Ile de Re or Ile d'Oleron
Considering a visit to one or other or both of these this spring. Would very much appreciate advice as to if one is more scenic, if you've been to both which did you prefer and why? Also campsite recommendations please. Thank you
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Both islands are flat as a pancake, so scenic doesn't come into it.
Ile de Re has some prettier villages and houses, and is more upmarket generally, with tourism quite dominant. Oleron is bigger, quite workaday, and not pretty or smart, with tourism as a seasonal add on to everyday life. Personally I prefer the adjacent mainland to the both of them, but I know I'm a lone voice in saying that.
Campsite recommendations are impossible I'm afraid without knowing what style of sites you prefer. In Spring just go and explore I think.
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Ile de Re is supposed to be the more up market destination because a lot of celebs have second homes there!!! Ile d'Oleron seems to be more of a working island although it still has some pretty beaches. Strangely I prefer Oleron but I think I might be in the minority. They are not that far apart so you could visit both if you had time.
David
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We prefer the Ile de Re. There are some great cycle paths so we spent a lot of time cycling. There is more to see and do on Ile de Re. We used to go to d'Oleron just for the day when we were in that area. You can get across to d'Oleron for nothing whereas the return journey over to the Ile de Re is quite expensive so it was more worthwhile to stay for a few days.
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You're not a lone voice 'eurotraveller'. They're o.k. for a couple of days stopover but I found them flat, windy, touristy, and rather boring. A bit akin to a sandy Butlins. I don't cycle so to me the 'benefit' of being flat means bland vistas with ugly pine trees. The adjacent beautiful mainland is a far better area for either a static or a touring holiday IMHO.
2p.
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You reassure me Spriddler. The two islands of Oleron and Re and their cycle paths do nothing for me either.
But on the mainland La Rochelle is special of course.. Chatellaillon Plage is such a pleasant resort - although the beach is better at high tide than the mud flats later in the day. Rochefort is little known, but the Saturday open air market is an eye opener, the naval history museum is huge, and the botanic gardens are select, though focussed around Monsieur Begon and his Begonias. Our favourite low key town is Fouras - with a fortress, pedestrian streets with a cafe bar every few steps, twin market halls, and small boats out to Napoleon's hideaway on the island of Aix.
And then we push on to La Palmyre and have the weekday set lunch every day on the terrace at Le Golfy restaurant by the harbour - until they double their prices on Saturdays and Sundays.
We will look for you.
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Mind you, eurotraveller, bikes do have their benefits. Here's my camper on a wet and windswept Oleron being chatted up by two out on the pull (or out on the pedal perhaps). Sadly I had already invited an earlier blonde passer-by in for coffee!
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Hi we visited il d'Oléron June 2016. The site we eventually stayed at would not have been high up on my list but we had visited two previous and the driver said the next site he pulled the 24 ft caravan into had to do! The site was La Peroche Plage (acsi1684) €15 free wifi direct access to beach. Pitches tight but we faired well to the left on the slope. Showers dated but clean. A lot of French - lovely people. Cycled each morning to a nearby bar for the du pain. Lovely walks on the beach. Great everday market at St Pierre d'Oléron best wine and cheese of the trip.
Would I go again - yes not luxurious but its what you make it.
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Of the two islands we preferred the Ile de Re but I wasn't keen on either. If you are going in the spring you will struggle to find cafes and restaurants open on Oleron and even in the spring the camp sites on Re are expensive. If I were you I would head for the Venise Verte (the Marais Poitevan) as an alternative and just head to the islands for day trips.
http://www.parc-marais-poitevin.fr/http://www.parc-marais-poitevin.fr/1 -
We have yet to try ile de Oleron but we did enjoy ile de Re and ile de Noirmoutier, both have very good cycle tracks and as been said you can reach just about all the island if you are camped around the center. If the weather is favorable when we go this year we will most likely try out Oleron.
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