Ile de Ré is lovely, but I don't know if I could last a week there - I'd probably split it up with a couple of days in/around La Rochelle. St-Martin is of course the "capital" and very toney and swank (not my style, really, but I can handle it for an afternoon). I love La Flotte. It has a nice beach and some more laid-back cafés and restaurants and is just a pretty place with a more "normal" atmosphere. But you should definitely at least visit St-Martin and familiarize yourself with the history of the place - it's quite fascinating, but I'm not going to spoil it for you.

I don't know what it would be like not speaking French, as I do; I imagine, it being a celebrity playground, they have plenty of visitors who don't speak the language and manage just fine. As for daytrips, if you're talking about on the island itself, it's quite small and you can visit the Phare and some of the other towns, but you can get around the place easily in a day. On the other hand, it's a good place just to chill and relax.

Can't speak to restaurants, as the first few times I was there were quite a few years ago with my kids and I don't have any recollection of which restaurants we ate at (there are plenty, though). This past September, SO and I just sent out there from La Rochelle, stopped at a supermarket, bought bread and cheese and fruit and beer and had a picnic on the beach at La Flotte, then went to St-Martin and had a coffee at a café. If you're so inclined, you can click on my screen name, look for my trip report entitled "Not a Trip Report," and look for "Today Is Ile de Ré Day." It will I hope provide you with some impressions of our most recent day there.

If you bicycle, there are paths separate from the automobile road on the island.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mksfca/4172556467/in/set-72157622845839973

With a car there is nothing to stop you from using the Île de Ré as a base to visit the Charente, including La Rochelle.

Thank you! Maybe we spend a nite or two in Paris than take the tgv toward that area. Would you recommend The Hotel Toiras, Villa Clarisse or The Richeleaux or maybe another I haven't found yet? For us this will be fun just because it is so different than NYC!

Can anyone tell me if there are other places near Ile de Re that would be interesting to visit as well? Maybe we shouldn't be spending the whole time on this quaint island?

You might want to get the Michelin Green Guide for the Atlantic Coast, which will provide far more information that you can choose according to your interests than members of this board could provide.

The Richeleaux was lovely. We arrived late in the day and requested a room and if possible a discount. Got both (just over 50% off)!! Not much in the line of foot traffic at that time of day and better have a room generating some $ than sit empty. If you don't ask you don't get!!! Had not planned on IdeR but once over the bridge it seemed a very good choice. Salt Flats were interesting, beach niice and clean and Flotte was worth a look see but a week?? Maybe not that long.

Seriously you should look at rent a bicycle or two (or even a tandem) http://www.mybikeguide.co.uk/Ile_de_Re_Guide.php The light house at the end with the ancient fish traps is a good day out, but the place is about relaxing, eating shell fish and relaxing. The Michelin is a good idea.

I think St Martin is the place to be seen but La Flotte is more laid back either is good. Bar staff are going to speak English as UK bankers, Russian mafia and Parisian stars hang out there in August.

I think all your hotels are part of the Relais chain, not my sort of thing so not able to help. If you want somewhere with excellent service but out in the sticks then lesvignesdelachapelle.com is interesting but probably not if you are into Relais type hotels

I am not a big fan of the Ile de Ré myself, but it is basically because I have never had the opportunity to spend time there. I consider it to be a totally flat completely boring place with not much to do, but if I were like the fans, I would be spending a month there every year, which allows the charm to take hold. I am not at all sure that just a week there would be enough to "appreciate" the place. And therefore, I would very much prefer La Rochelle as a place to stay for a week, with perhaps one excursion to Ile de Ré while I was there (the toll on the bridge would already prevent excessive visits).

I have been to Ile de Re 3 or 4 times, usually for a couple of days to break up the (wonderful) monotony of all chateaux all the time that the Loire valley can become. We have stayed at the Richelieu and La Toiras and liked them both. The latter is smaller and feels more "homey". Both are charming. I do not know the other hotel you mention. I can see how folks who own sumer homes there love it--like Cape Cod, Nantucket, etc. But unless you can really enjoy just living in a lovely area and not doing much for a vacation I would think you might prefer to spend a couple of days there getting rested and then 2 or 3 in La Rochelle where there is more to do and see. I will look up some of the restaurants we have eaten at there and post again to help with that question.

JulieVikmanis what you are suggesting than is a few days in La Rochelle and than a couple of days in Ile de Re? I am beginning to think that we need to do more exploring and traveling and maybe end up there for our last weekend for a couple of days than head back to Paris and a flight out. Maybe spend two days ( two nights?) Paris than take the TGV down to La Rochelle spend a couple of nights than go over the bridge and spend the last weekend in Ile de Re? Where did you stay in La Rochelle btw? Any suggestions? We love to explore, eat, shop, walk, explore some more I don't want to just sit on the beach so maybe a few days is enough.

Centeno it seems you are not contemplating having a car there, so our experience of the area (only 6 months ago) may not be much use to you. For the record, however, we stayed at a peaceful village midway between the Marais Poitevin and La Rochelle and visited both. La Rochelle is a lovely city - vibrant, entertaining, grand old buildings, good shopping and eating. We found the Ile de Re quiet and restful, and could imagine it being great for a bit of "chill-out" time between busier destinations.

For the record, if you are thinking of renting a car, the Marais Poitevin is fascinating too, with scenic canals, lovely villages, and picturesque ruins.

There's a beach right in La Rochelle, BTW.

As gourmet salt is all the rage, we were fascinated to see them harvesting it on the Ile de Rei.http://www.atthemeadow.com/shop/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=357
We biked through the island and really enjoyed it as a day trip from La Rochelle.

Gourmet salt.... I am so amazed at what they can convince people to buy. NaCl.

snowgirls how many days did yo stay in La Rochelle? twoflower thank you for the recommendations of other lovely towns. I will check them out! I was thinking we might want to rent a car and actually that was my next question...if we should
Any hotels you can recommend in La Rochelle or Marais Poitevin?

Kerouac, I totally agree...it's amazing how they get people to pay premium prices for...salt. We had a moment in September when our rental car was running low on gas and we were on Ile de Ré (chronicled in my trip report) and finally found a gas station and filled up, and they had Sel for sale for absolutely outrageous prices. I get that's because they have big costs associated with harvesting it, and I appreciate that, but still...

My late husband and I stayed in La Rochelle and visited the
Ile De Re, mostly because I love the bridge that takes you there.

it's amazing how they get people to pay premium prices for...salt.

That's because those taken in don't know that the gros sel is readily available in supermarkets.

Just realized that our last time on Ile de Re was 2006 so my dining recs aren't very current but I'm guessing that the place tries not to change a lot so they may still be ok. Anyway, when we last stayed it was at St Martin at Toiras. We dined at Skippers which was recommended by the hotel and very good. There was a fun Saturday market so if you stay on a weekend that will add some interest. Also dined at Parroquet Noir which was acceptable but not stellar. On Sunday we went to La Flotte for their market. La Toiras served dinner while we were there--don't know if that's still the case--lovely, homelike dining area for a few guests and set menu with good food. Loved their salt caramel liquor. We had a lovely fruits de mer lunch at Richelieu on an earlier trip. I assume they still maintain high standards.

Though I have planned a trip more recently with intent to stay in La Rochelle we wound up going in another direction instead so I can't provide first hand info on hotels there. We have eaten there, however, on a couple of occasions while staying on Ile de Re. We really like Les Flots on the harbor owned by Gregory Coutanceau, son of the chef who has a lovely two star restaurant there--which is great, by the way. We think Les Flots is probably one of, if not the, best of a great looking lot along the harbor. Nice service and great views with very good food.

While I was planning a stay in La Rochelle, I looked at day trips to Rochefort, Saintes and Cognac and was hopeful of exploring Marais Poitevin as others have suggested.

I think the idea of spending a couple of days (on the weekend if possible to enjoy the markets) just relaxing on Ile de Re before flying home from Paris is a good pan--if you can find availability. Parking can prove really difficult (we were last there on Frnch Labor Day weekend which is akin to July and August for tourism there) so if you decide not to have a car on the island, you can rent bikes. It's a fairly easy trip between La Flotte and St. Martin. La Toiras is quite small so it could be booked up already, but if not, I'd suggest staying there and biking on Sunday to La Flotte for the market and having lunch at Richelieu before biking back. Otherwise just laze about exploring little nooks and crannies in St. Martin.

I should add that Richelieu when we were last there had added spa facilities, so if spa treatments are your thing, then I'd stay on La Flotte at Richelieu and bike to St. Martin on Saturday for their market. Richeleiu has some rooms with fabulous decks looking directly onto the sea while Toiras is in town, not on the water but with a lovely garden and IME nicer furnishings though Richeleiu has likely updated since we last stayed there.

This all sounds great. Hotel Toiras gets very good reviews as does it's sister hotel Villa Clarisse. I now found another one which looks amazing Hotel Le Clos St Martin....has anyone heard of it?

We stayed in La Rochelle for 4 nights as we got a great weekend deal at the Novotel. Did the bike trip by bike bus to the Ile for a day, touring the very flat, hot island and biking through the salt marshes. It really was fascinating to see how the salt is harvested- glad I am not as cynical as some here -but we didnt buy any as we we were on a 3 week bike trip with full panniers. In La Rochelle, we toured shops, harbour, the stone towers, the museum , the farmers market and the aquarium and gardens. I loved it.
If you want pictures, I can post some.But you know, just go find things- that is the beauty of travel sometimes.
http://www.novotel.com/gb/hotel-0965-novotel-la-rochelle-centre/index.shtml

snowgirls Thank you! Did you wish you stayed on lie de re? I am thinking of flying into Paris spend a nite or two than tgv down to la rochelle spend about 3 nites and than stay on ile de re for another 3 nites before we tgv back to Paris to fly home. I am not sure if we will need a car in La rochelle to explore other areas/towns or we will be happy to just explore La Rochelle? It is summer and a time to chill so it seems like it could be fun to me. I just don't want to feel like why did I fly all the way here from NY to be at a beach which I doubt because it is France which is already fun and interesting! Also sometimes when I travel 2 days is enough anywhere! I agree teh beauty of travel is just to find things! Thank you for the recommendation of Novotel!

No I was happy to do the day trip to the Ile but dont forget we had bikes to get around the iland all day. We also walked everywhere in La Rochelle as we did not have a car. The Ile has that beachy Cape Cod feeling so if that whats you are looking for, ite there.For me, I wanted lots of choice of where to eat every day, from the fabulous market to a multitude of restaurants each night right outside my door and French shopping so we spent more time in la Rochelle. BTW I am in my 60s too.

thank you for sharing that showgirls. I am looking for hotel in La Rochelle and they all look like holiday inns. Is there anything nicer, more luxurious, special around the area or in La rochelle someone could recommend? Also do you think it is necessary to get a car and drive other places if you spend 3 days in La Rochelle and than 3 days in Ile de re? Does this sound reasonable? I do want a cape cod feeling vacation but might enjoy visiting other towns possibly along the coast? Haven't gotten that green michelin guide yet

From memory there is La Yachtman but I think lacking in "luxury" and La Monnaie which might be a little more chichi

Le Yachtman looks nice. Did you stay there? I read tripadvisor and dont' believe any of it! I am thinking 3 days La Rochelle and maybe explore by car down to Burgundy? Than go to Ile de Re bike and rest before returning to Paris and home? I need to decide and start learning some of my french!!!