Airvault is in the much-loved Deux Sevres region of Poitou-Charentes in western France which features on the Santiago de Compostella pilgrimage route. it's notable in many circles as being the potential origin of Voltaire's pseudonym, but more importantly for visitors to the area, it's a magical town surrounded by like-minded rustic villages such as Montreuil Bellay, Saumur, Moncontour and Thouars.
Deux Sevres is a treasure trove of archetypal rustic French towns and anyone who takes up car hire in Airvault will delight in touring the local countryside. Hiring a car in Airvault is available from the town itself as well as arrival destinations such as Nantes Airport.
The Church of St Pierre is the Airvault's major landmark, but you perhaps need to view Deux-Sevres as a region to get the best from it.
If you're hiring a car in Airvault, Montreuil Bellay is a 41km drive on the D398 and has an enchanting old chateau; Montcontour is a romantic town just 12km away on the D46; Thouars (24km) has a beautiful chateau built into the Thouet river banks and further afield is Poitiers which is of a similar theme but with excellent amenities for a larger populous (Futuroscope is situated here for family entertainment). Rent a car in Airvault and enjoy the gem studded wilderness of Deux-Sevres with its abbeys, chateaus and local markets.
