I can second David's recommendation, we stayed there about 3 years ago.
There have been a lot of threads on this website about the island, if you click HERE there are 26 threads, so a lot of reading!!
Also Camping l'Ocean accepts Camping Cheques, between 17/4/2010 and 30/6/2010, then again between 5/9/2010 and 19/9/2010. For further info about how Camping Cheques work see http://www.campingcheque.com/
------------- Ina
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I don't know if you are cyclists or not but the I'le de Re is best seen by bike, miles of cycle tracks which are separate from the roads. It will be busy though in July and August, we were there in September and the cycle tracks were busy even then.
As an alternative and not so far to travel is I'le de Noirmoutier, this has a superb beach side camp site called Indigo Noirmoutier where we spent two weeks on last September.
We stayed on Ile de Re for 2 weeks in August 2008. The only place we could a pitch, we booked by phone from our site in the Pyrenees, was Camping Providence. This site at the far end of the island was okay and very near to a very pleasant, sheltered beach. My review, with my helpful tips for things to see and do,etc, is here:
Whilst touring around the island we did check out a few of the other campsites. Whilst L'Ocean looks a very pleasant site on the day we visited the adjacent beach we found the beach VERY windswept. It is an island and some of the beaches are rather exposed to the wind. Some of the other beaches are covered in seaweed. The beaches at the far end of the island tended to be more sheltered.
Not many of the campsites actually have sea views as there are seawalls along the more exposed beaches. On site that was close to a beach and had sea views, including ones of the bridge, was on the road to La Flotte, just after crossing the bridge from the mainland. - sorry I don't know the name.
We loved the Ile de Re and would recommend it highly.
The Ile de Re is great for cycling - we've not stayed om it but travelled over from the mainland by bike and around part of the island (we did about 30 miles in a day I think). Mostly very flat and great cycle paths - but some are also roads so beware (I got sworn at by a car driver I hadn't expected to come up behind!!!!!) Anyway, lovely beaches, the lunchtime restaurant prices seemed comparable to the mainland (St Martin is gorgeous). The toll bridge is expensive but you can walk over it and cylce over it in protected 'channels' well away from the traffic which was fab. The tide can go out along way on some beaches - but the sea is really warm when it comes in! You'll have fun I'm sure.
Quote: Originally posted by bridgeywidge on 15/1/2010
The toll bridge is expensive but you can walk over it and cylce over it in protected 'channels' well away from the traffic which was fab.
Just to clarify: as a pedestrian and cyclist, you don't have to pay to cross the bridge, it is FREE!!
On both sides of the bridge there is a cycle and footpath, it's great to cycle over it, we've done it a couple of times, once when we stayed near La Rochelle, and once when staying on Ile de Re, it's uphill to the middle, but then it is a great downhill all the way to the end
------------- Ina
Don't forget to leave a review of the French and other European campsites you have visited!