Les Chalets de Moulière

Thrill rides at the gleaming Futuroscope theme park (25 minutes’ drive) come with a hyper-modern twist and include robotic dancers, Martian roller coasters and a time machine. And when you’re in need of a break from all the excitement, you can go for a drink at the Aerobar, suspended more than 100ft up in the air. The university city of Poitiers (35 minutes) has a long and storied past, starting with the Ancient Romans. Artefacts from this era are housed in the Musée Sainte-Croix, but if you see only one thing during your visit, make it the medieval cathedral, with its splendid stained-glass windows. Fascinated by reptiles and amphibians? Then La Planète des Crocodiles animal park (35 minutes) might be right up your street. Here you’ll be able to handle snakes and bearded dragons, walk over a pond teeming with crocodiles and alligators, and learn all about these prehistoric, dragon-like creatures.