Destination:

La Rochelle

Local
Temperature

21°

Local
Time

3:37 PM

La Rochelle

La Rochelle is more than just a seaport on the Atlantic Ocean. The city is an inevitable place to visit on the coast as one of the largest French harbour cities in terms of business and tourism. With its 1,000 years of history, it is also one of the best-kept secrets in the region. You will be surprised by its architectural heritage, its unique atmosphere, the diversity of its museums, and its eclectic nightlife. The area is quite warm thanks to the Gulf Stream, on a par with the French Riviera!

Find your trip

La Rochelle
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The Three Towers of La Rochelle
Tour Saint-Nicolas, Vieux port rue de l’Armide, La Rochelle

The three 14th and 15th century towers dominate the port area of the city and are architectural symbols of La Rochelle as a strong opponent of state power in the past. You can visit the towers for great panoramic views and some sightseeing! Don´t forget to bring your camera!

New World Museum
10 rue Fleuriau, La Rochelle

The New World Museum gathers collections of art and historical artifacts of La Rochelle. At this unique museum you can follow the past of the city through many different objects such as paintings, ancient maps and nautical objects, art pieces and sculptures.

Bar André
5 Rue St Jean du Pérot, La Rochelle

In the old harbour, decorated in a nautical theme, André is best known for its large fish and seafood platters at reasonable prices, including the wine. Here you can try oysters, sea bass in “beurre blanc charentais”, turbot with artichokes or crabs. We'll let you take your pick!

Christopher Coutanceau
Plage de la Concurrence, La Rochelle

Christopher Coutanceau is one of La Rochelle’s finest restaurants and a starred venue on the sea front. It offers several delicate specialties like the tartar of prawns in oyster jelly or the curried turbot with coriander. This is the right venue for demanding gourmets!

City Center Market
Rue Gambetta, La Rochelle

The 19th-century covered market seethes with stallholders selling fresh fruit and vegetables, fish splayed on beds of ice, and meat. The building itself is worth the detour, but we suggest you come in and buy a few local specialties and fresh seafood, some of which you can even eat on location.

Craft Market
Cours des Dames, La Rochelle

Authentic, handmade leather crafts, jewellery, sand sculptures and more are sold by the artists themselves on the waterfront. You can also have your portrait painted or buy a representation of La Rochelle. If you have no purchasing intention, this market is still a nice walk by day or night.

Airport - Aéroport La Rochelle-Ile de Ré
Aéroport La Rochelle-Ile de Ré, La Rochelle

The international airport, Aéroport La Rochelle-Ile de Ré, is located only 5 kilometres from the city centre. The cheapest and fastest way to get into town is by bus. Buses are available all week (Mon-sat take line 7, Sundays take line 47), running from the airport to the centre of La Rochelle, and vice-versa, about every 30 minutes. The journey takes around 15 minutes. You can also take a bus to the Ré Island. The bus tickets are available on board (cash only). There are many taxis available at the airport, but you can also book a taxi in advance. (Abc Taxi 05 46 42 22 00) (Abeilles Taxis 05 46 41 55 55, taxilarochelle@orange.fr, www.taxi-la-rochelle.com) For rental cars you can contact one of the car rental companies situated at the airport. Available companies at the airport are: Sixt, Europcar, Avis, Hertz and Enterprise.

Public transport
Maison de la Mobilité, Place de Verdun, La Rochelle

"Yeló" runs an efficient network of public buses, boats and bikes in La Rochelle. You can purchase bus tickets on board or in most of the kiosks of La Rochelle and there are plenty of ticket types to choose from: single ticket, 24 hours ticket, 10 trips ticket and 7 days pass. The Sea Boat is a regular boat service between the Old Port and Les Minimes, with two stops available: The old port "Vieux-Port" (at the bottom of the Tour de la Chaîne) and the public library "Médiathèque" (avenue Michel Crépeau). They run all year long from 7.30am and until 10pm in April-May, 12am in June-Septembre, 8pm in October-March. The famous yellow bikes of La Rochelle can be hired to discover the city! They are free the first two hours and available in many spots in the city.

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