Location

In the heart of Gascony, south-west France, Lot-et-Garonne département, roughly halfway between Bordeaux and Toulouse. A car is recommended but not absolutely essential, depending on how active you and your party wish to be.

Sos village centre 0.8 km, Nérac 23 km, Condom 25 km.

Agen (TGV station) 52 km, daily direct trains to/from Waterloo via Lille without changing in Paris. Hire cars available at Bordeaux and Agen (more timetable flexibility to/from Bordeaux), or daily bus Agen to/from Sos, or I can meet your train...

A62 motorway (junction 7) 50 km, Paris 750 km. St Malo (Brittany Ferries from Portsmouth overnight) is the easiest journey on the French side with dual carriageway/motorway almost all the way - about 8 hours’ driving time. From Calais (tunnel or ferry) is at least ten hours’ driving time all on the motorways; better in both cases to split the journey into two days and stop somewhere pretty en route - I would be happy to suggest several possible small hotels. Or, if you like boats, try the ferry to Bilbao or Santander in northern Spain - 24 to 36 hours on board then about five hours’ driving time.

Bordeaux (Mérignac) airport about 1.5 hours drive. Toulouse (Blagnac) airport about 2 hours drive. British Airways fly from Gatwick to Bordeaux or Toulouse, Air France fly from Heathrow to Toulouse, Ryanair fly from Stansted to Biarritz or Carcassonne, Buzz fly from Stansted to Bordeaux, Bergerac or Toulouse...

Michelin big yellow road atlas (2002 paperback edition); Sos is on page 144 in square C4.