Travel Guiide to La Rochelle
La Rochelle is well-known as being the most attractive and beautiful seaside town in France. Many visitors come here in search for the magnificent beaches, memorable waterfront architecture and traditional atmosphere. The beautiful weather also makes this town a spectacular place to come to.
Major Attractions in La Rochelle
One of the major sights in La Rochelle is the Rue du Palais, this stretches from Vieux Port to Place de Verdun. The street is filled with traditional buildings from the 17 th and 18 th Centuries. When going to the east you will find Musée du Nouveau Monde on Rue des Merciers, and Musée des Beaux Arts on Rue Gargoulleau. The busiest time in La Rochelle is during the Festival International du Film de La Rochelle. This attracts a massive amount of fans, press, actors and more. Not only this town is filled with masses of showcasing boats and yachts in Europe. Le Grand Pavois Salon Nautigue is a 7 day event which takes place in the late September and this takes place around Port de Plaiance.
Places to Visit in La Rochelle
The coast around La Rochelle and the nearby islands boast numerous safe, sandy beaches. In the cooler months, the area becomes quite pleasant, with serene misty seascapes and quaint fishing ports creating a relaxing, traditional atmosphere. Not too far from La Rochelle is the port of Bordeaux. The capital of Aquitaine and the fifth-largest French city, Bordeaux is nestled in one of the worlds most important wine-producing areas.
Relaxation options
The old harbour area of Vieux Port, with its Gothic Porte de la Grosse Horloge and lovely quays is a great place for a stroll. Walk along the tree-lined cours des Dames to the magnificent Tour de la Chaine, dating from the 14th century. Other ancient towers nearby include the Tour St Nicolas and Tour de la Lanterne. Charming cafés are plentiful.
Getting there and away to La Rochelle
Many buses come into La Rochelle at Gare Routière, on Place de Verdun.
About 6 to 8 trains arrive from Bordeaux and Nantes daily which take about 2 hours. There are also 5 to 7 daily high-speed TGV trains from Paris’ Gare Montparnasse which takes about 3 hours.
Nantes International Airport is the major entry point of most of the international travellers.
La Rochelle-Laleu Airport is located on the coast, about 4 kms north of the city.
If you decide to drive to La Rochelle, then you can follow the A10 south from Poitiers, then to exit Niort / St-Maixent. After this you can take the N11 east to the coast and into La Rochelle.
Hotels in La Rochelle
Hotel Novotel La Rochelle Centre is a modern first class hotel located in the middle of the La Rochelle Park. It is a 5 minutes stroll away from the historical centre and the Old harbour.
Mercure La Rochelle Le Yachtman is situated 500m from the town centre. It is near the pedestrian district and 200m to the gate of ‘The Grosse Horloge’. The railway station is only 0.5 km to 1 km to the beach. A variety of restaurants, bars and meeting rooms are nearby.
Safetyin La Rochelle
When travelling to an unfamiliar environment, remain aware for potential hazards. Holidaymakers are more vulnerable to pick pocketing, theft or loss of personal effects. Outdoor activities and driving can place you at greater risk of having an accident. Language barriers and strange routines can also result in missed travel arrangements or problematic bookings. We strongly recommend you take out travel insurance for you and your family.
Weather in La Rochelle
La Rochelle is on the Atlantic coast and this influences the weather. The weather is temperate and relatively mild with rainfall spread evenly throughout the year. The summers, though, can be hot and very sunny.