Car Hire Saint-Jean-d'Angély

Car Hire

Located between Nantes and Bordeaux, Saint-Jean d’Angely is a perfectly-situated tourist destination in western France. Visiting tourists with their own transportation can split their time between typical French towns and cities, national parks and quaint beach towns along the west coast.

Who to Book With
Hertz and Europcar are the two best-known car hire companies located in the town, within reachable distance from most forms of accommodation. Somelac is a locally-run company which is located on the industrial estate.

Best Time to Go
The best time to visit western France is generally considered to be from June to September. At this time, summer is full swing and European children are out of school, so expect car hire and hotels to be snapped up in an instant. Unlike in other tourist-driven towns, rates in Saint-Jean d’Angely shouldn't increase during busy spells. Booking in advance on the internet can save time as well as money.

Need to Know Essentials
Whenever collecting car hire in France, the following documents are to be shown:

- International Driving Permit or UK driver’s licence
- Passport or another form of valid photo ID
- Same credit card used for completing the reservation
- Printed copy of confirmed reservation

For more info read our FAQs..

Driving
Saint-Jean d’Angely's biggest challenge for drivers is finding a parking space, which is mainly down to the age of the town. Because of this lack of parking, many drivers opt to use the spaces found at train stations or shopping precincts. Traffic isn't a problem, although the roads that run through the town and link Bordeaux to Nantes, such as the A10 and the A83, may be congested throughout weekdays and at weekends.

Our Guide to France contains more detailed driving information.

Transport

The main central areas of the town are usually only walked around due to them being inaccessible to most vehicles. For walking, sites such as walkit.com are a great reference. Public transport options are limited to buses and taxis in Saint-Jean d’Angely for those that don't have their own vehicles.

Trains
While it isn't possible to travel around Saint-Jean d’Angely via rail, it is possible to travel here from elsewhere in France by train. TGV is the main supplier of services to this area from Nantes, Bordeaux, Paris and a series of other lesser-known destinations around the country.

Buses
Rbus is the main supplier of bus transport around Saint-Jean d’Angely and to other towns in the area. Services are generally available from 05:00 until midnight and cost around £2 per person, per ticket.

Taxis
Angely Transports Taxi St Jean and Dautel Francois are the two main taxi firms that operate in the town and their taxis can be either be flagged down or arranged beforehand. Tourists can expect to pay more than locals, especially if they are unable to converse in French.

Exploring

Situated halfway between Nantes and Bordeaux, Saint-Jean d’Angely is the perfect base for excursions throughout western France. Those visitors that have arranged their own set of wheels may head inland to eastern cities such as Lyon or farther south of Bordeaux to northeastern Spain.

Recommended Drives

Nantes – Heading north along the A83 for just under 2 hours leads tourists to Nantes, one of western France's main highlights. Along the way, a slight detour west of the A83 leads to La Rochelle and a series of other coastal towns. In Nantes, shopping is enjoyed in Talensac and trips to the Ile de Versailles are always a possibility in a hire vehicle.

Bordeaux – In the opposite direction to Nantes, south of Saint-Jean d’Angely, is Bordeaux. This city takes 1 hour, 30 minutes to reach and is accessed via the A10. While Bordeaux has attractions within its centre, trips to the surrounding local vineyards are the main draw. In the city, landmarks such as the Grand Theatre and the Abbatiale Ste Croix are as well-frequented by tourists as the Museum of Contemporary Art and the Musee d'Aquitaine, which houses Gallo-Roman statues.

Limoges – Around 2 hours’ drive east of Saint-Jean d’Angely on the E803 is Limoges. Before reaching the town, tourists may like to stop-off at Parc Naturel Regional du Perigord Limousin.