All around La Rochelle Discover La Rochelle off the beaten track. There are today some 150km of cycle tracks and lanes around La Rochelle, from the Port des Minimes marina to the La Pallice fishing harbour, from the bridge of the Ile de Ré to Châtelaillon-Plage.

Yellow Bicycles :
With this essential addition to all other means of transport, Autoplus provides the possibility for a great trip around La Rochelle and the surrounding area.
With the numerous bicycle parking areas, access to the different tourist sites of La Rochelle is as easy as ABC.
The use of yellow bikes is free for 2 hours. There are 2 reception points providing the famous La Rochelle yellow bikes. For all Autoplus subscribers, bikes are free for 3 hours; ‘Jeune Autoplus’ subscription gives you use of the bike for the whole day.
Tél. : 05 46 34 02 22

Let yourself be guided through the hundred kilometres of maintained, signposted cycle tracks that snake through vines and salt flats, forests and nature reserves. Cycling is by far the best means to discover ‘Ré the White’ with its villages of white houses and hollyhocks, the wild heathland and the soft sandy beaches. Plus, there are no hills here - the highest point of the island is only 19 metres above sea level! It’s not surprising that cycling is the most popular means of transport on the Ile de Ré.
Bike Hire
Available in all the villages on the island. Some renters provide a recovery service, even on the cycle tracks.

Further Information
Ile de Ré Tourisme
Tél. : 05 46 09 00 55
www.iledere.fr - tourisme@iledere.fr

In the Pays Royannais, dozens of kilometres of exclusive cycle track link villages and beaches through the State forest of La Coubre. This is without counting the 500km+ of signposted circuits for mountain bikes or city bikes that wend their way through the area, from the Arvert peninsula to the hills of the Gironde Estuary. The Pays Royannais is also an FFC-registered (French Cycling Federation) mountain bike site.

Bike Hire
Cozes, La Palmyre, Merschers-sur-Gironde, Royan, Saint-Georges-de-Didonne, Saint Palais-sur-Mer, Saujon, Ronce-les-Bains.

Further Information
Pays Royannais Résa Tél. : 05 46 22 19 19

The Rochefort region embraces the Charente river estuary. Between land and sea, dozens of kilometres of cycle paths take you on a discovery of the countryside, the nature reserves at the Arsenal de Rochefort and the fortifications. As in ‘Les Demoiselles de Rochefort’, the famous film by Jacques Demy, you can cycle across the Charente on the Pont Transbordeur. Ferries and barges also cross you over to the other side of the river or to Aix, the island where bicycles rule unchallenged as cars are forbidden. To better discover the Rochefort region, bicycle rides are organised in Rochefort and Fouras to the Nature Centres of the Rochefort region, as well as by the LPO (Bird Protection League) on the banks of the Charente and in the Yves reserve

Bike Hire
A number of companies on the Ile d’Aix, at Fouras, Port-des-Barques and Rochefort.

Further Information :
Tourist Offices and Tourist Information Centres:

A car-free island
The island can only be accessed by boat and can be explored on foot or by bicycle. The Ile d'Aix is a paradise for nature lovers. On this little piece of land 600 metres wide and 3 kilometres long, visitors follow in the footsteps of Napoleon, who came here twice. But although traces of the past are still very much in evidence, it is present-day life that is the most astonishing here. The low houses and the holly hocks blend deliciously into the landscape while the soft sandy beaches give a touch of colour to this jewel of the Atlantic coast. The exceptional climate makes Aix a favourite rendezvous for those who love the sun and the open air.