In the Poitiers video I kept the nearby towns short, but residents and expats in the local forums mentioned so many of them that I created this small post. Here is each one with a few facts, so you can decide which to look into. Drive times are approximate.

Chauvigny

About 30 minutes east of Poitiers, Chauvigny is a town of about 7,000 people on the Vienne river. Its upper town holds five castles on a single rocky spur, including the Château des Évêques and the Donjon de Gouzon. The town also has a working industrial history. Apilco, recognized as the one of the oldest family-run porcelain factories in France, is still here, and Chauvigny stone is quarried nearby. The Saturday market draws more than 120 traders. I'm giving Chauvigny its own spotlight in the next Poitiers video, so watch for the full picture there.

Montmorillon

Montmorillon sits on the Gartempe river about 50 minutes southeast of Poitiers, with just under 6,000 residents. It calls itself the Cité de l'Écrit, a book town with writing-themed museums and bookshops in the restored medieval quarter. It is also known for macarons. Maison Rannou-Métivier has been baking them since 1920, and the town opened a macaron museum in 2003. Two fun facts: the clay mineral montmorillonite is named after the town, and Indy 500 winner Simon Pagenaud was born here. Residents value the hospital, the Wednesday market, and a large international artist community. One resident noted that the population skews older, and the riverside flooded badly in March 2024, so check a property's location if you look here. The train reaches Poitiers in about 40 minutes.

Le Blanc

Le Blanc is about an hour east of Poitiers, just over the line in the Indre department, with about 6,200 residents. The town sits on the Creuse river and is the main town of the Brenne regional nature park, an area known for its ponds. The old Château de Naillac overlooks the river, and the Church of Saint-Génitour dates back to the 12th century. One unusual fact: a French Navy transmitter near town broadcasts to submarines. Residents describe it as a manageable size, with several supermarkets, bakeries, and plenty of antique and thrift shops. One expat who has owned a house there for 11 years flies to the UK from Poitiers and goes sailing on the Lac d'Éguzon.

Saint-Savin

About 45 minutes east of Poitiers, Saint-Savin is a small town of about 800 people on the Gartempe. Its Romanesque abbey church holds 11th- and 12th-century murals that are still well preserved, and it has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1983. One buyer chose Saint-Savin to be able to walk to shops in town, with slightly bigger towns about 15 minutes away.

Angles-sur-l'Anglin

Angles-sur-l'Anglin is a village of about 360 people in the north of the Vienne, and it holds the Plus Beaux Villages de France label. A half-ruined castle, first built by a bishop of Poitiers in the 11th century, sits on a rocky spur above the Anglin river. Just outside the village, the Roc-aux-Sorciers rock shelter holds a prehistoric sculpture carved roughly 15,000 years ago. The village is also known for its openwork embroidery, the jours d'Angles, which was reportedly bought for ocean liners like the Normandie. It is very small, so plan on driving for groceries and services.

La Trimouille

La Trimouille is a village of about 860 people roughly 15 kilometers from Montmorillon. Expats who live there describe it as quiet, budget-friendly, and pretty, with a river running through it. One resident has lived there since 2004 and never wants to leave. Montmorillon handles the bigger shopping trips.

L'Isle-Jourdain and Le Vigeant

These two sit on opposite banks of the Vienne river, about an hour south of Poitiers. L'Isle-Jourdain has about 1,170 residents and most of the services, with a supermarket, bank, pharmacy, restaurants, and a weekly market. Its 19th-century stone railway viaduct, nearly 50 meters high, is now used for walks and bungee jumping. Le Vigeant is home to the Circuit du Val de Vienne racetrack, which opened in 1990. Residents describe a good English-speaking community here, with a weekly French and English conversation class in L'Isle-Jourdain and a new swimming pool complex.

Availles-Limouzine

About 65 kilometers south of Poitiers, Availles-Limouzine is a village of about 1,290 people near the Charente border. The church sits on a spur above the Vienne valley, and the old streets still have medieval houses and town gates. One couple who bought a home about 40 minutes away still calls it their go-to place to shop.

Civray

Civray is about an hour south of Poitiers, with about 2,500 residents on the Charente river. The 12th-century Church of Saint-Nicolas is a listed monument, and the town has a small prehistory museum. Markets run Tuesday and Friday mornings, and the local specialty is chabichou goat cheese. An American living nearby describes the locals as welcoming and patient with an American's French, and the movie theater sometimes shows films in English. Residents say property is good value, but you will need a car, since the nearest TGV is in Poitiers. A nearby TER train station can be found in Saint-Saviol 5 km away.

Ruffec and Verteuil-sur-Charente

Just south of Civray, across the Charente department line, Ruffec is a town of about 3,450 people on the old Paris-to-Spain road. During World War II it was a center of Resistance efforts to move Allied airmen toward Spain. Next door, the village of Verteuil-sur-Charente, with about 590 residents, has a château held by the La Rochefoucauld family since at least 1080. Its famous unicorn tapestries, The Hunt of the Unicorn, now hang at the Cloisters in New York. One scouting couple called both towns alive, well kept, and inviting.

Valence-en-Poitou

About 30 minutes south of Poitiers, Valence-en-Poitou is a newer commune formed by merging Couhé and four neighboring villages, with about 4,300 residents. It sits within commuting range of Poitiers, and one scouting couple listed it among their favorites.

(The image: A street in Couhé, the historic heart and administrative center of Valence-en-Poitou.)

Loches

Loches is farther out, about an hour and a half north of Poitiers in the Indre-et-Loire department, with about 6,200 residents. Its royal castle sits above the town, and Joan of Arc came here in 1429 to meet King Charles VII after her victory at Orléans. Residents describe good schools, sports clubs, an international school, and markets on Wednesday and Saturday mornings. The trade-offs they mention are a limited job market, and one resident noted it costs more than Le Blanc.

Click below for Poitiers part 1

And stay tuned for part two on October 24th, 2026

Image Credits:

Cover image of Saint-Savin-sur-Gartempe Photo by Didier Provost on Unsplash

Chauvigny photo:

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Chauvigny-112-Saint-Pierre_und_Burg-2008-gje.jpg

Gerd Eichmann, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

Montmorrilon Photo by Majkel Berger: https://www.pexels.com/photo/montmorillon-church-spire-amidst-quaint-rooftops-33099398/

Le Blanc: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Le_Blanc_(36)_%2B_Creuse,_dep._D951.jpg

Dacia 1410 Sport, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

Angles-sur-l'Anglin: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Angles-sur-l%27Anglin_(Vienne)._(24409942338).jpg

Daniel Jolivet, CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

La Trimouille: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bastille_Day_08_river_view.jpg

Issie52, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

L'Isle Jourdain: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Arriv%C3%A9e_%C3%A0_L%27Isle_Jourdain_-_panoramio.jpg

Gilles Guillamot, CC BY-SA 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

Circuit du Val de Vienne le Vigeant:

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:FERRARI_340_MM_1953_(8934886280).jpg

ZANTAFIO56 from FRANCE, CC BY-SA 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

Availles-Limouzine:

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Availles_Limouzine_church.JPG

Jerrycathyetal, CC BY-SA 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

Civray: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Civray_86_monument_aux_morts_(1).jpg

Père Igor, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

Ruffec: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ruffec_centre.JPG

Jack ma, CC BY-SA 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

Verteuil-sur-Charente: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Verteuil_16_Charente_aux_Cordeliers.jpg

Photo: JLPC / Wikimedia Commons

Valence-en-Poitou: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:007_Couh%C3%A9_(_86700).jpg

Bastien.pierre, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

Loches: Photo by Johanna Gold on Unsplash

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