La Brenne - autumnal wildlife of the French lakes (by train)
A ‘wild’ week, exploring one of France’s best-kept secrets as we are transported back to a landscape of yesteryear.
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Wildlife Travel leaflet La Brenne autumn 2026
Dates
10th – 16th October 2026
Leaders
Mike Russell with Jason Mitchell
Price
£1,945
Single Room Supplement – £200
Included
Return train travel from London St Pancras, local transport as specified in the itinerary. Six nights’ accommodation, full board.
Not included
Refreshments. Gratuities. Travel insurance. Covid tests and associated costs.
Group size
Minimum 4, maximum 7.
A shorter break, exploring one of France’s best-kept secrets as we are transported back to a landscape of yesteryear.
Often called the Land of a Thousand Lakes, La Brenne Parc Naturel Régional is located just south of the Loire Valley. A mosaic of fish ponds, lakes, reedbeds, meadows, heaths and broad-leaved forest set in a traditional farmland landscape, makes for a uniquely diverse flora and fauna.
As nature relaxes into autumn, in La Brenne the traditional assec will be taking place, the rotational management of the lakes (or etangs), with water drained every decade or so through a network of sluices and dykes. On the exposed muds, we may spot waders such as Spotted Redshank, Greenshank, Ruff and Black-tailed Godwit.
The first of the region’s Crane’s, which pass through in their tens of thousands each year, should be reaching the area, and numbers of wintering ducks will also be building.
Whilst many of the area’s summer visitors will have headed south, we can still expect to see Marsh Harriers quartering the reedbeds, with luck joined by White-tailed Eagle. Great White Egret, Night Heron and perhaps Black-necked Grebe can be spotted around the many lakes and ponds, and the last of the Migrant Hawkers, Winter Damselfly and Southern Darter should still be on the wing.
Among La Brenne’s scrubby grassland and traditionally managed farmland, we hope to find Middle-spotted and Black Woodpeckers, and the cheerful Cirl Bunting.
This holiday will appeal to anyone who wishes to enjoy pleasant walks filled with wildlife, with the bonus of travelling by train.
Please note that holidays change, although sometimes only slightly, from year to year and previous trip reports may not reflect the planned itinerary, or other holiday details, for the current trip. Please ask us if you would like to know of any significant differences.
Day 1 Our train journey takes up by Eurostar to Paris, and then on to Saint-Pierre-des-Corps (Tours), from where we’ll make our way to our accommodation at the edge of the Parc, close to the River Claise (c. 90 mins).
Day 2 We explore Chérine National Nature Reserve today, for the beginning of our immersion in La Grande Brenne. The diverse habitat here supports an astonishing number of plant and animal species, and we will be checking the open water for newly arriving ducks, and looking for Great White Egrets and Spoonbill striding around the edges, along with more secretive species including Night Heron or perhaps Purple Heron.
Day 3 We spend some time on the open farmed ‘plains’ of La Brenne in search of Hen Harriers and Stone Curlews. Bocage, an open habitat made up of small fields and thick hedgerows is an important feature of La Brenne, and here we hope to find plentiful Corn Buntings, Stonechat and Serin, with Firecrest, Short-toed Creeper, Marsh Tit and Hawfinch all possible in the more wooded areas.
Day 4 We have a day to explore further the area’s treasures including a visit to the Massé-Foucault to take a trail that winds through the different habitats of the reserve: ponds, woodland, meadows and reedbed.
Day 5 Today we include a little of La Brenne’s culture (being sure to look out for wildlife along the way!), with a visit to one of the Loire’s ‘Grand’ Châteaux or the Domaine de Chaumont-sur-Loire, home to the International Garden Festival. If time allows we will also visit the extensive Forest of Loches, on the lookout for some of the area’s woodpeckers: Middle Spotted and Black Woodpecker are both present, along with the more familiar UK species.
Day 6 For our final full day, we explore the environs of the Maison du Parc. The afternoon will be rounded off with a walk and visit to the hide at Étang Ricot or Étang Cistude, where we hope to find the lake’s namesake European Pond Terrapins, alongside late-season dragonflies and damselflies.
Day 7 Today we head back to Saint-Pierre-des Corps (Tours) and our train home, arriving back in London in the early evening.
Please note that the itinerary may be changed to suit the weather or other practicalities at the discretion of the leaders.
We will stay in a cosy guesthouse in Mézières-en Brenne, the historical capital of Brenne. The hotel is well-situated for our explorations, and all rooms have en-suite facilities with bath and/or shower.
We will be having breakfast and evening meals at our accommodation and where possible meals will have an emphasis on local cuisine. Lunches will be picnic-style and usually followed by a visit to a café.
Transport will be by minibus or smaller vehicles if necessary. La Brenne is not vast, and can be explored without long periods driving.
Group travel
We will travel by train from London St Pancras to Saint-Pierre-des-Corps (Tours). Train schedules for autumn 2026 are not yet released, but should be similar to summer 2026.
10th October depart London St Pancras 11.31, arrive Paris Gare du Nord 14.59; depart Paris Montparnasse 16.39, arrive Saint-Pierre-des-Corps 17.49
16th October depart Saint-Pierre-des-Corps 12.25, arrive Paris Montparnasse 13.36; depart Paris Gare du Nord 16.30, arrive London St Pancras 18.00
If you prefer to make your own travel arrangements, you can book the holiday without travel. You would need to meet the group at Saint-Pierre-des-Corps station or at the hotel in Mézières-en Brenne.
Time zone
France is one hour ahead of UK time.
Entry requirements
If you hold a British passport you can travel to countries in the Schengen area (including France) for up to 90 days in any 180-day period without a visa. Your passport must be issued less than ten years before the date you enter the country and valid for at least three months after the day you plan to leave.
Starting in 2026 British passport holders will need to apply for the ETIAS European Travel Authorisation to visit Schengen countries. This must be applied for online prior to travel, at a cost of €7 (free for over 70s). Once granted, your ETIAS will be valid for three years.
The weather should be dry, with temperatures in the low-twenties, although considerably cooler, showery weather is possible.
On most days, we are out and about for much of the day, albeit walking a relatively slow pace and making several stops each day. It is necessary to walk on some rougher ground but none of the walking is strenuous. Walking boots (e.g. lightweight) are essential. The pace will be relaxed, with plenty of time to enjoy the surroundings and take photos as well as stopping to enjoy the wildlife along the way. You must be able to carry your own luggage between, on and off of the trains. The rooms at the hotel are upstairs, with no lift. If you are a slow walker, please contact us to discuss whether any of the walks will be a problem for you.