My husband and I plan to be in France in spring or fall 2027. For four days to a week.Can anyone recommend accommodations (€100 – €150 per night) and/or restaurants/markets? In la, Rochelle? Or maybe the surrounding towns or the Marais Poitevin?
We prefer an apartment in the old town, but we’re not sure what might be available. Also, any sites we shouldn’t miss?
Posted by
France Southwest - Occitanie
4215 posts
For entire-home rentals (non-hotel) in France for stays of several days, check out Gîtes de France.
It is the French equivalent of Airbnb, but it has been around since the 1970s. You’ll mostly find them outside major cities, the properties are managed by private owners and regularly inspected for quality and comfort by the Gîtes de France organization. They range from simple rooms to large manor houses with pools. They use a rating system based on "ears of corn" (épis) rather than hotel stars.
Here is a search for the Charente-Maritime region, where La Rochelle is located:
https://www.gites-de-france.com/en/search?data-ori=ADSWFNGFFR17&department=17&departments=35
Near La Rochelle, you can visit the Île de Ré (it’s a bit upscale and famous for the "bobos"—bourgeois-bohemians—from Paris who come to spend a few days there).
The Île d'Oléron, a little further south, is also very pretty and less pretentious (plus, there is no toll for the bridge).
Note that during the last week of September, La Rochelle hosts a major boat show called "Le Grand Pavois," so it will be more crowded than usual and the perfect time to either avoid La Rochelle or ... buy a new boat. LOL.
Posted by
Paris 16ème (Auteuil)
1629 posts
My favorite hotel in La Rochelle is Le Champlain . It's a former hôtel particulier (mansion). One of my favorites in France.
Posted by
Gig Harbor, Washington, USA
2048 posts
We spent one night in La Rochelle last June when we drove from the Dordogne to Brittany. We thought it was a very interesting city with lots of history and would have enjoyed another night there if we had more time. We had one of the best meals of our trip at Les Flots which was on the harbor very close to Tour de la Lanterne. The area around there was very lively even on a weeknight. We stayed at Hotel La Monnaie which was nearby. The entrance was very plain, but inside it was lovely with a good bedroom and a pleasant garden. Excellent breakfast and very close to a large public parking lot, also adjacent to the harbor.
Posted by
OP
Berkeley, California, US
746 posts
Thanks, everyone! Your help is very much appreciated. We are now thinking either three nights (two days) or four nights (three days) in La Rochelle. We were interested in seeing the. Marais Poitevin but after viewing photos, we think it is much like the Dordogne where we will be spending three weeks. So perhaps our time will be better spent in La Rochelle. Or perhaps we should visit another area. We will be traveling from Paris to the Dordogne and have three or four nights to spend somewhere in between. We would like to take a TGV into a city/town then pick up a rental car for our drive to the Dordogne. Any thoughts?
Posted by
France Southwest - Occitanie
4215 posts
The Marais Poitevin and the Dordogne are worlds apart. The Marais Poitevin is a regional park, sparsely populated and focused on nature with a maze-like network of small canals and channels in a completely flat landscape.
The Dordogne region is more populated and characterized by rolling hills, limestone cliffs, lush valleys, the winding Dordogne and Lot rivers, prehistoric caves, "1,001" medieval (or not-so-medieval) castles, and unique gastronomy (associated with the famous "French paradox").
So, don't hesitate to at least take a tour of the Marais Poitevin.