- Which airlines fly to La Rochelle Airport?
- The following carriers fly direct to La Rochelle Airport
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Ryanair from Stansted and Dublin
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Flybe from Southampton, Birmingham, Manchester and Glasgow
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Easyjet from Ldn Gatwick and Bristol
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Jet2 from Edinburgh and Leeds
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Aerarann from Cork
Keep an eye on La Rochelle Airport for all the latest information.
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- Do we need a car?
- The Ile de Ré is fairly small - just over 18 miles in length and only 3 at its widest point - and there are over 60 miles of fabulous
flat bike paths.
Both La Couarde (Maison de Charme) and St. Martin (Maison de Pêcheur) are ideally located towards the centre of the island.
Here are some things you might want to think about:
- Are we willing to do a lot of cycling?
- Are there any very young children or elderly persons in our group? This might limit the distances you can cover.
- What kind of weather are we likely to have during our visit?
- Will we want to go off the island a lot?
Remember, the best way by far to explore the Ile de Ré is by bike!
Download a map of the bike paths on the Ile de Ré here.
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- Where can we hire a car?
- We strongly advise you to hire a car
BEFORE you come onto the island, at La Rochelle Airport or train station.
For further information, please click
here.
Tip: remember to use the country code 0033 and omit the '0' in front of the first '5'.
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- Where can we park?
- At
MAISON DE CHARME (La Couarde) road parking is available immediately in front of the house.
At MAISON DE PECHEUR (St. Martin) parking is available at one of the two nearby public car parks (100m and 300m from the
cottage). Although nominally 'Pay & Display' facilities, no one has yet had a problem without a ticket.
At MAISON D'AQUITAINE (St. Martin) you can park immediately in front of the house to unload and then either under the
lime trees just opposite the house, or somewhere nearby such as the Place de la République.
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- Distances to La Rochelle (from Calais, Cherbourg etc.)?
- We've calculated a few distances for you using the
Mappy Route Planner.
- St. Malo: 200 miles, 3h55
- Caen: 270 miles, 4h50
- Roscoff: 290 miles, 5h30
- Cherbourg: 305 miles, 5h30
- Boulogne: 415 miles, 6h40
- Calais: 435 miles, 7h
By the way: watch your speed on the approach to La Rochelle and the toll bridge. There are two speed radars in the final few kilometres of your journey.
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- How do we organise the transfer from La Rochelle Airport?
- Simple! Ask us to arrange a taxi to meet you at the airport. Or hire a car for your stay.
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- Can you arrange taxi transfers from and to La Rochelle Airport (or train station)?
- Yes, we can. Just let us know your flight number and arrival time.
We have negotiated a fare of €45 from La Rochelle Airport to St. Martin and €55 to La Couarde (includes toll bridge). The driver knows exactly where to drop you off. And don't worry if your flight is slightly delayed; the driver will wait at no extra cost.
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- How much is the Ile de Ré bridge toll?
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The bridge toll costs €16.50 return in the summer season (late June to early September) and €9 return at all other times.
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- Is there a bus service to and from the Ile de Ré?
- Yes, a service runs between La Rochelle town centre and the island (but no direct service from the airport to the island). The trip takes around an hour, tickets cost a couple of euros. For further information and timetables, please call in at the local Tourist Office.
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- What time is check-in?
- Check-in is from 5 p.m. onwards, although we will make every effort to try and accommodate earlier arrivals, especially if you are arriving by air. Please let us know your plans.
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- What time is check-out?
- We would very much appreciate prompt departure at 9.30 a.m. in order to prepare for the next arrival. We understand you may need somewhere to leave luggage if you have a late flight off the island. Please ask, we will obviously do our best to make things as easy as possible for you.
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- How far is the nearest beach?
- At
LA COUARDE (Maison de Charme) there is a sandy beach just two minutes (300 m) on foot, virtually on your doorstep!
At ST. MARTIN (Maison de Pêcheur & Maison d'Aquitaine) the nearest beach is about one mile away, just a short bike ride through the town. The beach at St. Martin is small, crescent-shaped and sheltered.
If you want long, golden expanses and bigger waves, you should head over to Gros Jonc beach, in the direction of Bois Plage (about 15 minutes by bike).
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- How much does bike hire cost?
- You can hire pretty much any kind of bike and/or trailer from the many stores on the Ile de Ré. A traditional 5-speed adult bike, which is all you really need, will cost about €35 euros per week.
This website
Bike Hire will give you some idea of what's available, and at what price.
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- Should we reserve bikes in advance?
- We have never reserved bikes in advance, but if you are coming to the Ile de Ré in July or August, you might like to reserve ahead of arrival just to be on the safe side. Please contact us for help.
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- Where can we keep our bikes at the house?
- At
LA COUARDE, bikes can be put away in our bike shed, or left outdoors in the enclosed patio area.
At ST. MARTIN there is a ring cemented to the outside of the house, to which bikes can be attached. Alternatively, and this is our recommended solution, you may leave rental bikes at the nearby bike hire store each evening (or place them in the store's underground car park to which you will be given keys).
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- Will there be someone to meet us at the house?
- Yes, I will be there to meet you myself, show you around and see that all is well. A few days before your holiday starts I will contact you by email to
ask for your estimated arrival time. If, when travelling down, it becomes apparent that you are likely to be delayed, a message to my mobile phone (00 33 679 804 687) would be greatly appreciated.
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- What if we have a problem during our stay?
- If you need advice, or encounter any difficulties, please email or call: 00 33 679 804 687.
If you lose your house key, for example, we do have key holders on the island. Please call or email. There is a charge of €30 per lost key.
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- What baby equipment do you have available?
- We have a selection of baby equipment available: cot, highchair, baby bath, changing mat. Please ask.
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- Can you recommend any good restaurants?
- You can download our list of Ile de Ré restaurant tips here. Please tell us about any you think should be included on our list. Bon appétit!
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- Why do you charge extra for cleaning?
- This is standard practice in France. The idea is to accommodate both those who wish to save themselves this fee, and those who prefer to opt for a no-cleaning solution.
The cleaning fee is payable in cash on arrival or departure.
If you wish, cleaning can also be arranged during your stay at a cost of €15 per hour.
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- We plan to do the end-of-stay clean: how clean is clean?
- Well, we reckon it takes around 6 hours to get Maison de Charme (La Couarde) sparkling, and 4 hours at Maison de Pêcheur (St. Martin).
We are not expecting the same standard as our professional cleaners, but please do your best to return the villa or cottage as you found it. Thank you.
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- How much is electricity likely to cost?
- Electricity is included at ST. MARTIN (Maison de Pêcheur).
At LA COUARDE (Maison de Charme), we charge by the meter between October and March. The weekly charge is unlikely to be much more than about €30.
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- Is there a supermarket nearby?
- Yes, the supermarket in
LA COUARDE is just 2 minutes away by car, 5 minutes by bike.
Opening times:
Monday to Saturday: 9-12.30 and 3.30-7.30; Sunday: 9-11.45
In ST. MARTIN the indoor market (mornings) and grocery store are just down the road from the cottage.
Store opening times:
Mon-Tues-Thurs-Fri: 9.00-1.00 and 4.30-7.30; Wed-Sat-Sun: 9.00-1.00
There are several other large supermarkets on the outskirts of St. Martin.
Each village also has a market, usually daily, selling a wide choice of delicious French fare.
A word of advice: don't bother shopping for groceries before coming onto the island.
You may find yourself driving into the centre of La Rochelle by mistake, which can be both tiring and nerve-wracking. You will find all
the supplies you need (and more!) on the island. If arriving late on Saturday, we can happily reserve a restaurant for you or even buy
some basics for your first meal. Please ask.
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- Internet access: do we need to bring our laptop?
- A laptop (with French keyboard configuration!) will normally be available for you at all three of our houses. WiFi is installed at each house. If Internet access is essential, please bring your own laptop as we are unable to guarantee 100% technical availability of rental equipment.
Please also note that the laptop is provided solely for browsing the Internet and consulting emails: we are unable to support the up/down-loading of files, photos, etc.
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- Do you have a barbecue?
- At
LA COUARDE (Maison de Charme) we have a gas-fired plancha style barbecue. It looks something like this.
You can use it to cook meat, fish, vegetables etc. It's very healthy, you just add a small amount of oil to the surface, wait until it gets nice and hot, and away you go!
Sorry, we don't have a barbecue at Maison de Pêcheur or Maison d'Aquitaine in ST. MARTIN.
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- Are the houses fully equipped?
- Both our rental homes are equipped with: dishwasher, oven, fridge/freezer, microwave and washing machine.
You will also find satellite TV, DVD/CD player, Internet access and hair dryers.
There is a tumble dryer at Maison de Pêcheur and Maison d'Aquitaine in St. Martin, but not at Maison de Charme in La Couarde.
The oven at St. Martin is the combination oven-microwave type.
In addition to standard filter coffee machines, We also have a Nespresso coffee machine at each house. These machines operate with coffee capsules which you will need to bring with you (cannot be purchased on site).
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- Do you supply linen and towels?
- We supply all household and bed linen at both rental properties.
Towels are also provided (including beach towels!).
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- What's the weather like?
- Check the 6-day weather forecast for La Rochelle
here.
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- When do you start taking bookings for next year?
- If you are keen to stay with us during the peak summer months - and we hope you are! - it is
advisable to book as early as you can.
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