Camping Interlude, Ile de Re

[policywonk]

Has anyone been? Any tips? Specifically, we'll be flying in to La Rochelle and then relying on public transport, so if anyone knows a failsafe way to get to the camp by bus or taxi (are there taxis at the airport?) I'd love to hear them. Ta.

I'll have to ask dh about the bike hire charges. I reckon you ought to be able to google it though there was one company that had branches all over the island. The official campsite website might also say as you can hire them there. We took our own helmets and hired one of those trailer things for the kids but they were littler than yours. To be honest we gave up on the helmets, it was very hot and we were not on the actual road often. Would probably feel differently though if dc were on their own bikes. When hireing think also about how much stamina they'll have for longer journies under their own steam.
You can get all manner of bikes.
We bought a couple of small booster bases for a fiver each and put them in our cases. They did take some room though we only had 2 cases.

If you add in after you've explained how many kids/adults.

Aussi je voudrais demander si vous avez les rehausseur pour les enfants parce que il est juste 6 ans et 4 ans.

They do tagalongs, chariots and bike seats.

Our kids are the same age as yours (so a year younger last year..) and we got a chariot and a tagalong. So if the kids were sleepy after lunch we put them both in the chariot and they snoozed as we rode back. Chariot also v. useful for shopping trips.

Can't remember prices, but they do rent helmets too.

All this is making me v. excited about going bback this year!

If they don't provide the boosters i'll call round a few taxi firms tonight for you and see what they all suggest. Isn't a porblem at all - always good for me to practice my french!

You are all marvellous, thank you. I will see if I can find the official campsite site and the bike hire places. I like the sound of the chariot. I don't mind ditching the helmets if that's what everyone else does

Claire, I'll let you know when I get a reply - thanks!

bof. qui a dit que les anglais ne parlent pas les langues etrangeres? Allez le UK!

MDR!

Is amusing when you get some of the english speaking "del-boy french" but the french love it- as they can see you are trying!

Righto Claire, the taxi man has come back to me. I think I get the gist of it but just to check, here's what he has said (all in caps - the equivalent of speaking very loudly to foreigners? )

VOUS POUVEZ RESERVER UN TAXI,IL FAUT LE CONFIRMER PAR MAIL OU PAR TELEPHONE AVEC LA DATE,L'HEURE ET D'OU VIENT L'AVION.
LES TAXIS N'ONT PAS DE REHAUSSEURS MAIS PAS DE PROBLEME POUR LES ENFANTS.

So - we can reserve it by email/telephone, we need to confirm date and time and he wants me to say which flight we're on (where we are flying from). And he doesn't have car seats but it's not a problem. Is this right?

It's going to be 50 Euro each way - nearly as much as our flights! I think I might book it for the way there, but leave our options open for the way back - we might have been able to work out the buses by then.

So, could you tell me how to write: 'Thank you for your email. I'd like to confirm the taxi for our date of arrival (insert details here). We will be on the plane from [airport] that is scheduled to arrive at [time]. Will the car be at the taxi rank at the airport? I'd be grateful if you could let me have a telephone number in case I need to contact you on the day.'

Does that sound OK?

Thanks VERY much.

That's pretty much the exact translation- well done! ?50 - OUCH but a lot less stress for the first journey.

So...

Merci baucoup pour votre email. Je voudrais confirmer le taxi pour (date) Notre origne est (place) et on arrive a (time) Aussi puis-je demander ou on doit aller pour prendre le taxi - a le "parking de taxi"? Aussi je veux bien prendre une numero de telephone, comme ca si il y a une probleme je peux telephoner a vous.

Merci beaucoup pour votre aider.

Policywonk!

You are a marvel, thank you so much!

Will be back if I get a complicated-looking response...

Not a problem- have a wonderful time

Hi and sorry for barging in this thread. We're considering a holiday with our wee one, who is only just 3 months old. We saw cheap tickets to La Rochelle and Ile de Re sounds lovely but I wonder how easy it would be to move around with a very small baby. I don't think cycling would be an option. Could anyone advise please?

Hiya

I would personally highly recomned I'le d'Oleron. It is the island south of I'le de Re and is just that tiny bit less touristy. If you'd like more info please feel free to email me.

We have been on holidays there almost every year for 20 years and love it.

Would you be looking at hotel or camping etc?

[email protected]

Hi Claire, thanks for your reply.
We were thinking of getting a flight to La Rochelle, and maybe hiring a car to make it easier to move with all the baby stuff.
As for accommodation I think we should go for a cheap hotel, B&B or something like that, as I dont fancy camping with our baby being so small.
We weren't really planning on this holiday so it's a last minute thing, and we're still waiting for DS's passport to come in the post hopefully this week -fingers crossed. so as for the budget we're really scraping the pot!
So any money saving tips are much appreciated. I'll google this Ile d'Oleron right now

Hey- no worries. I can't talk about Oleron highly enough. If you did go there then can point out some lovely restaurants. (They do very good set menus)

We stay at the Novotel here but this is pretty expensive in the summer months.

There are quite a few small B & B's around this is a good website here

There are no "bad" areas, they are all equally lovely. Once you have your car you could have a very cheap holiday.

Hope this helps.

If you needed help with any french emails etc then please just shout. On that website there are a lot of B & B's in Marennes which is just on the mainland, about 3 miles from the bridge over to Oleron- equally lovely town.

My cousin is on Oleron at the moment with her family and it is 30 degrees! You get a nice breeze though...

Any tips for good restaurants on Il de Re?

30 degrees and a breeze sounds just like what the doctor prescribed.

Thanks a lot for the link Claire. Looking at it right now as we've now bought the flights woohoo!! Could i be cheeky and ask how do you write in french "i'd like to enquire about availability and prices for a [room/apartment] for a couple and a baby for 7 nights starting [date]"? something like "je vourrez s'enquerir la disponibilite de [l'apartament/chambre d'hotes] pour une couple avec un bebe pour 7 nuits a commencer ...[]"?
please feel free to say it's pure tosh and tell me how i should ask properly

So sorry only just checked this thread again.

So...

Je voudrais demander si vous avez les disponsibilte, et les prix pour une chambre/apartament pour deux personnes et une bebe de (babys age) pur sept nuits, a commencer (date)

Merci beacoup

Hope that isn't too late :-)

If you deicde to go with Oleron then will list some of our favourite places:

• The Market at La Chateau-d-Oleron on a Saturday morning. La Chateau

• Restaurant "La Gaiete" in La Cotinere is good food, especially the set menu's with a fantastic view view from restaurant When it is hot the whole front of the restaurant is opened up, if it is cooler there are glass windows that can be completely removed if required.

• St Trojan boosts many forests with walks that take you straight onto untouched beaches.

• St Pierre is a small town towards the centre of the Island which also has a lovely market along with an old, pedeastrianised (sp?) shopping street - plenty of cafes to relax with a glass of wine.

• Restaurant within the Novotel at St Trojan has a nice restaurant as well where you can eat outside- 5 steps from the beach. here

Will stop rambling away now, but I hope this has been useful!

We were at Interlude last month and had a wonderful time. FYI the campsite bike hire is more expensive than outside, But it is obviously much more convenient. We walked into the village and got our bikes there. They were lovely and helpful- didn't take any payment- completely trusting- only said name and at interlude and that was enough. No charge for helmet, and hardly anything for tagalong.

I also had the cassis ice-cream, and the white chocolate, and the peach, and the nougat...........mmmmmmmmm Our little treat of an evening.

And we're going back noxt year- which says it all.

We've now booked a mobile home at a campsite near La Couarde en Re. We left it too late as DH's passport took a while to come through in the post and there was not much choice left -so expensive for our new parent half empty pockets!! Going on Sunday, can't wait!!
Claire thanks a lot for the tips x