Mont de Marsan is the administrative capital of Department 40 and houses light industry, commerce and an air force base.  It is 28 km from LaBastide.  Local bus services are sketchy and the use of a car is essential to reach the large supermarkets, the railway, a hospital, or the Préfecture.

The village is close to the border with the Gers (Dept 32).

Originally, the pine forests of Les Landes were planted to prevent the erosion of the sandy soil by the waters of the Atlantic.  Nowadays, there is an attractive mix of trees planted, and the department provides timber for the rest of France.  On the coast, the prime source of income is tourism, above all for French visitors and second-home owners.  The wild beaches are popular with surfers.  Spa towns such as Dax attract a different type of customer.   

Transport within the area centres on the rail service from Bordeaux to Dax, with connexions to Mont-de-Marsan.  The TGV arrives at Bordeaux from Montparnasse, a journey of just over three hours.   There the line splits towards Toulouse and to Hendaye.

Connexions with England are provided by the main airlines and also by the cut-fare companies.  Pau, Bordeaux and Bergerac  (Flybe and Ryanair) are the most convenient airports  for LaBastide d’Armagnac.  But Toulouse and Biarritz are also worth investigating.    Ferry journeys demand more driving but may deliver you to a more convenient area of the UK.   From Bilbao, the ferry takes you overnight to Portsmouth.  The road trip to the Channel is longer but the Channel ferries (and tunnel) provide more choice.


Distances



Bordeaux    116 km

Dax             82 km

Mont de Marsan   28 km

Mimizan-Plage     99km

Pau              90km