d123

I'm traveling alone, looking to spend 2 weeks enjoying the beach and charming surroundings, but having trouble determining whether Ile de Re or Bassin d'Arcachon is better for this. Is 2 weeks too long for either place? Is Arcachon fairly commercial/built up? Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

StCirq

Yes, two weeks would be too long for me, though a week in each would be fine, and I've done that. You will have a car, right?

cigalechanta

Both are nice but not had the luxury of two weeks.

d123

thank you. i was unsure whether id need a car or whether i could get around mostly by train and cycle. what are your thoughts?

StCirq

You should rent a car. There aren't any trains on Ile de Ré or many places in the Bassin d'Arcachon, and bus service is spotty. Once on the Ile de Ré,of course you can cycle around on the numerous bike trails.

bilboburgler

1 week on both, I'd cycle ('cause I do) but both areas have cycle paths and Ile de re has over 100km of them.

Train will do it. There are some details here at http://www.mybikeguide.co.uk/ sections B and D.
Arcachon not too built up, but more than Ile de Re.

bilboburgler

End of July is ok but don't roll into August or the prices will sky rocket. I have not checked, but will now, the Bison Fute for this year but the Grand Depart looks like the 3rd August

http://www.bison-fute.equipement.gou...ndar-r106.html

d123

this is an enormous help, thank you! id like to get around by cycling while on ile de re but perhaps i need a car while in arcachon? i am picturing bassin d'arcachon as being similar to antibes in terms of commercial feel- is that the case?

StCirq

No, it's nothing like Antibes or anywhere on the Med, actually, at least in my experience. I suppose you could draw some parallels, but to me it has a very different landscape, ambiance,etc. Arcachon itself is where all the wealthy wine widows built their mansions, and for that reason alone its neighborhood architecture is almost unique. It really doesn't have that much of a commercial feel and isn't at all haughty like the Côte d'Azur.

I'm not that familiar with public transport around the bassin, but I'm guessing it's like so many other places in France - geared to students and locals who need to get out for errands and shopping, not for tourists who want to move around, so I'm thinking a car for the area would be good - to get easily to Cap Ferret and the Dune du Pyla, for example.

I'm not sure how you're planning to get to the Ile de Ré, but just so you know there is a bus that leaves from just outside the train station in La Rochelle, with a stop at the Place Verdun, that goes out to all the villages on the Ile de Ré. It runs about every half-hour. Once on the island you can easily rent bikes.

kerouac

Warning: minority opinion.

I find the Ile de Ré completely boring and would devote time in the area to La Rochelle instead.

I have not had a proper opportunity to totally explore the Arcachon area, but it seems much more interesting to me.

bilboburgler

Well, going to Ile de Re is a bit about the beech, a bit about little markets, a bit about some very expensive shops or little restaurants, maybe a bit of people watching with just the odd brewery, winery, lighthouse visit all by bike.

I ain't Paris.

StCirq

Actually, I agree with kerouac, and find the Ile d'Oléron more interesting, but if you're looking for a relaxing place to spend a week at the beach, the Ile de Ré isn't a bad choice. You can pretty much exhaust the historical import in a day, but the little towns are pretty enough, there are good beaches, and the microclimate is interesting. If I were a biker, which I'm most certainly not, I think I'd enjoy the trails.

d123

thank you. this feedback is so helpful. i now may change my itinerary to spend more time in arcachon and less in ile de re although the accommodations in ile de re actually are a bit less expensive

StuDudley

In June '11 we spent a day in the town of Arcachon, and it really impressed us. We enjoyed it a lot more than we thought we would. We've spent 16 weeks vacationing along the Cote d'Azur, and Arcachon is completely different. My wife is a Victorian house fanatic, and we spent 3-4 hrs wandering around on foot in the Winter Resort district - amazing (see St Cirq's comment about the wealthy wine merchants). The beach area was quite nice too - lots of cafes & a very pretty sandy beach. Good low-key shops too.

We have a gite on the Ile de Re reserved for the last week in August next year - but have not visited the Ile de Re on past travels (spent 2 nights in La Rochelle, however).

Stu Dudley

FrenchMystiqueTours

I was just on the Île-de-Ré a few days ago for the first time and it's the kind of place you go if you want to relax and not do a whole lot. Great for biking and beaches and there are some charming little towns there but aside from being a place to chill out and not do a whole lot there's not much more to it. Arcachon I thought was nice enough (though not super interesting) and I liked the Dune du Pilat but I wasn't crazy about the Landes region in general with its flatness and pine trees. Personally if I had two weeks to spend in France I might devote a couple of days to these places and spend the rest of my time elsewhere. If I had never been to France before I would completely skip these places and go elsewhere. But if you want beaches and a place to just chill out then these are good destinations for that.

StCirq

I totally agree about Les Landes - most boring part of France for me...unless you happen to come across one of those shepherds on stilts!

FrenchMystiqueTours

<<I totally agree about Les Landes - most boring part of France for me.>>

It actually makes the wheat fields of the Beauce look fascinating. At least the Beauce has some centuries old villages to see every now and then.