Ile de Ré

Author
Discussion

RonanF

Original Poster:

55 posts

130 months

Tuesday 16th July 2013
quotequote all
My girlfriend and I are planning a trip to beloved France this September.

We are looking seriously at doing a week self catering on the Ile de Ré. There's direct flights to La Rochelle from Dublin and it appears to be a quick spin on the bus to the Ile from La Rochelle, this would avoid renting a car, which is a plus.

If anyone has any recommendations re accomodation or things to do/see on the island, I'd love to hear them.

DocArbathnot

26,952 posts

182 months

Tuesday 16th July 2013
quotequote all
Watching this thread with interest. I fancy this trip, I stayed @ la Rochelle a few yrs ago, had lunch @ a small harbour on the Ile always promised my self a trip back. I know the place is criss-rossed with cycle paths but what's the walking like.

Puggit

48,350 posts

247 months

Tuesday 16th July 2013
quotequote all
Took a week on the Ile de Re in a campervan. There really isn't that much to do but to explore and sit on the beach!

There are great cycle tracks around the island, so bikes would be good. I have great memories of cycling back from the supermarket with a case of biere blond rattling away in the basket.

St Martin, the 'capital' is worth a potter about, there's a big old fort. Mind out, we both picked up nasty food poisoning from eating the local shellfish (not fun with a porta-loo).

Take a camera, it's quite windy, so lots of great surf photography.

Large lighthouse you can climb up on the western tip.

Best beach was at the NW tip.

Errrr - that's it hehe

RonanF

Original Poster:

55 posts

130 months

Tuesday 16th July 2013
quotequote all
Puggit said:
Took a week on the Ile de Re in a campervan. There really isn't that much to do but to explore and sit on the beach!

There are great cycle tracks around the island, so bikes would be good. I have great memories of cycling back from the supermarket with a case of biere blond rattling away in the basket.

St Martin, the 'capital' is worth a potter about, there's a big old fort. Mind out, we both picked up nasty food poisoning from eating the local shellfish (not fun with a porta-loo).

Take a camera, it's quite windy, so lots of great surf photography.

Large lighthouse you can climb up on the western tip.

Best beach was at the NW tip.

Errrr - that's it hehe
Cheers!

We're looking for a relaxing 'chill out' holiday so that fact that there isn't a whole lot to do except explore and sit on the beach sounds good to mesmile

nagsheadwarrior

2,779 posts

178 months

Wednesday 17th July 2013
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I was there last year,as said above not much to do but thats the attraction.
Defo hire a bike,cafe,beach n chill out.

Bill

52,472 posts

254 months

Wednesday 17th July 2013
quotequote all
We've been something like five times and always camped. It's popular with Parisiens so probably rammed and very expensive in August, and the shops tend to be more up market tat.

As someone's mentioned the cycling is great, but it's flat and the distances are quite large so walking is probably a bit dull and hot. There are plenty of places to hire bikes though.

If you're prepared to camp, or hire a cabin, the municipal campsite in St Martin is lovely (2star though, so no pool). It's on the town ramparts and the cafe does great pizza and buys in the best pain au chocolat I've had. If you want something more beachy you need the south coast. If you want I can try to work out where we stayed on the south, it was fairly central and just behind the dunes (it also had a great bar...)

Puggit

48,350 posts

247 months

Wednesday 17th July 2013
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Second vote for the campsite at St Martin smile

CAPP0

19,530 posts

202 months

Wednesday 17th July 2013
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We cycled there from La Rochelle a few years back, and I remember that not long after we got onto the island (after the bridge) there was a place hiring out massive custom trikes (think Billy Connolly-style). Would not usually be my sort of thing and I wasn't able to take advantage at the time but I'd definitely try one of those for an afternoon if I was back there!

Rob_T

1,916 posts

250 months

Wednesday 17th July 2013
quotequote all
We (my family - wife and 2 children aged 8 and 6 then) went on holiday there last year - the last week in August. This last week of the month is the first week after high season so things are a little cheaper and a bit quieter.

We stayed in a small hotel in St Martin overlooking the harbour and restaurants. We hired bikes and our basic routine was:

Get up
Have breakfast in the cafe downstairs
Cycle the the supermarket.
Stuff baguette and cheese into rucksack.
Cycle to beach
Stay at beach
Come home
Go out for Dinner

The children loved it - beaches were great but not busy, food was good. Cycling was flat so 6 year old managed to cycle 10 - 12 miles per day with no problem on dedicated cycle paths. Very very relaxed and chilled holiday. Importantly there were very few Brits (sign of a quality destination in my opinion).

We had a few excursions including a kayaking trip which nearly resulted in the loss of my entire family. I shudder when I think about it even a year later. It's a good place to cycle around and see the different small villages. Don't expect much culture or heritage there. It is just a good honest holiday destination.

I would advise staying near St Martin as they have a good selection of restaurants for the evening and the absolute best ice creams and waffles you can imagine...

I would go back again...

This is St Martin in the evening:



Herman Toothrot

6,702 posts

197 months

Tuesday 27th August 2013
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I had lunch at a nice place in hat photo above ^ can't go wrong really just mill about the island :-)



From Ile De Re looking back at the mainland.

scooters

217 posts

214 months

Monday 20th March 2017
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Resurrecting this thread. Planning on going there in the May half term but not sure where to stay. We ideally want self catering within an easy walk to the beach. But Also near a community where we can go and eat etc. Family with 2 boys 5and 8 so sandy beach would be nice. Suggestions on the best locTions appreciated.
Many thanks

rdjohn

6,135 posts

194 months

Tuesday 21st March 2017
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PositronicRay

26,952 posts

182 months

Tuesday 21st March 2017
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We stayed on Noirmoutier a bit further north than than the Ile de Re.

https://www.homeaway.co.uk/p1287635a

Lovely place only a few mtrs from the dunes, the local village is a bit dull but the towns pleasant so car or bikes.

The mainland isn't too interesting but this island is all about the beach(es) which are wonderful. We'd have gone back last yr except the owners screwed up the booking.

omniflow

2,545 posts

150 months

Wednesday 22nd March 2017
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You need to read the book "Merde Actually" before you go, so you know how to behave.

S10GTA

12,645 posts

166 months

Wednesday 22nd March 2017
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Any good with really small children? (4y and 3m)

PositronicRay

26,952 posts

182 months

Wednesday 22nd March 2017
quotequote all
S10GTA said:
Any good with really small children? (4y and 3m)
If you're asking about the Ile Noirmoutier place I linked above? Yes it'd be great, child friendly, safe garden, 10k of wild beach 250m through the dunes, so not buggy friendly. No facilities on the local beach (big + for us), but other beaches with toilets, cafes, restaurants etc on the island.

Two approaches to the island, one across a bridge, the other a causeway (low tide only)

scooters

217 posts

214 months

Tuesday 28th March 2017
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Thanks all. We've sourced a place in le bois plage en re so hopefully that will meet the beach requirements whilst also within walking distance of food. Planning on hiring bikes so that we can rumble over to La Flotte etc for the odd lunch here and there.

Cheers

citizensm1th

8,371 posts

136 months

Tuesday 28th March 2017
quotequote all
mrs Smith and I were there last year lovely place, look out for the tin tin shop i could have spent a fortune


http://www.1000-sabords.com/1000sabords-quiSommesN...



Edited by citizensm1th on Tuesday 28th March 21:51

Puggit

48,350 posts

247 months

Wednesday 29th March 2017
quotequote all
scooters said:
Thanks all. We've sourced a place in le bois plage en re so hopefully that will meet the beach requirements whilst also within walking distance of food. Planning on hiring bikes so that we can rumble over to La Flotte etc for the odd lunch here and there.

Cheers
Be prepared for the wind - some of the hardest cycling I've ever experienced, despite the island being flat!