how to get there?

Verteuil (pronounced "Ver-toy") is easy to get to.

We usually hop on the fast train from Paris and take the TGV (train de grande vitesse) to Angoulême, about 2 hours 40 minutes south of Paris.  You can either step off the plane at Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris and catch the train from Terminal 2 direct to Angoulême, or if you are spending a few days in Paris first, the TGV Atlantique will depart from Gare Montparnasse (one of the four major train stations in Paris).  Trains depart often, six to ten times a day.

Hint:  We usually book our TGV tickets in Australia prior to departure from either trainline or www.raileurope.com.au
Tickets are available to book from 3 months prior to the date of the train travel.

Hint:  You will need to hire a vehicle - the public transport in regional France isn't great - and having a car is the best way to explore the region. We arrange hire prior to leaving Australia from either GlobalCARS or DriveAway Holidays Australia.  Our experience is that the customer service from both is terrific.

Once in Angoulême, pick up a hire car at the train station, set the sat nav for the address in Verteuil and take the drive, 30 minutes north on the N10.

Hint:  We strongly recommend using a sat nav device while driving in France.  They are easy to use and the relatively small price is absolutely worth the lower stress levels in finding your way around country roads, especially getting in and out of towns and cities. Remember, you are also getting used to driving on the other side of the road and familiarising yourself with the nuances of French road signs - but hey, it's all an adventure!!  
You can either hire a sat nav device with the vehicle, or buy one once you have arrived in Europe (if you are going to have a car for 10 or more days, it is usually cheaper to buy a device).  We picked one up in Paris at Fnac, a large electrical goods chain.  

Hint:  Smaller is definitely better!  Streets in French villages were designed for horses and carts, not cars!  Small vehicles are easier to drive around European villages.  We have seen many British "grey nomads" in vast motor homes navigating small village streets and country roads, and believe me - it's a no-no!!

alternatives?

1.  Catch the TGV from Paris to Bordeaux.  Spend a few days in this beautiful city before hiring a car from the train station and driving north east to Verteuil (about a two hour drive).

2.  Pick up your hire car in Paris.  Drive south to Verteuil.  Along the way, stay for a night or two in the Loire Valley to see some terrific chateaux.

3.  Fly from the UK.  Airlines fly to airports in Bordeaux, Limoges, Angoulême, Poitiers and La Rochelle.  Pick up a hire car at these airports and drive to Verteuil.

4.  Catch the TGV from Paris and get off at Ruffec.  Ruffec is the stop before Angoulême (not all trains stop at Ruffec!) and is a town only six km from Verteuil.  You can catch a local taxi from Ruffec to Verteuil.  But remember, it is our recommendation to have access to a car to explore the local area.