La Rochelle travel guide
La Rochelle Tourism | La Rochelle Guide
You're Going to Love La Rochelle
With a population of 76.810, La Rochelle is a must-see destination in Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France. It is one of the most popular cities to visit in the country. La Rochelle deserves at least 2 full days for you to see its main sights.
When to visit La Rochelle
Looking for warm weather? Then head to La Rochelle in July, when the average temperature is 20 °C, and the highest can go up to 23 °C. The coldest month, on the other hand, is January, when it can get as cold as 4 °C, with an average temperature of 6 °C. You’re likely to see more rain in October, when precipitation is around 80 mm. In contrast, March is usually the driest month of the year in La Rochelle, with an average rainfall of 40 mm.
How to Get to La Rochelle
Plane
When flying to La Rochelle, you’ll arrive at La Rochelle Laleu (LRH), which is located 4 km from the city centre. The shortest flight to La Rochelle from the United Kingdom departs from London and takes around 1h 35m.
Train
SNCF is the most popular train carrier serving La Rochelle, followed by Eurostar. The train journey from La Rochelle to Paris takes 2h 49m and costs around £22 for a one-way ticket. When coming by train from Lille, expect to pay about £50 for a 5h 09m trip. Located 1.6 km from the city centre, La Rochelle is the busiest station in La Rochelle. Another popular train station is La Rochelle Porte Dauphine, located 0.2 km from the centre.
Car
Another option to get to La Rochelle is to pick up a car hire from Bordeaux, which is about 154 km from La Rochelle. You’ll find branches of Goldcar Rental SP and keddy by Europcar, among others, in Bordeaux.
Bus
You can travel by bus to La Rochelle using FlixBus or BlaBlaBus. From Bordeaux, the bus ride to La Rochelle takes 125 miles and will cost you around £21. From Nantes, the ticket costs about £15 for a journey of 155 miles. La Rochelle’s bus station is located 0.4 miles from the city centre.
Airlines serving La Rochelle
Where to stay in La Rochelle
From 5-star hotels such as the Maison des Ambassadeurs to great affordable options like the Lagrange Apart'hotel L'escale Marine, La Rochelle offers a range of accommodations for every taste. Average rates range from around £83 per night for a double room in a 3-star hotel to £129 and up for a 5-star experience. If you’re on a budget, well-reviewed accommodations include Premiere Classe La Rochelle Centre - Les Minimes and Hotel Henri IV.
Where to stay in popular areas of La Rochelle
Most booked hotels in La Rochelle
Hiring a car in La Rochelle
Hiring a car in La Rochelle costs £35 per day, on average, or £71 if you want to hire it for 2 days.
It’s generally cheaper to hire your vehicle outside the airport: locations in the city are around 7% cheaper than airport locations in La Rochelle.
Expect to pay £1.62 per litre in La Rochelle (average price from the past 30 days). Depending on the size of your car hire, filling up the tank will cost between £19.39 and £25.86. The most frequently booked car type in La Rochelle is Mini (Fiat 500 or similar). If you’re looking to save money, though, keep in mind that Standard car hire (Ford Kuga or similar) is, on average, 27% cheaper than other car hire types in the city.