PYRTPlan Your Road Trips
Create TripMy TripsCommunityMerchandise
PYRTPlan Your Road Trips
Create TripMy TripsCommunityMerchandise
P
Destinations
Home›Destinations›Poitiers
EuropeFranceNew Aquitaine

Poitiers

New Aquitaine, France · Europe

About Poitiers

Poitiers is worth a stop: 5 minutes from Saint-Benoît, 10km from Futuroscope.

Poitiers is a town located in New Aquitaine, France. With a population of 85,960, it is an important destination in Europe.

On a road trip, Poitiers sits in France, where you drive on the right. It's in the Europe/Paris time zone. Below you'll find where to stay, things to do nearby, and everything you need to add Poitiers to your route.

About Poitiers

Poitiers is a university city on the river Clain in west-central France. It is a commune, the capital of the Vienne department, part of the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region of France, and the historical center of Poitou Province. In 2022, the commune of Poitiers had a population of 89,427. Also in 2022, its conurbation had

Read more 133,833 inhabitants and its functional area 281,452 inhabitants. It is a city of art and history, still known popularly as the "Ville aux cent clochers" ("City of a hundred bell towers"). With more than 30,000 students, Poitiers has been a major university town since the creation of its university in 1431, having hosted world-renowned figures and thinkers such as René Descartes, Joachim du Bellay and François Rabelais, among others. The plaza of the town is picturesque; its streets including predominantly preserved historical architecture and half-timbered houses, especially religious edifices, commonly from the Romanesque period. The latter includes notably the 4th century baptistery of Saint-Jean (Baptistère Saint-Jean), the 7th century Merovingian underground chapel of the Hypogeum of the Dunes (L'Hypogée des Dunes), the Church of Notre-Dame-la-Grande (12th century), the Church of Saint-Porchaire (12th century) or Poitiers Cathedral (end of the 12th century) as well as the Palace of Poitiers, until recently a courthouse (12th century), the former palace of the Counts of Poitou, Dukes of Aquitaine, where the Dowager Queen of France and England Eleanor of Aquitaine held her "Court of Love". The city's pedigree is associated with two major battles that took place in the area. The first, in 732, also known as the Battle of Tours (to avoid inevitable confusion with the second), saw the defending Frankish warhost commanded by Charles Martel defeat the belligerent expeditionary army of the Umayyad Caliphate led by Muslim general Abd al-Rahman al-Ghafiqi. The second battle, in 1356, a lionized military capstone was the Battle of Poitiers which was one of the focal battles of the Hundred Years' War. It saw the defeat of a larger French royal army by the English and the capture of King John II of France by the triumphant Prince of Wales Edward. The Poitiers agglomeration, located halfway between Paris and Bordeaux, is home to the Futuroscope Technopole, which includes major public (CNED, Canopé, etc.) and private companies of national scope, as well as leading European research laboratories. With two million visitors annually, Futuroscope is the leading tourist site in Nouvelle-Aquitaine, and the third most popular amusement park in France after Disneyland Paris and the Puy du Fou.

Read more on Wikipedia

Where to Stay in Poitiers

Compare prices across Booking.com, Airbnb, Expedia, and more. Select your dates to see availability.

Filter presets

Pick your must-haves once: provider links open pre-filtered. Each filter lists which sites it applies to.

Booking.comExpediaTripAdvisorHotels.comAgodaAirbnb

Compare before you book!

Prices can vary significantly between platforms. We recommend checking at least 2-3 sites to find the best deal for your stay in Poitiers.

Explore the Area

Discover famous landmarks, scenic roads, and more near Poitiers.

Loading map...
Open in Google Maps

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the best things to do in Poitiers?

Poitiers offers many attractions including tourist sites, museums, parks, and local restaurants. Explore famous landmarks, scenic roads, and natural wonders on our interactive map and plan your visit.

How do I plan a road trip to Poitiers?

Plan your road trip to Poitiers with Plan Your Road Trips! Add Poitiers as a destination, and we'll help you find the best route and discover more amazing places along the way.

Where is Poitiers located?

Poitiers is located in New Aquitaine, France, Europe. The coordinates are 46.5826 latitude, 0.3435 longitude.

What is the population of Poitiers?

Poitiers has a population of approximately 85,960 people, making it a town in France.

Plan a Road Trip

Add to your itinerary

Start planning your road trip with Poitiers as a destination. Create a custom route and discover more amazing places along the way.

Start Road Trip

What's Nearby?

Discover destinations like Tinder

Swipe through stunning destinations near Poitiers. Save your favourites and add them to your trip.

Explore now

Quick Information

Population
85,960
Continent
Europe
Country
France
Region
New Aquitaine
Timezone
Europe/Paris
Coordinates
46.5826, 0.3435

Emergency & Services

Essential numbers in France

Police
17
Ambulance
15
Fire
18
All emergencies
112
Driving side
right

Carrying a warning triangle and hi-vis vest in your vehicle is mandatory. Motorway emergency phones connect to official breakdown services only.

Full driving guide for France

Tags

EuropeFranceNew AquitaineTown

Worth the detour from Poitiers

1 notable place within an hour's drive.

landmark

Futuroscope

French technology-based theme park near Poitiers with cutting-edge visual experiences and multimedia attractions.

10 km · about 20 min drive

Driving in France

Drives on
the right
Petrol
~€1.85/litre
Motorway tolls
~€10.00/100km

When to drive here

April to October

Nearby Destinations

Other places to explore near Poitiers.

Biard

🇫🇷 France

3 km awayPop. 1,676

Saint-Benoît

🇫🇷 France

4 km awayPop. 7,598

Migné

🇫🇷 France

5 km awayPop. 6,164

Vouneuil-sous-Biard

🇫🇷 France

6 km awayPop. 4,391

Mignaloux-Beauvoir

🇫🇷 France

7 km awayPop. 3,784

Ligugé

🇫🇷 France

7 km awayPop. 2,806

Montamisé

🇫🇷 France

8 km awayPop. 2,791

Smarves

🇫🇷 France

8 km awayPop. 2,300

Plan a trip around Poitiers

France road trip planner

Plan a Road Trip from Poitiers

Create your perfect itinerary with our calendar-based planner. Add stops, discover attractions along the way, and share your trip with friends.

Start Planning
PYRT

The ultimate road trip planning platform. Discover 150,000+ destinations worldwide, plan scenic routes, and create unforgettable adventures.

Inspiration

  • Discover Trips
  • Travel Guides
  • Community

The Product

  • Calendar Planner
  • Integrations
  • How It Works
  • Collaboration Mode
  • Get the App
  • Merchandise: PYRT Supply Co.
  • Become a Creator
  • Trip Marketplace

Plan Your Trip

  • Road Trip Planner
  • Famous Routes
  • Planners by Country
  • Best Road Trip Planner App
  • Discover Road Trips
  • Events
  • Travel Guides
  • How It Works
  • My Trips
  • Community Groups

Company

  • Terms of Service
  • Privacy Policy
  • Support
  • Contact Us
  • Sign In
  • Create Account

© 2026 Plan Your Road Trips. All rights reserved.

•[email protected]
Data sources:GeoNames (CC BY 4.0)•Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA)•Mapbox•Photography: George Lawrence