Car hire in Limoges with Auto Europe

Limoges is a beautiful city located in France. With many wonderful scenic views, amazing food and stunning architecture you are sure to enjoy your stay here. With lots of historical landmarks and heritage you will find plenty to see and do. You can also take a trip to the capital city of Paris with your car hire if you have spare time on your hands.

Booking a car hire in Limoges couldn’t be any easier with Auto Europe. Offering a wide choice of vehicles, from some of the smallest compact vehicles such as the mini to minivans or even motorhomes, you’re sure to find the perfect vehicle to suit your trip. If you have any questions about your car hire please don’t hesitate to call our friendly team on +44 123 3225 11 who are available 7 days a week to answer any of your queries.

How is the traffic in Limoges?

When driving your car hire in Limoges you will find that it is a small city meaning traffic is generally quite light and free flowing, other than on the busy motorways and of course during rush hour periods where traffic can become quite backed up and slow moving. There are several small cobbled roads around the city, so please be careful when driving and be mindful of pedestrians and scooters which may be crossing. The A20 connects Limoges to several other cities such as Orleans, Chateauroux and Montauban.

Where can I park my car hire in Limoges?

When parking your car rental in Limoges there are many parking options, you can choose to park at the airport which has 2 car parks. The central car park (P1) and the side car park (P2). You can also choose to park at the train station Gare des Benedictins. The car park is open 24 hours a day 7 days a week and prices vary from 2.10 to 7.10 for between 1 hour and 24 hours. You can also find parking at most hotels and shopping centres such as Newport Coast Shopping Centre, Newport Hills Shopping Centre and Harbor View Shopping Centre. Tustin Metrolink Station has free parking for up to 2 hours, as does the Irvine Transportation centre and Newport North Shopping Centre.

Limoges - Bellegarde Airport

Limoges airport is located around 4 miles northwest of the city. It was built in 1970 and has carried over 5 million passengers since then. The airport has a variety of shops to visit, as well as meeting rooms, car rental services and hotels within the airports vicinity. There are also a variety of services throughout the airport such as Wi-Fi, lost property, ATM’s and post boxes.

Limoges – Bellegarde Airport
Address: 81 Avenue de l'Aéroport, 87100 Limoges, France
Phone: +33 5 55 43 30 30
Website: https://www.aeroportlimoges.com
Airlines operating at Limoges - Bellegarde Airport: Airlines such as Flybe run flights from Southampton as well as Chalair Aviation running flights from Lyon, Paris-Orly, Ajaccio and Bastia. UK based airline Ryanair charters flights to Limoges from the destinations such as the East Midlands, London-Stansted, Manchester, Bristol and Leeds-Bradford.

What to do in Limoges

• Cathedral St. Etienne - Limoges Cathedral also known as Cathedral St Etienne first began construction in around 1273 which lasted for 6 centuries, only being finished in the year 1888 when the bell tower was connected to the nave. The cathedral is a national monument and seat of the Bishop of Limoges. The church is home to 2 stunning organs, beautiful stained glass windows, many medieval paintings as well as 2 renaissance works. There is a tomb which has carved scenes of the apocalypse as well as a loft which was custom made by Bishop John Langeac. There is also a renaissance rood screen which was built in around 1534.


• Halles Centrales - Halles Centrales is Limoges local food market. Situated in a stunningly designed building, it was built in the 19th century between 1885 and 1889 and is made from brick, metal, glass and zinc. The façade is made from 368 porcelain panels which represent products which are sold in the market. The markets offer fresh produce such as sea food, a variety of vegetables as well as a wide selection of meats and game.


• Jardin Botanique de l’Eveche - Jardin Botanique de l’Eveche, translating to Botanical garden of the Bishop was first built around the 18th century, with today’s garden being created between 1956 and 1961 and then renovated in 1976. The garden is around 5 hectares and is home to more than 3,000 plants including medicinal plants, industrial and dye plants, fodder and aromatic plants as well as several terraces which overlook the Vienne River. It is divided into a French garden and a botanical garden, with the botanical garden being divided into three sections the historic garden, garden with themes and the ecological garden. You can find it located behind the cathedral and it is open to the public daily free of charge.


• Porcelain Royal Limoges - The Royal Limoges Porcelain Factory is the oldest existing porcelain factory in Limoges and was built 1797. The company has been based at Faubourg des Casseaux since 1816 near to the Vienne River which was used for transporting materials which would be used in the mills. The company still uses its own clay in production today making prestigious collections and selling them worldwide. You can take a guided tour around the factory which must be done by reservation.


• Parc Zoo du Reynou - The zoo was built in 1997 around a 19th century castle and is home to more than 600 animals and 130 species representing 5 continents of Asia, America, Europe, Africa and Oceania. When visiting the zoo you can discover the wild animals as well as a vast amount of plants. You can also meet the animals during the Activity Explorer Zoo where you will carry out practical workshops while accompanied by a trainer. You will also find restaurants, snack bars, a souvenir shop and playgrounds.

Best day trips with my car rental in Limoges

Aixe sur Vienne: Aixe sur Vienne is the town which is closest to Limoges and is only a short train ride away. There are many attractions and things to do while you explore here such as the Jardin Jeanne d’Albret gardens with a stunning wishing well, river and bridge. You can also experience canoeing or kayaking along the River Vienne and walk along the Pont Malassert which is a 13th century Roman Bridge from here you can see an old mill surrounded by wildflowers which makes for spectacular views. The beautiful Chapelle Notre Dame d’Arliquest is also a must see. The stunning red brick chapel was built between 1865 and 1868 and has amazing architecture as well as fabulous gardens and colourful stained glass windows.

Bordeaux: The journey to Bordeaux from Limoges takes around 3 and a half hours however you can lengthen this journey and stop in places such as Cognac, Saint-Emilion and Nieuil along the way. When in Bordeaux you can choose to take a trip to the world heritage site The Old Town full of historic buildings and spreads across the Garonne River. You can also choose to visit the Saint-Andre Cathedral which is located in the city centre and was consecrated in 1096. Bordeaux is famous for being a wine region in France meaning that the wine tours of the Medoc and Blaye vineyards are an extremely popular tourist attraction. There are also wine boat tours and wine tasting.

Paris: The journey to Paris takes around 5 and a half hours but is a worthwhile one. Paris is the capital city of France and is one of the most popular tourist cities with attractions such as the Eiffel Tower, one of the world’s most iconic landmarks. The Picasso museum which is full of paintings, sculptures and rare drawings and Notre-Dame which is a stunning gothic cathedral with stunning stained glass windows, spiralling steps and huge twin bell towers it a must see while you visit Paris.

Geographic information and history

Limoges can be found close to the western limits of the Massif Central in the centre of the Haute-Vienne department. The city has an average altitude of 320m, a population of over 134,000 people and is home to the Vienne river which flows through the city. The city was first founded as Augustoritum by the Romans in around 10BC as part of the reorganisation by Emperor Augustus. Tradition suggests that there was a temple which was consecrated to Venus, Diana, Minerva and Jupiter close to the cathedral. It was then renamed to Limoges after the tribe, Lemovices whose chief town it was. It was then evangelised by Saint Martial in around 250 and then abandoned in the 3rd century due to unsafe conditions after the invasion of the Germanic tribes. In the 11th century the town began to thrive due to the presence of the Abbey of St Martial and the library. Limoges became occupied by Edward the Black Prince in 1370 who massacred around a 6th of the entire population, with Limoges being often devastated by fire, plague and famine up until the 16th century. In 1768 Kaolinite was discovered close to Limoges which allowed for development of the porcelain industry, as well as the leather industry due to the breeding of sheep and cows. The city began much construction work in the 19th century with the destruction and reconstruction of most of the city centre.

How to get around Limoges

Bus

RDTHV buses in Limoges are mainly arranged around school timetables meaning there are only 1 or 2 buses running per day during the week. You will find timetables for these online or at the tourist office. However you will find that the SNCF runs additional buses which you can again find out their timetable online. The bus network also runs a trolleybus system with 5 different lines which carry around 53% of all passengers.

Taxi

You will find many taxis around Limoges which you can hail, phone for pick up, or arrange at a taxi rank itself. All taxis have a yellow sign on the roof and are metred journeys, prices depend on distance, journey time and time of day.

Train

The Gare des Benedictins train station is located across from Limoges bus station and offers direct routes to other cities such as Paris or Toulouse. Tickets can be purchased online or at the station and you also have the option to buy a European rail pass when travelling for 3 different days or more.

Useful links

Official Tourism Website