Our home is in a lieu-dit called Beaugut, in Saint Maigner, in the canton of Pionsat, département of Puy-de-Dôme (63) in the Auvergne region of France. We are in the northwestern extreme of the département, with Allier only five kilometres to the north of us and La Creuse (Limousin) but fifteen kilometres to our west.

75Km (47 miles) NW of Clermont-Ferrand, we are only an hour from the highest parts of the Central Massif – although we are ourselves at a relatively modest altitude of a little under 2000 feet (600 metres). Centrally placed in France (72Km south, 18Km east of the Aire de la Centre de la France), we are 4 hours by road from the Mediterranean, five hours from the Atlantic and six hours from the Channel coasts. The nearest beaches are on a large lake only 30 minutes south of us or on a smaller lake in St Éloy les Mines, just 20 minutes east of us.

The Pyrenées (and hence Spain) are less than six hours by road, and Geneva (for the Alps) is less than four and a half hours.

The nearest airport with a regular, year-round direct low cost link from UK is Limoges (just over 2 hours by road). Low cost flights from various points in the UK  to Clermont-Ferrand are sometimes available during the summer period – check with the relevant airlines.

We are 40 minutes from Montluçon with a direct rail link with Paris.

By Road

If you use in-car or hand-held Satellite Navigation, specify the town as Saint-Maigner and you should find Lieu-dit Beaugut or just Beaugut listed (it works with the  TomTom and with some, but not all others). If it is, that will also take you right to the door. Otherwise, try 46°6’14.68″N (46.1040778°N) and 2°39’40.53″E (2.6612583°E). Do not program in Saint Maigner unless you can select Beaugut. You would be better off pointing your SatNav to Pionsat.

You can also add the address to your TomTom. Just accept the defaults.

Having arrived at Pionsat, leave in the direction of Auzances and Sainte Hilaire, bearing  right at the end of the main built-up area. Do not follow the signs to Saint Maigner – you will get lost! The road from Pionsat to Sainte Hilaire is fairly level, very twisty and two lanes throughout. Many French drivers seem to like to straddle the white line around corners – you have been warned! Shortly after leaving the main built-up area of the town you will pass a telephone kiosk on your right, and a sign pointing to the Gendarmerie. If you see these, you’re on the right road. The end of town sign is shortly after this and our turning is about 2km further on.

A word of warning. Our turn-off is on the inside of a blind bend in the road.  About 50 metres before this in each direction is a warning sign bearing an exclamation mark and the words “Sortie de véhicules” below a minor crossroads sign. Start to slow down at this sign and prepare for the turn off on the apex of the bend, where there is a small ‘Beaugut‘ sign. We missed it three times in the first couple of days.