RAIL-DRIVE
ILE DE RÉ BY TRAIN HOLIDAY
7 nights / 8 days From £ 2,110 per person
Saint Martin de Re
ILE DE RE • SAINT-MARTIN-DE-RE • LA ROCHELLE
This holiday by train to the Ile de Ré includes seven nights on this picturesque island off the Atlantic coast, renowned for its bright sunlight, swathes of natural, sandy beaches, pretty villages, fishing ports and weathered buildings. You travel by Eurostar to Paris and then change to a TGV service to La Rochelle where you collect your hire-car.
DAY ONE London to Ile de Ré Your luxury rail holiday to the Ile de Ré starts with a mid-morning departure on Eurostar from London St Pancras to Paris, where you change stations to take the high-speed TGV train to La Rochelle on the Atlantic coast of France. We recommend you leave London just before 10.30 hrs in order to reach La Rochelle just after 18.00 hrs. You collect your hire-car from the station, and it is a 35-minute drive to your hotel in Saint-Martin-de-Ré on the Ile de Ré where you spend 7 nights.
DAYS TWO TO SEVEN On the Ile de Ré You have six full days at leisure to explore the Ile de Ré. There are many interesting places to visit within a short distance of the hotel, by car, on foot and by bike, as well as places of interest further afield. Your hotel is situated on the edge of the port in Saint-Martin-de-Ré, a UNESCO world heritage site and a pretty, fortified town and Vauban citadel. La Rochelle is around a 30-minute drive away and offers an attractive old town and historic port and harbour with numerous interesting public buildings to see, such as the Town Hall and 15th Century houses. Further afield, about a 50-minute drive from Ile de Ré is the town of Rochefort. The historic centre is home of the Royal Rope Factory dating from the 17th century. Within your seven day stay here on the Ile de Ré, there is ample choice between rest, relaxation, visits to beaches, sailing and water sports, cycling and walking, visiting museums, local arts and crafts and markets and exploring a little further afield.
DAY EIGHT Ile de Ré to London Return your hire-car to La Rochelle station before taking the TGV back to Paris, with a change of stations, and then the Eurostar from Paris to London. There is a service that leaves La Rochelle just before 11.30 hrs and you arrive in London just after 17.30 hrs.
What’ s included
• Standard class Eurostar and second-class TGV from London to La Rochelle return
• 7 nights’ bed and breakfast in a Deluxe room at Hotel de Toiras, Saint- Martin-de-Ré
• Concierge service and Expressions Holidays regional helpful hints
What’ s not included
• Personal holiday insurance. This is essential and cover should be in place from when you book the holiday.
• Local tourist tax, usually between Euros 1 and 3 per person per night, and payable locally to the hotel
• Transfers in Paris
PRICES
Prices are per person based on two people sharing a double or twin room From £ 2,510
Supplements
• Standard premier on Eurostar and first class on the TGV £ 490 per person
Holiday code FRBR15
20 To speak to our specialist rail holidays team telephone 01392 441250 or see www. expressionsholidays. co. uk