Anyone know the La Rochelle area of France?

[Madamlulu]

Hi,

Looking for advice/inspiration please.

I booked cheap flights to La Rochelle in
Autumn with the plan to stay on Il de Re. My hubby said to book for 2 weeks and not one and so I did.

I've now realised that the accommodation is a bit pricey on the island that we want which is fine for a week but think we might stay somewhere else for the other week for variation as well as cost.

I'm thinking we could stay in the centre of La Rochelle but that might get boring for more than a few of the nights and also pricey as we will end up eating out every night in the gorgeous restaurants. So now thinking of staying there for a few nights and then a few nights somewhere else - maybe just outside La Rochelle for variation?

Happy to blow the budget if there is somewhere that we really should stay at or go to as we can scrimp on other stuff in the run up to this.

Should mention 2 x DS who are 15 & 13 - they will do anything with us - love food, pool & activities but equally open to new ideas - we have done plenty of just pool & actively holidays so not a priority.

Thanks in advance

Will you hire a car?

I'd think about a gîte (with a pool) or other self catering arrangement for the second week, it would be cheaper than a hotel or eating out all the time. It will be much more spacious than a hotel too and probably with outdoor space too.
And even if you don't like cooking, shopping for foods in the lovely outdoor markets will give you a big choice of fruit and salad veg, there will be charcuteries for takeways, picnics etc not to mention gorgeous bread and pastry shops.

We visited St-Gilles-Croix-de-Vie which is about an hour up the coast from La Rochelle. It's a lovely town with a glorious beach and there seemed to be lots to do for kids - there's a 'Go Ape' style assault course, bikes to hire, canoeing/stand-up paddle boarding...

I can't recommend any accomodation as we were staying in a gite nearby but we really liked the area.

Sorry, this just caused a massive memory rush. I would imagine there are millions of late 40s people who know how to ask what there is to do in La Rochelle, where is the post office and so on. Bless Tricolore middle school french 🤣

Oui. J’habit in La Rochelle. J’ia douze ans.

Ile d'Oleron is just south of Ile de Re and generally a little cheaper. It's still very nice - lovely beaches, good places to eat - but a bit less chichi than Ile de Re, I'd say.

I also like the area around Royan / La Tremblade.

Also - you're only a couple of hours drive from Puy du Fou which is probably our favourite thing we've ever done as a family. Utterly, brilliantly bonkers. Staying there for a couple of night and exploring the whole park would be at the top of my list!

https://www.puydufou.com/france/en/must-see-france

Ou est la piscine, s’il vous plaît?

Skip Il de Re and go to Ile D'Oleron instead. Much cheaper, less busy, same vibe.

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You will need to hire a car, and you access the island via a toll bridge. Ronce Les Bain is a typically french seaside town on the mainland near bridge and you are in easy access from there down the whole Cote Sauvage.

Great minds @HerculesMulligan !

The countryside around La Rochelle is pleasant, not breathtaking but very nice with fields and fields of sunflowers, and the coast and beaches are lovely (Ile de Ré is très chic and proportionately expensive).
There will be lots of holiday properties to rent in the area, I'm not sure of the prices these days but will probably be cheaper than two hotel rooms for a week or so, especially seeing as you don't have to eat out all the time.
A few years ago we stayed near Marennes (Oyster City) and the seafood was fabulous.
(Charentais melons are delicious and will be in full season In September!)

Just noticed you are going in October, a lot of places are shut down by then on Oleron and in Ronce / La Palmyre etc. I imagine it will be the same on Ile de Re.

Also it can get pretty cold! We have a mobile home in Ronce so go at all times of year, October is usually bright and sunny but cold.

https://www.clubmed.co.uk/r/la-palmyre-atlantique might work for a few days and you are near enough to Royan which will be open.

Further South, near Royan is nice. Or inland a but if you've had enough of the beach. Personally I would look for a gite inland but there are also loads of campsites/holiday parks near Royan if your DC would prefer that (not sure all ate open in October). St Jean d'Angely/Saintes/Cognac are all very nice.

I have visited Ile de Re and Ile d'Oleron and much prefer Ile de Re personally. It has lots of charming little villages. Depends what you are looking for.

Totally!

I am 13 years old and I love going to the cinema. Excuse me, do you know where the library is please?

Only from tricolor

Oh, i didn't notice it was October, thought OP just said Autumn. I was thinking more about September.
October, especially if it's around half term, may be rather different. Can be really nice, can be blowing a gale.

I've been to both Ile d'Oleron and Ile de Re. Ile de Re is fab but pricey, Ile d'Oleron is a bit less Parisian chic but it is lovely, a bit more down to earth but also less expensive.

Ha ha ha! Very true I should have attempted to ask in French!

Thanks so much just readying all of these now..
We are going in July! Sorry I booked it I. Autumn which was superfluous info that caused the confusion!

This is so so helpful. Thanks so much.
Where would you recommend staying in Ile d'Oleron we ideally wanted luxury chalet type thing as our kids are best around other kids and activities.. we like the idea of pottering around local markets and cooking on BBq and then option of eating out the odd night x

if you're going in July it will be perfect! Exactly what you describe. There are some holiday park places on Oleron but you may be better in La Palmyre, it's buzzier and more for the kids to do.

Bonne Anse Plage Campsite, West Coast France | Siblu Holidays

Or here in Ronce Camping La Pignade - Camping Ronce les Bains 4 étoiles | Siblu you can day trip to Oleron

It will more luxury caravan rather than chalet though. Also note only gas BBQs are permitted in most of the region due to fireworks. There is a twice weekly market in Ronce, and restaurants, Marennes and La Tremblade also have markets and you can go do to Royan where there is a very good market.

One small note. There are no taxis at the airport. There are buses but the timetable is limited. Would recommend planing how you are getting from the airport to your destination in advance.

I've always wanted to go to La Rochelle, so I'm following xxx

I clicked this post to see if anyone else had the same memories as me! It’s the only time I’ve ever heard about it.

We visited Isle de rea a few years back we still talk about how beautiful it was, would .ove to return.