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| Travel |
| Anchored on the Atlantic seaboard, La Rochelle
opens inland onto a rich and varied countryside. |
n The conurbation
is within easy reach, whether by car, rail or plane. From La Rochelle
radiate out roadways to Charente-Maritime's other towns. Ré Island
is just a short drive over a monumental bridge, a feat of cutting-edge
technology.
Rail service
The railway station, inaugurated in 1857, is classed among the most
outstanding examples of rail architecture in France. Since electrification
of the section from Poitiers in 1993, high-speed TGV trains travel the Paris-La Rochelle route in less than three hours, with six connections daily.
Train service also links the conurbation with Nantes (5 connections
daily) and Bordeaux (8 turnarounds). Regional TER express trains offer
daily service between La Rochelle and Rochefort (20 minutes), as well as other major destinations in Charente-Maritime.
By car
Motorways link La Rochelle to Paris, Nantes and Bordeaux.
The A10 motorway intersects with RN11, a four-lane freeway which crosses the entire Charente-Maritime
Department. Now Paris is only 5 hours from the Atlantic coast. Nantes is a mere 1¾
hours from the conurbation via highway A83, and the projected A831 motorway between Fontenay-le-Comte
and Rochefort should appreciably shorten the drive. La Rochelle's two
landmark towers are just under 2 hours from Bordeaux via the expressway
to Rochefort, which feeds directly into the Rochefort-Saintes
motorway.
Air service
La Rochelle-Ile de Ré Airport has flights to Lyon, Londres, Birmingham, Southampton, Dublin , Edimbourg, Bristol, Birmingham, Manchester, Glasgow, Leeds, Cork and Nice. Passenger traffic
in the Airport tops 200,000 yearly in 2007.
Renseignements : 05 46 42 30 26 - www.larochelle.aeroport.fr |
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