroute (and the wonder of the new bridge at Millau).

If you decide to take the central A75 route then it is best to make sure you time your journey to avoid the Paris rush hour, the Peripherique can be worse than the M25!!

We found Orleans to be a convenient stopover and can recommend the Hotel Escale Oceania www.oceaniahotels.com . It is a comfortable two star hotel situated on the banks of the Loire and only a short walk from the city centre. With 24 hour reception and private parking at the rear, although it doesn’t have a restaurant, there are many in the city centre nearby. Two we particularly like:

La Petite Folie, a family run restaurant with an interesting blackboard menu and serving excellent Loire wines from small producers (the proprietor, Estelle Toulin, speaks English with a Geordie accent, having attended university in Newcastle!)
223, rue de Bourgogne, Orleans, tel:02 38 53 39 87

La Fourchette, which specialises in raclette, fondue and grillades from the Savoie region. The food is sumptuous; 3, rue Jean Hupeau, Orleans, tel:02 38 54 39 39

If you decide to head South via the A6 then there are two stops we recommend…….both in wine villages! One in Burgundy near Beaune and the other in a Beaujolais wine village near Macon. They are only a short diversion off the Autoroute, are privately owned and belong to the ‘Logis de France’ organisation and have excellent restaurants. www.logis-de-france.fr

The first is the two star Hotel-Restaurant Les Terrasses de Corton on the Route National 74 at Ladoix-Serrigny, a village which produces a less well known Burgundy Cru but affordable and well worth drinking with your meal! www.terrasses-de-corton.com

The second is the two star Hotel-Restaurant Chez la Rose just south of Macon at Julienas one of the ten Cru villages of Beaujolais with wonderful wines to sample with your dinner. www.chez-la-rose.fr

The choice is all yours! We are very happy to book for you if you would like us to. We are certain which ever you choose it will be a wonderful start to your vacances en France or a fabulous end!