Hotels in Angoulême: Where to Stay in 2025

Angoulême, a city drawn in bold lines

Angoulême sits on a limestone plateau above the Charente river in southwestern France, roughly halfway between Bordeaux and Poitiers. Its old town wraps around a Romanesque cathedral and a circuit of medieval ramparts, and every January the city transforms into the world capital of the graphic novel during the Festival International de la Bande Dessinée. Comic-strip panels are painted onto building facades across the centre, giving even a quiet Tuesday stroll the feel of flipping through a giant illustrated album.

Beyond the festival buzz, Angoulême rewards visitors with a compact, walkable core, a lively covered market, and easy access to Cognac country (about 40 minutes by road). The lower town around the train station is functional and well-connected, while the hilltop upper town is where the real character lives. Choose your base according to how much you plan to explore on foot versus by car.

• Haute-Ville (Upper Town): The hilltop historic centre, for visitors who want to walk everywhere. Cathedral, ramparts, comic murals and the best restaurants are all within a few minutes on foot. Hotels like Hôtel des Arts and Mercure Angoulême Hôtel de France sit right in this neighbourhood.
• Gare / Basse-Ville (Station Quarter): The lower town around the railway station, practical for arrivals by train and for day trips to Cognac or Bordeaux. Slightly less charming than the plateau, but with good transport links and a funicular connecting it to the upper town.
• Centre-Ville élargi (Broad City Centre): The transitional streets between the plateau edge and the ring boulevards. A good middle ground for drivers who still want proximity to the pedestrian core. Appart'City Classic Angoulême Centre sits in this zone, useful for longer stays with its apartment-style rooms.
• Champniers / Nord (Northern Suburbs): The commercial zone along the N10 and A10 motorway, about 7 to 8 km from the old town. Best for road-trippers who prioritise free parking and value over atmosphere. Kyriad Angoulême Nord operates here.
• Saint-Yrieix-sur-Charente (Southern Outskirts): A quiet riverside commune immediately south of the city, around 2 to 3 km from the centre. Very affordable, good for car travellers, and peaceful. Greet by Accor is based here.

• Use the free panoramic lift or funicular: Angoulême has a free elevator (ascenseur panoramique) and a funicular connecting the lower station area to the upper town. If your hotel is in the haute-ville, arriving by train is still easy without a car.
• Book months ahead for the comics festival: The Festival International de la Bande Dessinée runs in late January. Hotels across the entire region fill up extremely fast and rates rise sharply. Outside festival week, availability is generous and prices are reasonable.
• A car is useful but not essential for the centre: The historic core is compact and walkable. A car becomes valuable mainly for day trips to Cognac distilleries, the Périgord or the Atlantic coast, all within 1 to 1.5 hours.
• Spring and early autumn are the most comfortable seasons: Summers in Angoulême can be warm and occasionally very hot. May, June and September offer pleasant temperatures, manageable crowds and full opening hours at local attractions.
• Watch parking zones carefully: The upper town has a mix of paying on-street bays and free areas on the periphery. If your hotel does not include parking, check the location of the nearest public car park before arrival to avoid a frustrating search on narrow plateau streets.

Plan your stay in Angoulême

Tell us your wish, your dates and your budget. The assistant puts together hotels, activities and tables in one conversation.

Book a daytime day use in Angoulême

Discover a new way to enjoy a hotel's services for a few hours during the day, with a room up to 70% cheaper than the overnight rate.