Is There Much To Do At La Rochelle?

HKF

HKF

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Looking for somewhere to go this afternoon to get some sun and warmth (it's cold and raining, again, here!) but can't go too far. What is La Rochelle like, please? Where could we park with a nice view? And, can you walk along the seafront without going on the beach? Thank you :)
 
HKF said:
Looking for somewhere to go this afternoon to get some sun and warmth (it's cold and raining, again, here!) but can't go too far. What is La Rochelle like, please? Where could we park with a nice view? And, can you walk along the seafront without going on the beach? Thank you :)
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Yes, there's a large carpark/aire (or used to be) near the marina and old dock area and walking distance into old town. 👍
 
Great place to visit plenty to do, harbour with the fortified towers, nice old town. The official Aire is the old Municipal site just over a mile from centre so easy walk or you can hop on a bus.
 
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As per LennyHB
A nice place to visit.
 
Il de Ré is just over the bridge and is a lovely place to visit with some great restaurants and little harbours to wander around.
 
Thanks, guys. Looked at the official aire and it's €14, with or without electricity, for 24 hours. We'll only be there about 2-3 hours. So, had a look at some of the parking lots on P4N and a lot seem to have a 2m height restriction. Some have a 5m length restriction. Many have warnings about not being a safe area to park. It's a shame because it looks really pretty.
 
There used to be a big Aquarium, if still there worth a visit.
 
If it’s raining you could try the aquarium it’s pretty good 👍
 
I love La Rochelle, beautiful shops and cafes …. Not been in the rain though 🤨
 
I seem to think it was a reduced fee if you just parked for a few hours at the aire.
 
Lovely interesting town. I was there two years ago and whilst my son and Aussie DIL were doing some shopping I was sat outside a bar on the quay having a coffee when an attractive young lady with a couple of henchmen sat at the adjacent table. She was having difficulty with the menu and turned to me for assistance. Later when my DIL returned she said excitedly that she'd heard that a fellow Aussie, Kylie Minogue, was in town. She nearly swooned when I said I'd had coffee and a chat with her. :rofl:
 
Free parking for a few hours around the marina (no overnighting) - then drive to Lac Du Frace for free overnight parking, about 30 mins from La Rochelle...
 
Spent 2 weeks there 'Eurocamping' in 1997 when the kids were young so I guess there was plenty to do. All I remember was going on a boat trip out to some war stuff out in the sea?? and Princess Diana dying on our last day there.
 
Les Minimes Marina - plenty of free parking and the boat taxi to town every 30 mins. It’s our default free overnight spot at La Rochelle. There are also beach side cafes and restaurants there.

La Rochelle is a stunning town, plenty of bars to sit in and watch the world go round.

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Well, it's going to have to be another day. It's absolutely bucketing it down here, so much so that I didn't even want to go out of the door!! It's also started to get really cold at nights, too. If it gets to where we need to light the fire, we'll go to Spain for a quick holiday before our next business trip :)

Thank you for all the replies. We'll definitely keep La Rochelle on our list! :) xx
 
You need longer than a few hours, it is at least an over night stop. It's a beautiful old town and port.
 
Abgs said:
Les Minimes Marina - plenty of free parking and the boat taxi to town every 30 mins. It’s our default free overnight spot at La Rochelle. There are also beach side cafes and restaurants there.

La Rochelle is a stunning town, plenty of bars to sit in and watch the world go round.
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That sounds lovely, thank you :)
 
Wanders from Glos said:
You need longer than a few hours, it is at least an over night stop. It's a beautiful old town and port.
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Longer for what, though? I just wanted to have a walk around, have a coffee and come home :) It was just an afternoon out :)
 
Always parked up at the Marina in Port Mimes, never any problems stopping overnight and their is water and emptying facilities in Ave Michael Crepau I think it is, just opposite the municipal site.
Well worth spending a couple of days there

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Abgs said:
Les Minimes Marina - plenty of free parking and the boat taxi to town every 30 mins. It’s our default free overnight spot at La Rochelle. There are also beach side cafes and restaurants there.

La Rochelle is a stunning town, plenty of bars to sit in and watch the world go round.
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I second this suggestion but it was a few years ago since I was there.
I enjoyed the maritime museum also. 👍
 
I think you can visit the U-boat pens. They are indoors so you’ll stay dry!
 
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ChrisL said:
Definitely some at La Rochelle, but I think they may still be in use by the French Navy and as such only observable from outside the base.

www.atlasobscura.com

The Huge U-Boat Pens Where Nazi Submarines Launched in Secret

The massive pens were built in secret to hold the "Unterseeboots," one of Germany's most formidable weapons during World War II.
www.atlasobscura.com www.atlasobscura.com
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I thought the talk was of visiting, you can do that in St Nazaire.
The Authorities tried to blow the pens up after the war and after a few attempts, gave up.

One is now a museum with one of the subs still in the water filled pen. 🤔
 

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