Saintes - this historical town is just 15 mins drive, here you will find all the larger supermarkets. Saintes is located on the river Charente and with its Roman heritage offers many places to visit including the remains of a Roman Amphitheatre set almost in the centre of town.
Here also you can take boat trips down the Charente. Saintes has a lovely pedestrian area for ambling round the local shops, an excellent food market is held every Wednesday and Saturday.
Cognac - a 35 min drive, tours around one of the famous Martell, Hennessy or Remy Martin distilleries are a must.
La Rochelle - a 45 min drive, a must for any shopper! This beautiful port town has a wonderful ambience with many restaurants bursting on to the pavements. Famous also for the large aquarium.
Bordeaux - a 90 min drive, many museums and a major shopping centre with excellent inner city tram system.
Jonzac - a 50 min drive, pleasant shops, good covered market, boat trips on the river, a huge leisure pool on its outskirts, an open air lakeside leisure complex, a casino, restaurants, and a thermal spa. Here pictured, the ballooning festival held in September.