Charente-Maritime and the Île de Ré
Days 1-7 · 6 nightsOn Cours des Dames in Le Bois-Plage-en-Ré, in the Pérot area, in a village in the middle of the island. For parking the bikes for several days and riding the cycle paths to Saint-Martin and then the Phare des Baleines.
€160 a nightSee on Booking →On Rue Gambetta in Ars-en-Ré, in the Petite Grange area, in the village at the far end of the island. For those who want the wild side of Ré, salt marshes and the Phare des Baleines, rather than the bustle of Saint-Martin.
A landmark: the black-and-white bell tower of Ars, painted that way to serve as a seamark for sailors.
€150 a nightSee on Booking →On Quai Georges Clemenceau, on the harbour of Saint-Martin-de-Ré, in the fortified town. A 3-star for enjoying the island from the harbour, with the ramparts and lanes on foot in the evening.
€150 a nightSee on Booking →On Rue de la République in Rochefort, the town of the Arsenal, rather than in La Rochelle. A quieter base for visiting Brouage and its citadel, with the Île de Ré kept for a day trip.
€100 a nightSee on Booking →On Rue Bazoges in La Rochelle, a town base for the Vieux-Port, the aquarium and boat trips to Fort Boyard. A simple hotel for those who sleep in town and head out to Ré, Rochefort or Brouage by day.
€95 a nightSee on Booking →On Quai Duperré in La Rochelle, right on the Vieux-Port. A 2-star where you step out of the hotel straight onto the harbour, with the aquarium a walk away on the other side of the basin.
€90 a nightSee on Booking →On Rue Alsace-Lorraine in La Rochelle, next to the railway station. Handy for arriving by train and walking to the Vieux-Port, or heading off to Rochefort and Brouage without crossing town.
Useful if you arrive without a car: the station is a few minutes' walk from the hotel.
€75 a nightSee on Booking →On Quai Maubec in La Rochelle, along the canal, in the Arsenal area. A 2-star a short walk from the Vieux-Port, for sleeping in town without paying Quai Duperré prices.
€85 a nightSee on Booking →On Avenue Coligny in La Rochelle, towards the Mail and the beaches, away from the centre. The cheapest room on this list, for those happy to reach the Vieux-Port on foot or by bike.
€70 a nightSee on Booking →On Avenue Victor Bouthillier in Saint-Martin-de-Ré, in the town fortified by Vauban. For a couple's stay where you stop moving once you arrive, with the harbour and the ramparts on foot.
A 17th-century shipowner's house, named after Marshal de Toiras, who defended the island in 1627.
€350 a nightSee on Booking →On Rue de la Monnaie in La Rochelle, a mansion a stone's throw from the Tour de la Chaîne. A 4-star for sleeping in the old town and stepping straight out onto the Vieux-Port.
€190 a nightSee on Booking →On Rue du Minage in La Rochelle, among the shopping streets of the old town, set back from the harbour. A 5-star for a stay for two, La Rochelle on foot and then the Île de Ré by day.
€280 a nightSee on Booking →On Quai Valin in La Rochelle, on the Vieux-Port, on the Gabut side. A 4-star for staying on the harbour, with the aquarium and the departures for Fort Boyard a few minutes' walk away.
€180 a nightSee on Booking →On Rue du Général Lapasset in Saint-Martin-de-Ré, set back from the harbour, in the town. A house of nine rooms for a quiet stay for two, with the harbour and the ramparts on foot.
€320 a nightSee on Booking →