A little about the Île de Ré, how to get there and the camping recources which are available in the area.

The gorgeous little island of Île de Ré is to be found off the west coast of France, in the region of Poitou Charentes and the department of Charente Maritime.
Île de Ré is very popular with families and anyone who enjoys the usual pleasures of the seaside. The island has a mild and sunny climate, with almost as many hours of summer sunshine as the south of France but the heat is less intense which means that the locals don't all take off to milder climates during the high summer like they appear to do in Provence.

We have to give you fair warning that although the winter population is only around 16,000, in summer this multiplies tenfold to a staggering 160,000. In other words it gets pretty busy, though quite a few of the "summer visitors" are wealthy city dwellers who have homes on the island. Again we must you and say that these part time residents do not always appreciate tourists and holidaymakers invading their island, but the shopkeepers do!

Property prices here are some of the most expensive in France and there are those who have a vested interest in keeping the island for themselves.

How to get there? Easy, but you've heard that one before no doubt. Anyway, if you follow our directions below you will not need to consult a map from the moment you leave the ferry port until tou are in the immediate vicinity of your camping site.

The object of this is to initially take you to la Rochelle and then on to the Île de Ré. OK, without dwelling on this for too long we must assume that you are heading for Nantes on the N137 from Rennes. On the approach to Nantes you will see a small sign on the side of the road marked "Nantes peripherique 4km". This is the Nantes ring road and you really need to be on it following signs for Ouest (west) and Bordeaux - always follow the signs for Bordeaux!

Exit the peripherique at junction 48 onto the free bit of the E3 A83 autoroute. From here you can do most of the journey one of two ways:-

1) Via the autoroute for which you pay at certain stages. Afer Nantes just carry on down the E3 A83 and exit at junction 7 onto the D137 and follow signs for la Rochelle.

2) The free way. After Nantes get off the E3 A83 and follow signs for Montaigu, Chantonnay, Chaille-les-Marais and la Rochelle.

We are all now on the approach to la Rochelle which we nicely skirt around by following signd for the Île de Ré.

Now then, the Île de Ré is linked to La Rochelle by a 3km toll bridge, and the latest toll fees we have are as follows:-

Charges for a car:
9 € from low season and 16,50 € High Season
Season tickets available. Tel. 00 33 5 46 00 51 10
Motorbikes are 2€ and bikes and Pedestrians free.

From this point all you need to do is to find your camping site. However, we think these toll charges are rather steep, but you are far better knowing about them now than when you arrive so that you can budget accordingly.