A regular visitor and familiar face at St George's, Sue Bird is the driving force behind a new HIV testing centre in Malawi. Visit her page on the menu bar to find out more, and learn how you can support the work of the UK partner charity, MBEDZA.
St George's is a friendly and welcoming Anglican, Christian community, based in the early 20th-century English church which sits near the Thermes and Casino. The congregation consists largely of British residents of Vernet and the neighbouring towns and villages, but we are augmented by visitors and holiday-makers of many nationalities throughout the year. There is a regular Sunday service of Holy Communion at 10am. In 2019, St George's became home to France's first set of English change-ringing bells (10 bells, 5-0-15 in C). A band of ringers, both French and British has begun to be trained. On the last Sunday of the month, we usually have a 'bring and share' lunch at the house of a member of the congregation. Please check the 'Services & Events' page for dates, and contact us for details if you'd like to come along. The church is also used for weddings, concerts and other services and functions. The village, once known as 'the Paradise of the Pyrenees', is associated with Rudyard Kipling, who spent time here a century ago. The Church celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2013. One of the attenders at worship in the early days was Princess Beatrice, the youngest daughter of Queen Victoria.
Getting to Vernet
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- By plane: the nearest airport is Perpignan. Other airports within about a two hour drive are Béziers, Carcassonne and Girona. The last of these is known as Barcelona (Girona) but is well north of Barcelona (and thus closer to Vernet). From Perpignan airport there is a shuttle and buses into town. You can complete the journey on the 240 bus all the way to Vernet. The bus station is at the back of the train station and is easy to find.
- By train: the nearest main-line station is Perpignan. The TGV from Paris takes about five hours. There is a branch line from Perpignan to Villefranche-Vernet-les-Bains. The station is about 5km from Vernet. With careful planning, it's possible to arrive on the touristique Little Yellow Train from la Tour de Carol (connections to Toulouse and Barcelona).
- By car: all the French ports and the Eurotunnel terminal are a similar distance (700 - 800 miles) from Vernet and require two days of driving. From the north of England, the Hull-Rotterdam ferry is worth considering. There are essentially three motorway routes to choose from: the western A20 via Limoges and Toulouse, the central A75 via Clermont Ferrand, or the eastern A6 via Troyes and Lyon. Unusually for France, the long stretch of the A75 from Clermont-Ferrand to Béziers is toll free, apart from the spectacular Millau viaduct (which can be avoided by a detour through the town if you're a cheapskate). The A20 also has a good toll-free stretch between Vierzon and Brive. The western route sets you up for some spectacular mountain scenery if you head towards Andorra from Toulouse, via the col (or toll tunnel) de Puymorens. Alternatively, you can continue on the motorway via Carcassonne. Try to give Paris a wide berth unless you like heavy traffic. The route round the east side of Paris via the A104 is probably best if you're coming that way. Motorway tolls are expensive. The route via Troyes and Lyon costs over 110 euros.
Accommodation
Vernet is well geared-up for an influx of tourists during the holiday season. There is plenty of accommodation to be found on sites such as Booking.com and Airbnb. There are three campsites in the village. Unless you're staying in Vernet itself, you'll probably want a car to get around. You'll probably want one anyway if you're planning food shopping in the main supermarket, which is at the bottom of the hill on the way out of the village. The other villages in our valley, Casteil and Corneilla, are 20-30 minutes walk from Vernet.