Ile de Re

[GrainneWail]

Dh is enjoying the family bliss of our current holiday to be thinking about next year. A friend suggested Ile de Re but she doesn't have dc, so I'm wondering if anyone with children (ours are 7&9) has been there and how you found it? Thanks.

It’s beautiful. Sandy beaches, loads of water sports, incredibly safe and easy cycling routes (and no hills 😬). Incredibly pretty villages. There’s a few family camping places and holiday villages with pools etc. The one at Bois Plage has loads of play areas, table tennis, animateurs etc. My children had a ball while there were there. Still one of my favourite places in the world.

We went last year. Kids were bored to be honest ! Took yonks to get there and everything was mega expensive.

Just came home from there yesterday! It's a lovely place and went with a few kids ( 1-6 yrs) who seemed perfectly happy but there wasn't a huge amount to do in terms of activities, it's a beach, ice cream, donkeys, cycling sort of place. The kids got to stay in a great villa though that had a pool, a football table, lots of balls and a basketball net. I'd say it's good for relaxing family holidays and probably not for action packed days of excitement

Mixed reviews so! We would get the ferry to La Rochelle and drive so we could explore a bit too. Not sure he'll go for the cycling only in the island! Do you know what the story is if you get the ferry there? Where do you leave your car?

It’s completely gorgeous but it is very expensive as that’s apparently where all the fence middle class equivalent go. My kids enjoyed it when they were the same age as yours but were the sort of family who’s happy with a beach. We went in May and it was lovely and quiet. It’s supposed to be heaving in the summer.

We stayed there 3 years ago but were unlucky with the weather. It was a really lovely place. We stayed in a Eurocamp site and cycled a lot even though we only really cycle at centerparcs in the uk!

There are car parks/parking spaces - it’s not car free. The Bois Plage campsite has a big car park. It’s just that the cycling routes are completely separate from the roads, and really comprehensive, so cycling feels like much more of an option! All the cycling hire places have child/adult tandems, buggies for pulling smaller kids in and and so on

Thanks everyone for the info, I'll do some more research.

We loved it there - great if you like cycling around, beaching, Martiniere ice cream, pottering around whitewashed harbour towns/beach shops etc, food markets and bakeries etc.
Managed to keep our kids occupied but they enjoy that sort of thing. May not suit super active kids who need a lot of organised sports and activities as is all quite traditional French beach holiday and laid back. There are plenty of water sports but we found body boarding a bit disappointing most days as it was very warm and calm (you could do stand up paddle instead). Depends on weather though. Beaches in south are best but north wonderful for sightseeing (St Martin, La Flotte etc). Couarde best for waves when there are waves - or Conche de la Baleine near the far end but I wouldn't stay out there. Lovely to visit though.
Book your bikes in advance if you don't take your own. Beach Bikes are excellent. We rented a house with a pool and there are also lovely campsites.

I LOVED it, its so gorgeous. We loved Ars en Re, Les portes etc the best.

We stayed in La Flotte which was a bit snobby to be honest but very pretty and our house was lovely with a family of baby hedgehogs in the garden which kept the dc amused!

Gorgeous beaches, lovely safe cycle routes, ice creams and nice restaurants, nice markets etc. Definitely a slow southern French holiday but I enjoyed it very much.

On the day it rained we went to the leisure centre for a swim, that was clean and had a big slide for the dc too.