La Rochelle Airport or Ile de Re Airport as it also known serves the Charente-Maritime region of France. It is mostly used by budget airlines and most visitors come from within France and the UK. The airport handles over 180,000 passengers per year. With car hire at La Rochelle you can be in the city in just under 5 minutes.
La Rochelle Airport is small, but has the basic facilities you could need. In the lobby of the airport, you will find a bar and restaurant. The Escal Express serves hot meals and specialises in seafood dishes from the region. They also have sandwiches and pastries available for you to take away. In departures there is a snack bar that has drinks and sandwiches on offer. Aelia Duty Free has regional items as well as cosmetics, sweets and fragrances. There is a tourist information point, where you will find maps and leaflets about local attractions. There are no currency exchange or banking facilities in the airport, so make sure you save a few Euros (the nearest currency exchange office is in La Rochelle). The airport does have a post box if you need to send some postcards.
The old port or Vieux Port is the picturesque part of the city and with its narrow streets it has a distinctly Mediterranean feel. You can take a boat trip from here to Fort Boyard and Port des Minimes, which has a nice yacht marina and beach. There are 3 medieval towers that defend the port of La Rochelle and tours are available in French and English. The Ile de Re is the place to go for beaches and good food. To find the best restaurants in town, just head for the Vieux Port and try the seafood specials. Rue de Nicholas is the main street and here you will find shops, restaurants and cafes and plenty to keep you busy.
Out and about with your car hire in La Rochelle, you can visit the Futuroscope at Poitiers or head for Bordeaux where you will find chic boutiques and plenty of opportunities for wine tasting. Drive out to Oradour sur Glane, a preserved town and war memorial or the town that time forgot Haute Saintonge. In this region there are 300 miles of coastline to explore and breathtaking countryside and it is a popular area for fishing, sailing and golf. A must visit, is the chic seaside resort of Royan.
