For visitors flying directly from the United States

Classes are scheduled to begin on a Monday evening to give you a chance to fly in and recuperate before making your way to Lectoure.  If this is inconvenient for you, let us know; we may be able to change the start date.

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My suggestion is to fly out of the United States on a Friday night, arriving into Amsterdam, London-Heath Row, London-Gatwick, Lisbon, or Paris, on Saturday morning.  Spend Saturday and Sunday in the city of your choice and then, on Monday, fly to Toulouse, rent a car, and slowly make your way by car through the rural countryside.  

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If you prefer not to stop for a few days, then, I suggest flying on a single airline (to avoid rechecking luggage).  Book straight through to Toulouse on  British Air, Delta/AirFrance/KLM, or Alaska/Condor/Lufthansa.  These all fly to Toulouse with just one stop.  If you will be stopping for a night or two, then Norwegian Air is both inexpensive and very pleasant to fly on.  Air France is sometimes subject to strikes.

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If you prefer to take the train, you will need to start from Paris or Bordeaux and book a ticket for Agen

(the closest point to Lectoure).  ww.trainline.eu/tickets/France‎

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When in the countryside, it is always nice to have a car since places you may want to visit will often be in a nearby town.  However, if you prefer not to drive, it is very easy to get around Lectoure without a car and it is possible to arrange for transportation from Toulouse or Agen to Lectoure.

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TIPS

Cars drive on the right; the same as in the U.S.  Most cars will be manual shift so be sure and specifiy if you need an automatic.  Mandatory French automobile insurance is included with all French rentals but you will need to add additional insurance or use a credit card or both, to protect yourself from mishaps.  Roads and lanes are very narrow - accordingly rent a small car.  Your American drivers license is generally acceptable but it is safer to purchase an International Drivers license through AAA or a similar organization.

 

Non-stop flights to Europe are usually available at the same or lower cost than multiple stops.

There are a number of local flights to Toulouse or Bordeaux on low cost carriers that may not appear on Kayak or Google Flights.

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Dress in Lectoure is casual; you do not need to pack extensively.  Check the weather before departure.  https://www.accuweather.com/en/fr/france-weather  Summer is usually hot and sunny, but can be variable.  There is a pool and a thermal spa in town so you may want to bring a bathing suit.

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