Hi
we have a house about an hour from where you will be staying, so even though I dont know St Savin we know the area reasonably well.
you picked a great time to go as all the fields of sunflowers will be at there best...one of the largest crops grown in the region.
Poitiers is the nearest city and we've never managed to crack this one as it seems so large and modern but futuroscope park is near and everyone says is worth a visit.
In august where we live in Confolens there is a major folk festival with people from all over the world but it gets really busy so we have avoided this.
Otherwise Confolens about an hour from you is a lovely little medieval town on the banks of the vienne.
Angouleme..maybe less than 2 hours from you is my favorite city with great shops restaurants and is home to the cartoon museum of France...asterix and all that. On the way there is La Rochfoucald which has an amazing chateaux where people still live.
the region is beautifull with great scenery and pretty villages and it will be extremely hot in august..we were there last year and it was in the high 30's !!
There is the valley of the monkeys..also near you I think..a valley where all sorts of monkeys run free.
In general its not as touristy as the Loire or the Dordogne so many of the shops, unless in a city dont open on a monday and still close for 2 hours for lunch.
We see a lot of tourists who expect everyone to speak english and even in our tourist info they dont !! but if you make the smallest effort..hello..please and thankyou people are really helpfull..we always carry a small dictionary...sounds silly but was saved from eating tripe for dinner!!
We have never driven by the tunnel so cant help you there but there is an internet forum called living france forum...do a google search as I have seen that topic on there.
Anything else then please ask...cheers ...Neil
Hi we are first time visitors to france. We are staying in a gite in a small village call Antigny near St Savin in a region called La Vienne this August. I would really love to hear from anyone who has stayed in this area, what's it like, weather, things to do etc as I'm finding it hard to find much informaiton. 
