Ile de Re, France - recommendations?

[EKP]

Hi there,

I would be grateful if anyone could recommend a place to stay on the Ile de Re in France next Summer (school hols).

We are looking for a place to rent or for a hotel for a family of 4 (2 adults with a 4 and a 6 year old), staying up to a week, preferably not too far from a beach. Somewhere not hugely expensive!

Many thanks in advance.

Ex

Plenty of lovely villas on Ile de Re (you want the S/E coast line as the other side can be a bit smelly when the tide is out. However it is pricey all over.

We went last year, stayed in St-Marie-de-Re, lovely little village. Quite small - has a central square with baker, butcher, restaurant etc. Perfect base for cycling as there are plenty of cycle paths nearby and you can trundle along the south coast of the island for lots of lovely beaches, plus it's close enough to cycle to La Flotte and St Martin for days out. It's pretty quiet though - which suited us well, but if you want to stay somewhere with more evening options La Noue has a few more restaurants, or La Flotte is great for restaurants with lovely harbour to hang out in.

Wouldn't recommend the villa we stayed in but there are lots on ownersdirect.

Agree with CoV that you want to avoid the north side, it's pretty smelly at low tide. There's a vv posh hotel near St Martin (IIRC) and I was slightly tickled that it overlooks a very strong-smelling beach.

St-Marie-de-Re is indeed pretty - if I went back there I think I'd try to stay there. There's a Village de Vacances there (it's called VVF Villages Montamer) - sort of upmarket chalets - the chalets themselves didn't look fabulous but the setting was great, right on a sandy beach and with a shady sandpit/playpark in the grounds. Link here

Forgot to say - St-Marie's great attraction (apart from beach and pretiness) is that it's so much quieter than the rest of the island, which gets stupidly busy in August. We stayed at Le Bois Plage, which was like going on holiday to Piccadilly Circus.

Brilliant! Many thanks for the tips holidaywonk, comeoveneer and fromheretomaternity (great name by the way!), they are much appreciated.

Exx